New McFarland addition dedication and inaugural J.S. Ward Society dinner to be held on Friday, April 15
Lacey Klotz |
Hundreds of Lipscomb science and health care graduates will gather on Friday, April 15, to celebrate the grand opening of the university’s newest academic facility: an addition to the almost 50-year-old McFarland Science Center that increased its size by more than a third and added six new labs as well as updated and enhanced equipment to continue growing the school’s highly regarded work in science education.
The ribbon cutting and dedication for the 24,000-square-foot facility will take place at 5-5:45 p.m. on the patio outside of the $8.5 million structure on Belmont Boulevard. The public is invited to attend.
Immediately following the dedication ceremony will be the inaugural J.S. Ward Society Leadership dinner to celebrate the past, present and future of the Lipscomb Science Program from 6-8 p.m. located in the new McFarland addition.
Dinner guests will learn more about the J.S. Ward Society, an organization open to science major alumni, which helps the best and brightest university students to reach their dreams in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and allied health professions, by offering several programs including: the scholars program, mentoring program, executive-in-residence program and heroes of science program.
During the dinner, President L. Randolph Lowry will moderate a panel discussion with deans from three leading medical schools in the state of Tennessee as well as the University of Kentucky, entitled: Competitive and Compelling – A Conversation of the Changes and Challenges of Health Care Education in Today’s World.
The panel will attempt to answer the question of what is and isn’t working in health professions education today, and what are the changes necessary to preparing a high-functioning health and health care work force that can meet the country’s current and emerging needs?
Distinguished panelists include:
- Jeff Balser, MD – vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
- David Stern, MD – executive dean, University of Tennessee’s College of Medicine
- Frederick C. de Beer, MD – dean, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
- Robert Means, MD – dean of medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University
The dinner is $50 per person and tickets can be purchased HERE.
Student-led tours will also be offered at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 15, to show the advancements of the McFarland addition.
The ground floor of the addition features a new, Belmont Boulevard entrance with a patio seating area. The biology department has two labs on this level: a microbiology lab and a multi-purpose lab with new equipment.
“More than $100,000 has been invested in new microscopes,” said Kent Gallaher, chair of the department of biology.
Five of the new labs have been named for retired Lipscomb science faculty legends: Paul Langford, former chair of chemistry and the pre-medicine committee; the late Oliver Yates, chair of biology; the late David Johnston, distinguished professor of chemistry; the late Ralph Nance, chair of physics; as well as John Netterville, former chair of chemistry.
“Alumni across the nation made donations to honor these distinguished faculty and help fund the new McFarland labs,” said Fincher.
Two anatomy labs that serve pre-med and pre-nursing majors are located on the third floor. According to Gallaher, around 200 students a year must take anatomy labs. The new labs include the same drainage, lighting and equipment found in a modern surgical suite.
The biology department now has new models, skeletons, cadavers, a centrifuge, incubated shaker and an autoclave, thanks to the investment of nearly half a million dollars which will be allotted for new scientific equipment over the course of the next two years.
In the two new fourth-floor chemistry labs, all the water and air lines are connected to individual stations through the floor, allowing professors better sight lines to every student. Individual hoods in the multi-purpose chemistry lab are larger and transparent, and the organic chemistry lab now includes 13 larger collaborative hoods so students can conduct all experiments at the same time.
Both the chemistry and biology labs include new snorkels and overhead movable pipes that allow a student to place air exhaust immediately over the chemical or specimen they are using.
To RSVP for the dedication and/or dinner please contact Jeff Fincher at jeff.fincher [at] lipscomb.edu or 615.966.6214.
- Additional reporting by Janel Shoun-Smith