New center for the natural sciences opens its doors.

The John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center-North Building officially opened its doors on Sept. 8 in a ceremony that included a speech by University trustee John H. Bauer, '62. Before the crowd, Bauer remembered longtime friend John Brooks Williams, owner of Houston 's Markle Steel Company, whose estate gave a total of $12.5 million for construction of the science facilities.

The north building provides spacious classrooms, laboratories with advanced instrumentation for the Biology and Chemistry programs. Students and faculty are surrounded by comfortable lounges, gallery space for research displays and cozy spaces for small-group study. View the virtual tour. See the progress of our construction.

Why a new science center?
Science facilities of the highest caliber are inviting hubs of activity on a college campus. They offer spacious classrooms and laboratories with advanced instrumentation. They also have comfortable lounges, gallery space for displaying research projects, bright interiors, broad hallways and cozy spaces for small-group study. Stimulated by their environment, students seek interaction that enriches their learning experiences

A tradition that advances scientific discovery.
One of those enriching experiences is the annual Brother Lucian Blersch Symposium. The symposium brings together world-class research professionals in a scholarly exchange of ideas.

There is also the long-running Lucian Endowment that funds equipment purchases for the natural sciences program at St. Edward's. J.B.N. Morris, hs '48, '52, and his family established this endowment at St. Edward's 24 years ago to honor Brother Lucian Blersch, CSC, a longtime professor of engineering at St. Edward's who died in 1986.

Morris and Brother Lucian met at St. Edward's High School. "Theirs was a long-standing friendship that had a tremendous impact on our family," explained Morris' son, John B.N. Morris, '79. "Our family wanted to honor Brother Lucian's dedication to his faith, to teaching and to the Brothers of Holy Cross."

How will it help students?
Led by Dean Charlie Bicak, who previously held positions at the University of Nebraska-Kearny and California State University-Bakersfield, the new facilities will attract top students and faculty. The amount and quality of space that students and faculty share to teach, learn and collaborate is critical to the success of a science program. Meet four alumni who are changing the world through science.

Additionally, new facilities will enable St. Edward's to provide exceptional experiences for science majors and non-majors alike, spurring them toward greater achievements in classroom and career. Students and faculty will benefit from increased access to well-equipped laboratories that support teaching and research. Students especially will benefit from more space for hands-on testing of scientific hypotheses. Plus, the facilities will provide the faculty with excellent resources for teaching and research and will help attract highly qualified faculty members who will add new areas of focus. View the virtual tour.

Plans for the south building are underway.
The south building, expected to open in 2010, will offer space for Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics programs, including:

• Technology-rich classrooms
• An expansive auditorium to serve as a venue for lectures and symposiums
• High-powered computing capacities for research

The John Brooks Williams estate has already contributed $5 million for this phase of construction.

The design of the two buildings will encourage the exchange of ideas between students and faculty across disciplines. This type of collaboration is important to scholarly pursuits in the sciences, and it also is a hallmark of the personalized learning experience for which
St. Edward's is known.

Make a gift to the natural sciences center.

If you have specific questions about the John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center or other giving opportunities, please contact Joe DeMedeiros.