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Alden Trust supports new Science Center with $175,000 grant

An architect's rendering of the new Science Center
An architect's rendering of the new Science Center

The George I. Alden Trust, located in Worcester, Mass., has awarded Connecticut College a $175,000 grant to support the renovation of New London Hall into a state-of-the-art life sciences and computer science center. The Alden Trust is known for supporting small colleges that demonstrate a combination of educational excellence, exciting programming and effective administration.

The grant will provide general support for the project, a key initiative of the Campaign for Connecticut College. Construction has already begun on the building, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2012. The new Science Center will feature modern labs and classrooms and will include a new greenhouse and precision-controlled systems for experiments. In addition to computer sciences, the building will house the biology and botany programs and will serve as an anchor for a science hub with the nearby F.W. Olin Science Center and Hale Laboratory.

Built in 1914, New London Hall is the oldest building on the campus of Connecticut College and initially served as the college's only academic space. The $20 million-plus project will completely renovate the building and includes a 6,500-net-square-foot addition that will expand the amount of space for research and teaching by 28 percent. Labs and classrooms will be connected and there will be social areas for faculty and students to talk, study and relax - making it easier for students to collaborate and solve problems with each other and with their professors. View the webcam to track the construction progress in real time.

The George I. Alden Trust supports higher education with a strong focus on small, independent undergraduate colleges. The trust supports capital needs projects, making grant awards to schools that are recognized for educational excellence and strong administration. In addition to the grant from the George I. Alden Trust, the Science Center project is funded by a grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation and leadership support from alumni and parents.



August 1, 2011