-- New laboratory helps create new program in applied science; meeting requirements for pre-med, pre-dental and more –
HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College has received six grants totaling $425,000 for the creation of a new science laboratory. Construction on the new lab is scheduled to begin in May with completion in time for the Fall 2019 semester. The new lab facilitates the introduction of a new academic program in laboratory sciences, which will open new opportunities for students to pursue pre-medical, pre-pharmacy, DNA analysis, and more. The new academic program will also begin this fall.
Hilbert received $150,000 from The John R. Oishei Foundation; $100,000 from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation; $50,000 from the Russo Family Charitable Foundation; $50,000 from the Vincent and Harriet Palisano Foundation; $50,000 from the M&T Foundation; and $25,000 from the Garman Family Foundation administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
This support will fund the conversion of typical classrooms into a state-of-the-art science laboratory, with spacious benches for lab work, chemical hoods with efficient ventilation systems, cabinetry, glassware, computer software, and the proper instrumentation needed to conduct scientific research projects.
“I am deeply grateful for the tremendous support from these wonderful Western New York foundations,” Hilbert President Michael S. Brophy, Ph.D., M.F.A. said. “The new science lab is truly a transformational project for Hilbert, opening doors for our students to pursue advanced science degrees, including meeting pre-medical and pre-dental requirements.”
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to thank the foundations who are supporting this project for Hilbert College. It is an immense undertaking that will propel Hilbert College moving forward,” said Fr. Michael Sajda, O.F.M. Conv., Chair of the Hilbert College Board of Trustees.
Hilbert's new science degree is a four-year program, which provides students with a solid foundation of knowledge in the natural/physical sciences and advanced training in the Biological Sciences, specifically Forensic DNA analysis methods and interpretation. Typical science degrees focus on natural sciences in laboratory settings; however, this program involves the laboratory analysis of evidence that is admissible in courts of law. The baccalaureate degree coursework includes biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, cell and molecular biology, population genetics, laws and rules of evidence and moot court.
“The lab design will allow students to work in teams or on their own, while increasing faculty-student interaction. Hilbert prides itself on the personal attention offered to students. The design of these spaces fits perfectly into that model, allowing interactive support when needed, or space for independent research projects,” Hilbert Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kristina Lantzky-Eaton, Ph.D. said.
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.