Juliette Des Rosiers ’26
Editor-In-Chief
STEM-focused Scrippsies and Revelle residents alike will be grateful to hear construction on The Nucleus is hereby complete! The new Spanish Mission-style building will open right on schedule with the fall 2024 semester and house the newly minted Scripps-Pitzer Science Department.
In May 2022, following the exit of Claremont McKenna from the W. M. Keck Science Department, Scripps and Pitzer Colleges broke ground on the $70 million project that aimed to enhance scientific opportunities for their students.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science Dr. Colin R. Robins shared enthusiasm for the new space and the academic potential it promises.
“That moment in the movie when the superhero realizes she’s been fighting with one hand tied behind her back, finds her full strength, and becomes even more amazing?” Robins said via email. “That’s now, as old Keck becomes a brand new, vibrant Department of Natural Sciences.”
The 65,000-square-foot building boasts new teaching labs, lounges, computer labs, and even a rooftop greenhouse. Both Scripps and Pitzer promise that the multiple courtyards, study nooks, and collaboration spaces will facilitate learning and be more equipped to accommodate the increasing enrollment trends.
Robins explained how, for the first time in decades, spaces customized to the needs of each program within the department were incorporated into the design of The Nucleus. The building allowed not only expansion but also improved efficiency of the already existing tools within the old building. Robins described his own program as an example.
“With the Nucleus, the environmental science program is gaining its first ever discipline-specific, designated classroom and also a state-of-the-art prep, storage, and analytical instrument room,” Robins said. “These spaces were custom-designed with flexibility, collaboration, accessibility, and the interdisciplinarity needs of environmental science in mind. I’m told I’ve never looked so happy. Rocks, maps, chemicals, hot plates, microscopes, spectrometers, sediment traps, sieves, blenders – it’s all there, organized, in one place!”
However, students need not mourn the old Keck Science Department building, as it is still only a beaker throw away, connected by a bridge to The Nucleus. Robins’ comments reinforce how this bridge can be viewed as symbolic as well.
“The Nucleus should catalyze and make more visible what Pitzer and Scripps have already been doing – and not just in the sciences,” Robins said. “With new analytical equipment, more visible labs, new conference rooms, new break-out spaces and the like, the building is a perfect bridge and pathway between Pitzer and Scripps.”
The initiation of the Scripps-Pitzer Science Department marks a growth of resources in addition to physical space. Returning students can remember the opportunity to provide feedback on candidate talks and teaching demos, and they should look forward to welcoming the handful of new faculty members to the science department.
“Our students are now better resourced than ever for exploring, testing, and sharing ideas, while simultaneously gaining some fantastic new faculty mentors,” Robins said. “I think the Nucleus will facilitate and inspire students and faculty alike to be our best – individually and collectively. We have more space and excitement to try new things, and that’s what science is all about.”
Irene Ruiz ’25, a neuroscience student who participates in biological research, shared her excitement for the opening of the new facility. “I am really excited about it, especially after watching it grow over the past two years,” Ruiz said. “It looks amazing, and the facilities look incredible. As someone who loves academic spaces and thrives where it is creative, I cannot wait to go in.”
Natural science majors are consistently among the most popular majors at Scripps College. Historically, Scripps students accounted for approximately 40 percent of enrollment at the Keck Science Department, and, according to the College’s website, Scripps grants “a higher percentage of STEM degrees than any other women’s college in the country.” Therefore, the creation of the Scripps-Pitzer Science Department and the unveiling of The Nucleus hold the promise of nurturing Scripps’ rich history of science scholarship and expanding possibilities for every Scripps student.
Photo Courtesy: Frances Walton ’26
