With the construction of the Sciences Building nearing completion last summer, UT Dallas received a $370,000 gift-in-kind from Laboratory Builders Inc., a design and build firm specializing in laboratory furnishings and lab construction. The firm donated top of-the-line equipment to outfit the building’s lab spaces, which will be used by students studying molecular and cell biology, materials science, engineering, physics, chemistry and biomedical engineering.

“Research is at the heart of education at UT Dallas; it inspires faculty and students to ask big questions, to dig deeper, to learn and apply new knowledge to real-world problems,” said Greg Ginger, president at Laboratory Builders.

The donation, which included painted steel base and wall cabinets, chemical storage cabinets, mobile cabinets and chemical fume hoods, helps provide comprehensive and functional lab layout and design solutions.

“The laboratory furnishings from Laboratory Builders Inc. provide students the opportunity to learn and perform research with state-of-the-art equipment,” said Dr. A. Dean Sherry, interim dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Cecil H. and Ida Green Distinguished Chair in Systems Biology. “This donation is a physical representation of the company’s investment in UT Dallas and the future of our graduates.”

Materials from the donation have also been used to complete laboratories in Research and Operations Center West, since the items received could also be used to renovate old lab spaces. Using cabinets and chemical fume hoods, the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics was able to update three current lab spaces.

“We’re able to design the build-out of the laboratories in-house and implement the materials how we see fit,” Sherry said. “With these labs, our students will be able to develop their skills and contribute to developments and discoveries in mathematics and science.”

The 186,000-square-foot Sciences Building officially opened in July and includes laboratory space for the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The building recently received LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We hope that, in some small way, this donation can play a part in the successes achieved in these lab spaces,” Ginger said.