LIHUE — Science is the future. On Kauai, especially. Kauai Community College will bless its recently renovated Marine Science Laboratory on Thursday, a ceremony that will mark the culmination of years of planning and open the door to a new
LIHUE — Science is the future.
On Kauai, especially.
Kauai Community College will bless its recently renovated Marine Science Laboratory on Thursday, a ceremony that will mark the culmination of years of planning and open the door to a new scientific era for the school.
“We want high school students and their parents to know, you don’t have to leave the island to get started on a science degree,” said Dr. Stephen Taylor, assistant professor of Physical Sciences and Marine Option Program Coordinator. “We want these students and the community to know we have great programs, faculty, projects, and now, facilities right here on Kauai, for Kauai.”
The goal is to be able to meet the needs of students working toward careers with an emphasis on marine biology and life sciences.
The lab should help do just that.
The facility is a result of years of designing and planning by organizers and funding by anonymous donors, spurred on by the addition of a new degree program in natural sciences with courses specifically for biological and physical science majors. A spokesperson for KCC said the University of Hawaii provided $500,000 under its renovation program to help fund the overhaul, with anonymous donors providing funds for equipment acquisition.
With the addition of the new program in 2012, Kauai CC offers all the biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics any student will need for the first two years of a Bachelor of Science degree.
“The new lab is a clear indication of both our community support and the strengthening of our science programs,” Kauai CC Chancellor Helen Cox wrote the Garden Island. “The collect prides itself on working with the community to identify needs and then, to respond accordingly. This is what happened in this case.”
The building features a revamped indoor and outdoor classroom setting thanks to the grant and donations. Students at KCC have already developed a reputation for excellent community projects through the Marine Option Program, more familiar as MOP.
In the past year, more than 10 MOP students were hired, given fellowships, or paid internships for their work on water quality, marine debris, and beach erosion projects. During the spring of 2013, KCC students competed and surpassed students from 4-year institutions to win awards at the state Marine Options Programs Symposium on Maui.
University of Hawaii at Manoa researchers worked with KCC faculty and students during the summer in studying the coral disease outbreak on Kauai.
KCC received more than $5,000 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to purchase new laboratory-grade chairs specifically designed for the wetlab classroom, a KCC release said. The community college anticipates demand and research opportunities study at on-site facilities to only increase, it added.
