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| The Dynamism of 'Doing' Science |
Play ball: physics instructor Brad Robinson (above) and students use the new circular motion turntable to conduct large-scale kinesthetic experiments. The Peter Durham '85 Computer Science Center (below) houses two classrooms, an open lab-already a popular study spot-and a total of 44 computers.
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Physics instructor Scott Saltman was among the teachers who first proposed expanding
Exeter's science facilities in 1994. With the rest of the department, he participated
in a comprehensive review of the science curriculum that shaped plans for the new building.
When the Academy trustees made the commitment to constructing the first free-standing
structure to be added to campus since the Library was completed in 1971, Bill Grover
and his team at Centerbrook Architects worked closely with faculty and students to create
a building that reflected the dynamism of "doing" science. Saltman served as the liaison
between the science department and the architects. "Students spend a lot more time in the
building now," he says. "That was one of our goals, to have them come in for more than
just a 50-minute class. We wanted a building where they would be surrounded by science,
both inside the classroom and outside. I think," he adds with a smile, "we have accomplished
this."
The glass walls in the common labs are one feature that allows anyone entering the
building to feel "surrounded by science." In the spaces beyond the labs and classrooms,
the science department came up with ingenious ways to make science tangible. A 900-gallon
tropical aquarium is the centerpiece of the main lobby, and a breaching humpback whale
skeleton hangs in the rear atrium. Not surprisingly, teachers have already incorporated
these unique features into their classes. "We will use the aquarium when we study light
in physics," Saltman notes. "It turns out that the shape of the tank is odd enough that
you get interesting bending of light and reflections."
The presence of the aquarium has added a whole new dimension to Goddard's course.
"In the past we never studied the coral reef for more than a couple of days. Now we're
able to go downstairs and watch the coral in the aquarium. We have already done research
on the coral and the fish-where they came from, studying the difference between day and
night behavior. It's fantastic to have an actual ecosystem in the building and to be able
to observe the interactions between species."
Richard Aaronian brings his biology students up to the third floor for a discussion
of the whale skeleton and how flexible these huge animals are in the water. But the
humpback whale has been an invaluable teaching tool ever since its carcass first washed
up on a Cape Cod beach in the spring of 2000. PEA instructors and students were part of
the team that helped extract the skeleton on site. During the 2000-01 school year, under
the supervision of biology teacher Townley Chisholm (and Toby Stephenson and Dan DenDanto,
researchers from Allied Whale at the College of the Atlantic), students helped wash and
bleach the whale bones prior to the assembly of the 28-foot skeleton, which now hangs
like a Calder sculpture between the central staircase and the rear entrance.
Details throughout the Phelps Science Center reflect the careful thought that went
into the design, from the symbols representing the different branches of science etched
into the glass walls of the common labs to the tile floor in the lobby, laid out to
mirror the night sky on October 27, 2001, the day the building was dedicated. In addition
to the wet table and cold storage room, the biology common lab offers a growth chamber for
plants. The physics lab features a level seamless runway for large-scale kinesthetic
experiments and a circular motion turntable. In the chemistry common lab, 16 feet of
fume-hood space allow an entire class to conduct experiments at the same time. On the
lobby and third floor, lounge areas encourage students to view the building as a meeting
and study space. A spacious conference room and the 300-seat Grainger Auditorium are
already seeing use from the entire Exeter community.
Students like Shelly Bhowmik '03 and Juliet Squire '02 can project work from their computer screens and workbooks onto an overhead screen to share with their classmates.
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In addition to science facilities, the science center also houses the computer science
department. Classes are held in the Peter Durham '85 Computer Science Center on the first
floor, which offers two teaching labs for classes and an open lab for use by students and
other members of the school community. Vi Richter, an instructor in the department and lab
coodinator, says the expanded facilities have made a tremendous difference to computer
science instruction. "We went from having one room that functioned as lab and classroom
for two teachers to individual classrooms and a separate lab. We went from having a total
of 14 computers to 44. The continued presence of the Harkness tables facilitates discussion
and interaction. We move from keyboard to table and back to keyboard to retest our
strategies."
The student lab is open six nights a week until 10 p.m., staffed by 12 proctors who
provide computer assistance and supervision. "The lab gets a lot of use early in the
morning and in the evening," Richter notes. "There's a parade of students in and out every
format during the day, too. Among the preps, this seems to be the new study space on campus."
Helping Hands From All Quarters
"How often does a guy who works in the boiler plant get the chance to
put a whale skeleton together?" asks Gerry Hill, supervisor and chief engineer in the Academy's
boiler plant. The answer in Hill's case: once in a lifetime. So, when a call came in last fall
from the science department asking if he would be available to assist in the fabrication of a
steel armature on which the bones of a recently acquired humpback whale could be displayed,
Hill jumped at the chance.
The Phelps Science Center "has been a real team effort," says Don Briselden, director of facilities management. A crucial part of the team behind that effort-the facilities management department-gathered for a photo in front of the completed building.
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A 20-year veteran of the boiler plant and a welder of considerable expertise and imagination,
Hill is well-known around campus as the guy you call when you need a creative solution to a problem
that might involve the manipulation of metal. "I like it when people come to me and ask,
'How can we do this?' and then figuring out how to make it happen," says Hill. The whale project
was right up his alley.
Working closely with Toby Stephenson and Dan DenDanto (researchers from Allied Whale at the
College of the Atlantic who supervised the preparation, articulation and installation of the whale
skeleton), Hill welded what he calls the "skeleton within the skeleton." "Toby and Dan wanted as
little metal showing as possible," says Hill, who volunteered countless hours on evenings and
weekends to the project. "This was a real challenge because they were very particular about
what they wanted. It became a real collaborative effort."
Hill is just one of the many behind-the-scenes heroes who went the extra mile to help make
the Phelps Science Center a reality. Hundreds of contractors from both the PEA facilities
management department and Pizzagalli Construction were on site over the past year and a half
working on the building, and many staff and faculty members from all across campus were drawn
into the project in one way or another.
"This building has been a real team effort," says Don Briselden, director of facilities
management, who has been involved in the Phelps Science Center from its earliest planning
stages six years ago. "A project of this magnitude is like a puzzle with thousands of pieces,
and a lot of people have played significant roles along the way: The fund-raisers and trustees
at the beginning; the entire facilities management department; the science faculty; the information
technology department; safety and security."
The project, notes Briselden, went off with nary a hitch and he couldn't be happier with the
end result. "The biggest challenge was the tight 18-month turnaround," he says. "But we pulled
it off and the building was open when students arrived on campus in September."
Amy Bailey, the project manager, who was on the frontline dealing with the day-to-day details
of the construction process, is also very happy with the building and how it is being received by
the community. "I've worked on a number of large projects over the years, but the science faculty
are by far the happiest new occupants that I have ever seen."
—Bill Ewing
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