Boston College has announced plans to construct a $150 million, 150,000-square-foot science facility that will house the new Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society.
The college says the institute will create a multi-disciplinary, collaborative research process to address societal issues in the areas of energy, health and the environment. It will be named for college trustee Phil Schiller and his wife, Kim Gassett-Schiller, who have donated $25 million for the project.
Through the institute, Boston College aims to explore new interdisciplinary courses in integrated and applied sciences, design thinking, implementation science, computer and data science, global public health and other fields that will combine elements of technology, engineering and entrepreneurship
"The institute’s focus on combining technology and the humanities and its commitment to collaboration and innovation as a defining principle is very exciting," Phil Schiller says. "This is where the best work comes from, as diverse minds with different experiences try to understand a problem together and solve things as a team."
The new science facility will be adjacent to Higgins Hall, which houses the Biology and Physics departments, and the Merkert Center, home to the Chemistry Department.
The building will feature office and laboratory space for researchers, including engineering faculty, and teaching laboratories that will include computer science robotics and data visualization space. It will provide maker spaces to give students hands-on experiences in prototyping research, a clean room, and a collaboration commons for faculty and students. The new facility also will provide space for the Computer Science Department and classrooms for its core courses.
Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2019.
