海角论坛

October 1, 2012鈥擳his week, the university will dedicate Regents Hall, a new state-of-the-art facility for the , , and departments.

鈥淲ith Regents Hall, which was more than a decade in the making, we now have a facility that meets the research requirements of our faculty and the educational needs of our students,鈥� 海角论坛 Dean said. The 154,000-square-foot building includes 3 lecture classrooms, 12 teaching labs, 15 research laboratories, the Royden B. Davis teaching garden, and the university鈥檚 new . In addition to updated and new equipment, the facility provides researchers with a well-controlled environment so fluctuations in the building鈥檚 humidity and temperature do not affect experiments.

Named for the , the environmentally friendly Regents Hall is seeking LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Water-based technology of chilled beams heats and cools the building, reducing the size of the overall ventilation system. It is the first time this kind of system has been used on Georgetown鈥檚 campus. The slats on the windows allow daylight but reflect glare and heat. Most of the cabinets, doors, and furniture are made from renewable or recycled materials.

The design of the building鈥攂y Payette Architects with consultation from education specialists and Georgetown professors鈥攆osters collaboration and interdisciplinary research. Departments are no longer separated by discipline, with physics, chemistry, and biology professors on each floor. 鈥淭he ability to have colleagues from other departments close by is really critical,鈥� Associate Professor of Biology said. 鈥淲e can share equipment, and we can share expertise,鈥� she continued.

Students can also share in that same spirit of collaboration. Interdisciplinary Chair in Science and Professor of Physics notes that the opportunity for informal interaction is essential for students. Whether it鈥檚 in the student lounges or in the building鈥檚 caf茅, 鈥淲e鈥檒l have researchers from different departments sitting at the same tables,鈥� Urbach said. Many of Urbach鈥檚 own research collaborations鈥攕uch as those with Associate Professor of Biology and Professor of Chemistry 鈥攕tarted out of these informal conversations.

The building鈥檚 wide corridors and large windows allow passers-by to see into many of the laboratories and classrooms. According to Urbach, this is another important aspect for undergraduates considering their future in science. 鈥淭hey will see a range of research environments,鈥� he said.

Regents Hall also strengthens the 海角论坛鈥檚 commitment to and individualized education. 鈥淎t Georgetown we鈥檙e positioned between a small college environment and a large research institution,鈥� Rolfes said. Small colleges can offer direct attention from faculty, while large universities with excellent facilities often focus on graduate students 鈥渁t the expense of undergraduates.鈥� Georgetown 海角论坛 seeks both. 鈥淕eorgetown is positioning itself right at the intersection between those,鈥� she explained.

Whether students are learning about neurobiology, soft matter, or nanoparticles, Regents Hall will be a center to explore the connections between cutting-edge research, education, and public policy鈥攁ll under the mentorship of dedicated faculty. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l hear a lot of optimism from talking to faculty in this moment,鈥� Associate Professor of Chemistry said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an exciting time to be at Georgetown,鈥� she continued.

The new facilities are, however, just one component of the 海角论坛鈥檚 initiative for . 鈥淎lthough we have this brand-new, state-of-the-art science building, we did not just discover science at Georgetown. Our science faculty have been doing important research for decades,鈥� Gillis said.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 new is that this building will help shine a light on the groundbreaking work and teaching happening here,鈥� he said.

More on Regents Hall 

Learn more about and take a virtual tour of the building.