Bard College Awarded $500,000 Grant From The Sherman Fairchild Foundation For New Microscopy Suite

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—Bard College has been awarded a three-year $500,000 grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation to assemble a microscopy suite consisting of four lasers, two optical microscopes, and two scanning probe microscopes to enhance undergraduate science programs. The new science equipment builds upon Bard’s recent capital investment in a scanning electron microscope and will reside in the Gabrielle H. Reem and Herbert J. Kayden Center for Science and Computation, which opened in the fall of 2007 to house the College’s biology, computer science, and chemistry programs. This high standard of scientific equipment provides undergraduate students with enriched training opportunities in testing experimental hypotheses and conducting inquiry-based research, while allowing faculty to do research critical for advancement in their respective fields.

The generosity of the Sherman Fairchild Foundation in providing a Scientific Equipment Program grant for a new microscopy suite will support dramatic improvement in the College’s science curricula—enhancing laboratory and research experiences for both science and nonscience majors while reinforcing the strong collaboration among Bard’s science and other academic programs.

"The microscopy equipment that this grant provides will allow the most cutting-edge research to be conducted in chemistry, biology, and physics, both in class and in the research labs," said Brooke A. Jude, assistant professor of biology. "Programs will now be able to provide interdisciplinary courses on microscopy techniques, and students and faculty alike will be able to utilize these techniques firsthand to make gains in research goals."

Since its founding in 1860, Bard College has combined a firm commitment to liberal arts and sciences education with readiness to innovate. Bard seeks to provide a challenging academic program; a supportive environment that fosters a collaborative exchange of ideas in the classroom, studio, and laboratory; and access to world-class scholarship and research. The College’s science programs are integral to the fulfillment of Bard’s mission by developing students who possess a robust understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry and therefore become nimble thinkers able to transfer their knowledge to new contexts. The new microscopy equipment provided by funding from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation will enrich undergraduate course offerings and further the College’s science initiatives.

About Bard College
Founded in 1860, Bard is a four-year residential college of the liberal arts and sciences. The campus, a fusion of two historic riverfront estates, is located in the Hudson Valley. The College offers the bachelor of arts degree with concentrations in more than 40 academic programs in four divisions: Arts; Languages and Literature; Science, Mathematics, and Computing; and Social Studies; and a five-year B.A./B.S. degree in economics and finance. Through a five-year program with The Bard College Conservatory of Music, students earn a B.Music degree and a B.A. in a field other than music.

Bard offers the following graduate degrees: master of fine arts; master of arts in curatorial studies; master of arts, master of philosophy, and doctor of philosophy in decorative arts, design history, and material culture; master of science in economic theory and policy; master of science in environmental policy and in climate science and policy; master of business administration in sustainability; master of arts in teaching; and master of music in vocal arts and in conducting. Several graduate dual degrees also are offered.

Bard’s campus is a center from which students can explore the rich natural and cultural life of the Hudson Valley. Within a half-hour’s drive of the campus are many of the great Hudson Valley mansions and historic sites.

With its deep commitment to civic engagement, Bard is a private institution that acts in the public interest. Bard undertakes and fosters initiatives that reflect its principles—innovation, ambition, risk taking, and a fundamental belief in the link between liberal education and democracy. What distinguishes Bard is its willingness and ability to promote and sustain long-term projects that engage its students, faculty, and administrators with some of the most important issues facing society. Whether in social service organizations in the Hudson Valley; in prisons; in high schools in New York, Newark, and New Orleans; or in universities in Russia, Berlin, the West Bank, and Kyrgyzstan, Bard is always innovating and engaging.

(04/23/14)

This event was last updated on 04-23-2014

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