The Justice

Media Credit: Max Breitstein Matza Faculty, students and administrators mingle in the atrium of the newly completed Carl J. Shapiro Science Center.

More than 50 students, faculty and University administrators gathered in the newly completed Carl J. Shapiro Science Center for an open house that began with a brief speech by University President Jehuda Reinharz followed by guided tours of the facilities last Friday.

While the formal dedication of the building will not be held until the fall of 2009, the open house gave members of the Brandeis community a sneak peek at the new facility.

Reinharz spoke about the first-class facility and what it means for Brandeis. In addition to praising the new science center, he used his time to thank all of those involved with the process of building the center.

Reinharz said the construction of the science center was only one phase of the two-phase Science Complex Renewal Project. He went on to state that Phase 1, the construction of the new science center, was on time and on budget.

According to Reinharz, "The second phase is that Kalman and Friedland will come down. Friedland will come down next summer of [2010] and Kalman sometime in the fall [of 2009]. But it may take longer than expected due to the economy."

In his speech, Reinharz said that the University needed to upgrade its science facility in order to attract and retain top science students and faculty.

"We have first-rate scientists here who have been working in dilapidated science labs, Kalman and Friedland, and we would not be able to keep first-rate scientists without first-rate labs and first-rate teaching facilities, which we have," he said.

"It's absolutely necessary if you want to be in the forefront of American higher education or world higher education. You need first-rate facilities; otherwise, no faculty will come, so I feel very good about all these great facilities," Reinharz said.

Reinharz added that in addition to the new science center, many other recent infrastructure improvements have been completed such as the Shapiro Campus Center, the new dorms and the new admissions building.

Continued...

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