W.M. Keck Science Center RenderingClaremont,
Calif. (April 1, 2019)—The Pitzer Family Foundation (PFF) has donated $3
million to Pitzer College to support the growth and expansion of science
facilities at the W.M. Keck Science Department (KSD), which is transitioning to
a joint Pitzer College and Scripps College program.
Along with a $1
million donation from the PFF in April 2017, this gift will reinvigorate Keck
Science’s facilities and academic programs to provide a more effective twenty-first
century science education for Pitzer and Scripps students. It will also enable the
colleges to move forward with the construction of a new $65 million shared
science facility located directly west of the original KSD building.
The W.M. Keck
Science Department (KSD) focuses exclusively on undergraduate science education
and provides instruction in small-classroom and lab settings while offering
numerous opportunities for students to conduct research. KSD is administered
cooperatively by the participating colleges and is a national leader in the
development of interdisciplinary science courses and programs.
Teaching Lab RenderingSince 2002, the
number of Pitzer students majoring in sciences at KSD has increased by almost 300
percent with students’ growing realization that basic scientific literacy is
ever more crucial to pursue their commitment to social justice and engaged
citizenship. More Pitzer students currently major in one of the biological sciences,
which include biochemistry, biology, biophysics, human biology, and molecular
and organismal biology, than any other discipline. Both biology and human
biology consistently rank among Pitzer graduates’ top 10 majors. Forty Pitzer
students majoring in science were awarded prestigious post-graduate
fellowships, including many Fulbright scholarships and National Science Foundation
(NSF) awards.
The
Pitzer family’s sustained generosity and involvement have been vital to
ensuring the success of Pitzer College since Russell K. Pitzer’s founding gift
in 1963. Over the intervening 55 years, the family has consistently stepped
forward to lead the way at pivotal moments in the College’s history, most
recently in support of KSD.
The PFF said
in a statement: “The Pitzer family is proud to endorse the expansion of science
education at Pitzer College. This gift continues the long history of supporting
science established by Kenneth S. Pitzer, the son of the founder of the
College, and his wife, Jean Pitzer. We believe the new science building is
integral to the vision of Pitzer College set forth by President Oliver, and we look
forward to the project’s successful completion.”
Pitzer College
President Melvin Oliver said, “The College appreciates the generous support of
the Pitzer Family Foundation to improve undergraduate science education through
the expansion of the Keck Science Department. On behalf of the entire Pitzer
College Community, and in particular our faculty and students who pursue
teaching, learning, and research in the sciences, I extend our most sincere
gratitude to the Pitzer family for their long-standing support and their
commitment to superior science education.”
Pitzer College
was founded in 1963 by the citrus grower and philanthropist Russell K. Pitzer.
The PFF has continued a tradition of generous support for the College. In 2007,
it provided $5 million for the construction of Sanborn Hall in Phase I of the
College’s Residential Life Project in memory of Flora Sanborn Pitzer, the
founder’s wife. The Foundation also gave $500,000 to establish the Pitzer
Archive and Conference Center in Skandera Hall in 2012. In addition, members of
the Pitzer family have established numerous endowed scholarships,
professorships, and an endowed directorship of international programs at the
College.
