Illinois State University's Science Laboratory Building (SLB) was designed as a state-of-the-art facility to support teaching and research in the Departments of Chemistry and Biological Sciences. The building provides a number of features that will shape research and education in the sciences for decades to come.
The undergraduate teaching laboratories are equipped with innovative fume hoods that provide optimal ventilation as well as improved visibility for students and teachers. These hoods, designed by Dr. Sol Shulman, chemistry professor emeritus, provide an important advance in undergraduate instruction, and innovation being replicated throughout the country in new science buildings.
To equip the new building, scientific instruments worth $6,000,000 were purchased. In the new laboratories, students gain experience with the most advanced scientific equipment, helping them to build skills that will support scientific careers in medicine, research, and industry. The facility has enabled faculty to continue to expand their nationally recognized research programs.
A suite of laboratories, equipped in part with support from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, supports the Biochemistry major.
In addition to its outstanding laboratory and teaching design, the SLB is aesthetically arresting. Its four-story atrium provides a stunning entry, and the open spaces on each floor provide places for interaction and conversation. The atrium has wireless internet access, providing a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere for students and faculty to work.