Funding from the Academic Research Infrastructure Program will enable Mount Saint Mary's College, an institution primarily for women, located in the Southern California area, to renovate key areas of the science building dedicated to research and research training activities. The renovation plan targets specific areas in Biology and the Physical Sciences where investigations in microbiology, cell biology, immunology and neuroscience occur. Funds will be used to update electrical and plumbing systems, increasing the safety and accommodation of increased equipment utilization. Selected laboratories will be reconfigured to provide more efficient space for faculty and students as they conduct various experiments. Fixed equipment consisting of fume hoods, casework, benches and storage cabinets will be installed in the renovated spaces. The project will improve the quality of the research space as well as the total educational and research experience. It is anticipated that because the institution has the highest percentage of minority students among the independent colleges in California, more minority women will matriculate in the sciences, having the opportunity to contribute to the scientific enterprise of the nation.
