Carthage’s $43 million science center opened in fall 2015. The center offers even greater opportunities for innovative science education, and further advances the College’s commitment to exceptional research experiences for undergraduates.

Science Center Atrium

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The science center provides state-of-the-art facilities for study in the natural sciences, and provides new ways for students and faculty to collaborate on forefront research. The project included a major renovation of the 70,000-square-foot David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Natural and Social Sciences, and a new 35,000-square-foot wing to the south and east, embracing the center’s lakeside location.

What’s in the Science Center?

Science Center Lab
Twelve interdisciplinary laboratories for research in such pioneering areas as materials science, nanotechnology, engineering design, molecular biology, and atomic microscopy.
Science Center lounge space
Collaborative learning areas outside classrooms, laboratories, and faculty offices where students and professors can gather for informal discussions, continued learning, and project work.
Science Center Atrium
A two-story, glass-enclosed atrium for exhibits, public gatherings, student poster presentations, and planetarium shows.
Science Center classroom
Multidisciplinary teaching laboratories and TEAL (Technology Enhanced Active Learning) classrooms to allow expanded curricular integration across the sciences and to encourage student-focused pedagogy.
Science Center Seating Media Area
A stepped seating area with advanced media capabilities.
Science Center outdoor classroom
An outdoor classroom overlooking Lake Michigan with natural stone seating.
Class in the Science Center glass classroom
Glass-walled classrooms and laboratories to allow students and visitors to see science on display.
The planetarium contains a Spitz SciDome HD dual-projector theater system for high-resolution sci...
A planetarium that contains a Spitz SciDome HD dual-projector theater system for high-resolution scientific visualization.

The Future of Science Education

In the last decade, the percentage of Carthage graduates who have a degree in a natural science has doubled, along with the percentage of incoming students interested in majoring in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, geoscience, geographic information science, mathematics, neuroscience, or physics.