The new Life Sciences Building is one the top priorities of Loyola Marymount University, declared President David W. Burcham in his convocation address on Oct. 14, just 10 days after being named president.

“The first projects under [the new 20-year Master Plan] will include the construction of the new Life Sciences Building,” he said. And in that phrase, the new president renewed LMU’s commitment to expand its science program.

Burcham called the Life Sciences Building “the kind of infrastructure and the kind of upgrade that we need to stay competitive and to meet the needs of our students,” and pledged: “We are absolutely committed to getting this building constructed and occupied as fast, and as soon, as possible.”

But Burcham's emphasis was clearly on the academic, the need for the building and the need to “work to improve our university” to maintain “an unwavering commitment to academic excellence.” He acknowledged that faculty and students at the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering are doing good work despite obstacles. “I know that right now, many of you in Seaver College are working in 40‐year‐old laboratories, and that affects your ability to do quality research, as well as attract quality students,” he said.

And he stated: “We must continue, indeed we must accelerate our pursuit of academic excellence. We must continue to work hard to attract exceptional students.”

The university community has coalesced around the concept of the new Life Sciences Building. Now, the plans call for broad dissemination of information and going public with the fundraising campaign. For more information, please contact Lynn Witherspoon, director of development, at lwitherspoon@lmu.edu or 310-338-7856. A Web-based donor tool is available at http://go.lmu.edu/seaver

Fundraising is our most important source of revenue. We plan to reach our current campaign goal of $380 million by May of 2012 if not sooner. As we look to future fundraising efforts, we will need to identify and prioritize our needs. We anticipate that the 20‐year Master Plan, which I hope most of you have heard at least a little about, some of you a lot about, will be approved and in place by the end of this academic year. The first projects under that plan will be the relocation of our recycling center and the construction of the new Life Sciences Building. I know that right now, many of you in Seaver College are working in 40‐year‐old laboratories, and that affects your ability to do quality research, as well as attract quality students. This new building that we have planned represents the kind of infrastructure and the kind of upgrade that we need to stay competitive and to meet the needs of our students. This is a very ambitious project and thus far we have raised about half of what we need. We are absolutely committed to getting this building constructed and occupied as fast and as soon as possible.

View a Flyover Video of the Life Sciences Building