Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the pace of scientific knowledge accelerated to epic proportions, spurring revolutions in medicine, communication and even the global economy. Today that pace has quickened to the point that that body of knowledge doubles every seven years.

At the same time, students’ interest in science has grown tremendously so that today one out of every four Wittenberg students with declared majors study science. This key development means that research experience for undergraduates is an expected norm at Wittenberg, a norm the new Kuss Science Center marvelously fulfills.

The center puts Wittenberg at the forefront of human achievement and offers unprecedented possibilities for contributing lasting benefits to society. As new science discoveries tend to come from collaboration between the science disciplines, the Kuss Center, just like its neighbor Hollenbeck Hall, encourages partnerships between departments with an open design that makes science both enticing and accessible.

The strong cooperative programs found within the center’s walls, including ones in engineering, environmental studies, marine/aquatic biology, nursing and occupational therapy with such schools at Duke University and Johns Hopkins, among others, also provide access to research opportunities only imagined by earlier generations.

In a world in which technology and science carry extraordinary potential, students with liberal arts backgrounds bring ethics and influence to the equation, while the Wittenberg tradition of student-active learning, which permeates the Kuss Science Center, serves to prepare them for leadership roles in tomorrow’s laboratories.