The Campaign
The University of Alaska Anchorage invites the community to invest in the Integrated Science Building.  The ISB Campaign will raise funds to outfit the ISB with modern equipment and tools, helping make this great building an extraordinary place where Alaskan students can experience hands-on learning and research.

Building for the Future
This exceptional building will provide a matrix for recruiting and retaining high-caliber faculty, attracting and retaining the best and brightest of Alaska’s scholars, and supporting the creative sciences of the new millennium.  Maintaining this program growth is a critical factor in preparing the workforce of tomorrow.

With 120,000-square-feet of up-to-date offices and workspace and 37 laboratories, the ISB supports UAA’s expanding research activities and gradate, undergraduate, academic and research programs.  

The vastly expanded laboratory capacity will accommodate the extraordinary growth in general science classes for the degree-seeking student populations of the School of Engineering, School of Nursing and related fields.

Science Program Growth
Science programs are among the fastest growing programs on campus.  Years of growth have resulted in highly successful programs that are busting out of existing space on campus.  Enrollment in UAA’s science programs has grown more than 27 percent in the past decade outpacing enrollment growth in the rest of the University by 15 percent.  

To meet the student demand for science education and research, and to address technological shortcomings in the current teaching and research laboratories, UAA is building a state-of-the-art Integrated Science Building (ISB) which will house the majority of the science departments on campus.  The vacated space will be used for the expansion of the remaining science departments.

The Funding
In 2005 the Alaska State Legislature appropriated $85 million to help build this building.  The complete project budget for this extraordinary building is $91.25 million.  Additional project funding will come from UAA, federal grant sources and you!

Research and Teaching Labs
The ISB will house research laboratories allowing state-of-the-art research and education in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental Biology, Geology, and Physics, in addition to a stunning 20 teaching laboratories.

The open design of the laboratories and classrooms will maximize the interactions between faculty and students, and facilitate interdisciplinary learning and study.  

Specialized labs housed in the ISB include:

• Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (ASET) lab is a quantitative analytical facility, which analyzes soil, water and tissue, supports the development of new technologies, and evaluates new and emerging technologies.
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) lab, will allow highly precise studies into the physical structure of proteins and other organic compounds, allowing better understanding of molecular function and drug design.
• DNA Sequencing Facility, a multi-user lab where DNA and RNA can be sequenced and analyzed for genetic studies, biodiversity and forensic identification.

Planetarium
The ISB’s state-of-the-art planetarium includes a 66-person auditorium, featuring a 35-foot dome to create an immersive cinematic experience.  Digital technology will project a brilliant, seamless image over the entire dome surface and will deliver dramatic, crystal-clear digital sound.  This unique theatre will create awe and wonder, inspire inquiry and share important knowledge with students and community members.
            
“The need for planetariums as front line artillery in the battle for science literacy has never been greater.  The educational role of the planetarium is … to inspire enthusiasm for science; awe at the marvels of the universe; and new perspectives on our world and civilization.”
-    International Planetarium Society

Auditorium
This 100-seat auditorium features cutting-edge audio-visual equipment and three screens to enable multimedia presentations.  The auditorium will be used for large-scale lectures, doctoral presentations, weekly seminars and public talks.  The auditorium will be the only dedicated large-scale science lecture space on the UAA campus. 

Student and faculty support for the Integrated Science Building
“The ISB is critical for the development of undergraduate and graduate student research opportunities.  It will provide much-needed and modern laboratory space for both traditional teaching laboratories and research labs.  Even more important, it will bring the currently scattered science faculty together into one space, fostering research collaboration and creating a more dynamic research environment for the student and postdoctoral researchers in the labs.
- Dr. Jocelyn Krebs, Biological Sciences




“The new UAA Integrated Science Building will provide greater opportunities for high quality student instruction and research opportunities in the sciences.  The science faculty will be better able to mentor students in the most modern concepts and application in the fields of astronomy, biology, biomedicine, chemistry, geology and physics while preparing them for great opportunities in local industry  and for graduate study.”
- Dr. John Kennish, Chemistry





“The addition of the new ISB to the UAA community is significant and timely for the geology program at UAA.  With the exponential growth of the number of majors and the upswing in high-demand geology-related jobs in Alaska, there is no question that geology is an up-and-coming science program at UAA.  The ISB will provide up-to-date teaching facilities for the undergraduate program as well as state-of-the-art research laboratories for environmental geochemistry research and other geological research needs.”
- Dr. LeeAnn Munk, Chair, Department of Geological Sciences



“UAA should be a university that excels in undergraduate research and scholarship.  The ISB will strengthen and unite the scientific community at UAA and will expand opportunities for its students.  The ISB will symbolize the new face of science at UAA and be a beginning for a new generation of Alaskans to stay in Alaska and works for its environment, precious resources and sustainable development.”
- Umair Iqbal, 2007 Truman Scholar and Biological Sciences Honor  Student





“The ISB will be more than just another building on campus.  It is a research and educational tool that will enable us to prepare Alaskan students for the technological demands of the global economy.  It is our gateway to the future, where students and faculty can work together in the acquisition of new techniques and the discovery of new knowledge.”
- Dr. Doug Causey, Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies





“I think this is a great step for UAA and the research opportunities it offers its students.  Science doesn’t stay in the lines; the most interesting projects span several disciplines.  The ISB will help make important connections between the disciplines possible.  It is the sharing of ideas which spark inspiration and leads to interesting discoveries.”
- Vanessa Bergstedt, Chemistry, Class of ‘07