Berea Celebrates the Dedication of Its Newly Completed Science Building
“I believe pursuing an extraordinary tomorrow creates a better world today,” said Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space, during the convocation following the dedication of the Margaret A. Cargill Natural Sciences and Health Building.
The pursuit of an extraordinary tomorrow encompasses both the academic and philanthropic passion captured in the completion of the new 125,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that houses the College’s science disciplines, mathematics and nursing. Nearly 1,000 alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students raised more than $12 million to make the vision for this new facility a reality.
Faculty and students led tours and demonstrations in the new facility throughout the morning to showcase the advanced technologies on display as guests toured the structure’s laboratories, Discovery Center and planetarium.
During the dedication ceremony in the building’s atrium, President Lyle Roelofs awarded Dr. Hal Moses ’58 and Linda Moses President’s Medallions in honor of their generous service to Berea as lead trustee donors in the Margaret A. Cargill building campaign. Moses is the director emeritus at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Following the dedication, former NASA astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison, spoke to a large crowd of College students, administrators and trustees at a convocation. Today, Jemison is the principal for the 100 Year Starship Project. Her leadership and vision provide guidance and direction for the foundation with the goal of making human travel beyond our solar system a reality within the next 100 years. Titled,
“Pursuing the Extraordinary,” Jemison’s presentation challenged the audience to see the future as it could be, and not be limited by today’s capabilities.
