BEREA, Ky. (Jan. 29, 2018) – Berea College officials announced the successful conclusion of a $10 million campaign to build a state-of-the-art campus building to house the natural sciences and nursing departments. Generous contributions totaling $12,281,927 from Berea alumni, private donors and friends of the College made construction of the 125,000 square-foot facility possible. The new structure, named the Margaret A. Cargill Natural Sciences and Health Building, will open for the fall 2018 semester.
“We are thrilled to close out this campaign and add a stunning new facility to our campus,” said Bernadine Douglas, vice president for alumni and college relations. “We were inspired by the tremendous leadership and generosity of our trustees, who set the pace for the campaign. We exceeded our goal by more than $2 million for a project so essential to the continued success of Berea’s science and nursing programs.”
The Campaign Committee, comprised of Berea College trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff began the fundraising campaign in April 2016 with a groundbreaking ceremony. At its completion, the Margaret A. Cargill Natural Sciences and Health Building will house the biology, chemistry, mathematics, nursing and physics departments. Currently, Berea’s science departments are housed in the Charles Martin Hall Science Building, which was built in 1927 and updated in 1984.
As a private college, Berea does not receive state support for construction of facilities. An anonymous contribution in the form of a 3-to-1 match to the College’s fundraising efforts resulted in a $40 million gift toward the $72 million facility.
“Our new building will provide an interdisciplinary learning environment that will enhance collaboration among the natural science disciplines found currently in our beloved Hall Science Building,” said Matt Saderholm ’92, who chairs the academic division that includes mathematics, natural sciences and nursing. “But even more exciting are the new connections possible when nursing and mathematics join us. We’re creating a holistic STEM and health learning community on par with elite higher education institutions to better prepare our students for careers in health, research, education, and for high-tech jobs regionally and nationwide.”
Berea College has produced a number of esteemed healthcare professionals and innovative scientists whose work continues to impact the world, including:
- Dr. John Fenn ’37, 2002 Nobel Prize winner for chemistry
- Dr. G. Samuel Hurst ’47, physicist and inventor of touch-screen technology
- Dr. George Lester ’54, developer of the catalytic convertor
- Dr. Rocky Tuan ’72, world-renowned stem cell researcher
- Dr. Harold “Hal” Moses ’58, founding director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
- Dr. Charlotte Beason ’70, executive director of the Kentucky Board of Nursing
- Jack Roush ’64, automotive engineer, designer and owner of Roush Fenway Racing
- John Haun ’48, nationally-recognized expert in petroleum geology
“As a physics faculty member with much experience in teaching science before coming to Berea, I am particularly pleased to see such innovative new facilities for natural sciences and health,” Berea College President Lyle Roelofs said. “As a college administrator, I understand the importance of continuing Berea’s tradition of excellence in the sciences for our next generation of student scholars in science, health and nursing. And as a Berean, I am so deeply moved by the generosity of many of our friends and alumni and their commitment to sustaining the opportunity of an education of the highest quality for our students.”
Planning is underway for an official dedication ceremony for the building on October 20, 2018. http://campaign.berea.edu/nsh/
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