Trinity University and the National Science Foundation will jointly support the renovation of facilities devoted to Laser Spectroscopy, Atmospheric Chemistry, and Capillary Electrophoresis and Chromatography in the Marrs McLean Science Center. The renovation will substantially upgrade the current facilities, built in 1953 and 1959, to meet the challenges of contemporary science. The NSF-funded effort will be part of an estimated $5 Million renovation of the entire science center undertaken by the institution. All three laboratory spaces will be completely renovated including demolition of existing non-bearing walls, provision of new electrical ground and filtered electrical power lines, installation of new HVAC and back-up air conditioners for essential climate control, installation of computer network and telephone ports, shielding from elecro-magnetic interference (Laser Spectroscopy Lab), a new fume hood, deionized water system and vacuum system (Atmospheric Chemistry Lab), and a new fume hood and vacuum, compressed air and natural gas lines (Capillary Electrophoresis and Chromatography Lab). The renovation will also permit the re-design of laboratory bench space for increased efficiency in research operations. The completed effort will encourage student discovery of contemporary science and assure a much safer and efficient environment in which to work. It will facilitate new experiments which have not been conducted previously at Trinity. Trinity is highly ranked nationally on its programs in undergraduate science, mathematics and engineering education. It seeks to include geographic distribution of students and to include under-represented minorities and women who constitute in excess of 10% and 44% respectively in these programs.
