Gov. Deval Patrick

(L to r) Louis Ricciardi, Megan Dobro and David Perini

Gov. Patrick and President Dana Mohler-Faria

Megan Dobro

Shovels in! (L to r) Sen. Marc Pacheco, Gov. Patrick, Rep. David Flynn, President Mohler-Faria and David Perini

BSC Breaks Ground on New Math and Science Center

Posted on October 31, 2009 - Permalink
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Gov. Deval Patrick joined President Mohler-Faria, members of the college community, and distinguished guests today to break ground on a $98.7-million Math and Science Center. College and state officials hailed the new complex as a great catalyst in the region for education and technology.

President Mohler-Faria hosted the ceremony in the Rondileau Campus Center ballroom, and called the math and science center "long overdue."

Many at the ceremony spoke about the need for the new center, and called it an investment in future generations.

"We invest in public higher education today to prepare our students for a better tomorrow," Gov. Patrick said. "Bridgewater State is totally committed to creating opportunities for young men and women, and this science building is a fitting example of that.

The new 213,000-square-foot science center will be double the size of the college's current facility, the Conant Science Building, which was built in the 1960s. It will be the locus of study for nearly 800 science and math students, and have office space for 56 full-time faculty members.

Major improvements to the existing building and the construction of a new addition, as well as the demolition of one wing of the original structure, will bring together the now-scattered biology, chemistry, earth science, geography, physics, math, and computer science departments. The multi-phased project will integrate and expand these teaching and research facilities, resulting in a cutting-edge undergraduate science program.

Lou Ricciardi, '81, chairman of the BSC Board of Trustees, opened his remarks by saying, "This is a real good day." He added that even though the country is in a recession, "we still have a future to plan for& We still have an obligation to educate our future innovators."

The center will also educate a great number of future educators, as BSC remains the commonwealth's largest provider of new K-12 science and math teachers. Since an overwhelming majority of graduates remain and work in the region, college and state officials said they expect the new Math and Science Center to be a great resource throughout the commonwealth -- and beyond.

"This will become the place to go in southern New England," said state Sen. Marc Pacheco.

State Rep. David Flynn, '58, who along with Sen. Pacheco was cited by President Mohler-Faria as critical to the success of funding the new complex, gave the packed ballroom a little institutional history lesson. He brought that idea home again after discussing the cost of the center and tipping his hat to President Mohler-Faria.

"If Horace Mann, John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster came through that door right now, they would say, Mr. President, job well done.'"

Also on hand was David Perini, commissioner of the state's Division of Capital Asset Management, who thanked all those involved with the planning of the new center.

Nearly stealing the show was Megan Dobro, '06, who majored in biology at BSC and is now working on her PhD at Caltech. She listed her BSC professors for special thanks, and singled out two, Drs. Jeff Bowen and Merideth Krevosky, as keeping her from "dropping out of school and running off to join the circus.

The new building will allow great math and science faculty members to do even more.

"This building will provide not only more opportunities but confidence," in tomorrow's BSC math and science grads, she said.

The unenviable job of following Ms. Dobro to the podium fell to the governor, who said the investment in the new Math and Science Center was "an investment in ourselves, in the future, and in Megans."

President Mohler-Faria seemed to agree, citing Ms. Dobro as a shining example of the best that BSC has produced.

The center is expected to be completed by 2012. (Story by John Winters, photos by John Winters and Karen Callan)