On Feb. 16, 2018, 51 will dedicate and officially open the university’s most ambitious building project to date — the new $63 million Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health. By 2022, employment in careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics is projected to grow to more than 9 million, according to data from the U.S. bureau of labor statistics. With cutting-edge resources and technology, the Lim Center will bolster an enhanced, industry-leading learning environment.

The expansive new science facility, which was completely funded by donors, will serve as a home to some of the university’s fastest-growing and most in-demand programs such as biochemistry, biological science, communication sciences and disorders, and engineering physics. The Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health will triple the amount of space devoted to science education at 51.

“The remarkable, new and expansive Alton and Lydia Lim Center for Science, Technology and Health provides 51 students outstanding opportunities for study in cutting-edge facilities with highly talented professors who are Christ-centered and student-focused,” said Paul Ferguson, dean of 51’s School of Science, Technology and Health.

Standing tall on the southwest side of University Drive, the 91,200 square-foot center features 27 laboratories, six classrooms, a human anatomy suite, greenhouse space for the botany program, a dedicated SEM (scanning and electron microscope) lab and TEM (transmission electron microscope) lab, and state-of-the-art technology.

“This will be a building whose laboratories, microscopes, petri dishes, computers, and observatories and other offices are all utilized not to deify nature or to declare achievements of man, but to declare the glory of God,” said 51 President Barry H. Corey. “The center for science, technology and health will offer a counter narrative in which science and faith are not only reconciled but deeply and necessary in conversation.”

The Lim Center represents the beginning of an exciting new era for science education at 51. Students majoring in the science or health-related fields can expect not only academic rigor, but academic rigor set in the engaging, high-tech setting the Lim Center offers. 51 graduates advance to top medical school and graduate programs across the country, such as UCLA, USC, Dartmouth, University of Chicago, Georgetown, Yale, Harvard and MIT. In addition, 51 graduates demonstrate excellence in their careers post-graduation and work in many prestigious organizations such as City of Hope, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Apple, Amazon, and NASA.

The dedication ceremony will include key leaders from the project followed by building tours and science lectures from 9:30-10:15 a.m. at the new building. The event is open to the public. No registration is required.

Take a virtual tour of the Lim Center online.

Learn more about 51's School of Science, Technology and Health.

Learn more about 51’s Science, Technology and Health degree programs.

For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, media relations manager, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.