Allison Oster
Public Relations Manager
(626) 815-4518
Advancing Science: APU Breaks Ground on $54 Million Science Building
September 18, 2007
AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific University will host a day focused on scientific advancement and achievement on September 26, beginning with the groundbreaking ceremony for a new state-of-the-art science building at 9:45 a.m. on West Campus, located at 701 E. Foothill Blvd. Nearly 1,000 faculty, staff, students, and community members are expected attend the groundbreaking ceremony. A celebration reception, on Darling Plaza on West Campus at 10:30 a.m., will follow the ceremony.
As the most fiscally significant project undertaken by the university in its history, the new science facility reflects APU’s commitment to educating more graduates majoring in the sciences, and providing excellent resources to non-science majors as part of the general curriculum.
The university recognizes the increasing need for science professionals across the nation. In a recent report, the National Science Board warned that the United States is not producing enough scientists to meet future needs. With the construction of the new science center, equipped with modern technology and flexible lab and classroom space, and combined with rigorous programs, APU can prepare increasing numbers of scientists ready for world impact.
In keeping with the focus of the day, several events centered on scientific advancement will follow the groundbreaking.
- Science Center Symposium, 1 p.m., Los Angeles Pacific College Banquet Room (LAPC)
East Campus, 901 E. Alosta Ave.
Featuring keynote speaker Nigel Cameron, the symposium offers attendees an opportunity to reflect upon “A Brave New World: Science, Education, and Human Values for the 21st Century.” Cameron is a research professor of bioethics and an associate dean at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he directs the Institute on Biotechnology and the Human Future, and the Center on Nanotechnology and Society. He is also president of the new, non-partisan, Center for Policy on Emerging Technologies (C-PET) in Washington, DC. He has served as an advisor on U.S. delegations to the United Nations, and is a member of the United States National Commission for UNESCO.
- Panel Dialogue, 4 p.m., LAPC
Leslie Wickman, Ph.D.,
- Science, Faith, and Culture Lecture, 6 p.m., Munson Chapel, East Campus Hosted by the Center for Research in Science, this lecture series is designed to discuss “The Importance of Science Education within a Christian Worldview.” Keynote speaker J. P. Moreland, professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif., is best known for his contributions to contemporary philosophical apologetics, critiques of materialism and naturalism, and defense of Christian theism. He also serves as fellow of the Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, which is considered the hub of the intelligent design movement.
Featured in TIME magazine and ranked as one of the nation’s best by U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review, Azusa Pacific is a comprehensive, Christian, evangelical university, committed to God First and known for excellence in higher education. Azusa Pacific’s main campus lies just 26 miles northeast of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, while its seven Southern California regional centers bring convenience and extend quality programming. The university offers more than 50 areas of undergraduate study, 23 master's degrees, and 7 doctorates to a total student population of more than 8,100.
