Chemistry Tower on UW Campus Increases Access to STEM Education

The University of Wisconsin-Madison recently finished construction on a new and improved Chemistry Tower building located on University Avenue on campus. After construction delays due to COVID-19 and other issues, the university introduced the building earlier this year.

UW-Madison Professor Robert McMahon told the media that, “The new building addresses a really serious need on the campus for STEM education.”

Over the past two decades, the chemistry department has struggled to keep up with the demand. As many as one fifth of UW-students take introductory chemistry at a different institution. This can mean some students take longer to graduate. About half of UW-Madison undergraduates take a chemistry course during their freshman year. But, with the new building, more than 7,000 students will be able to take at least one chemistry course each semester.

With the new tower, UW students now have access to modern lab and study spaces, which is a vast improvement over previous facilities designed in an era when computers were rare and safety standards and lab equipment were less than expected today.

The new facilities allow students more flexibility within lectures and labs. The new building is more spacious and allows students to move freely with the movable desks and swivel chairs. This is a clear improvement compared to the past where students were cramped together and there was far less room to work.

The new chemistry building not only has new features, but also a new learning studio system. Accessible to every student, it allows students access to any lecture or presentation and lets teachers to assign group work. This system also works as a library. Students can easily access textbooks or other chemical literature resources online.

UW-Madison paid for the new $135 million building with $90 million in taxpayer funds with the remainder covered by private funds and donations.

[Sources: captimes.com ; Madison.com ]

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