FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thomas More College STEM Outreach Center Groundbreaking set for Sunday Gifts from R.C. Durr, Renaker Foundations help promote science literacy for area students
There are TWO media opportunities:
Where: Thomas More College Biology Field Station
8309 Mary Ingles Hwy, California, KY 41007
Directions to the Station: Field Station Directions
When: Friday, July 21 - 10 am to 1 pm
Who: Dr. Chris Lorentz, Director of the Biology Field Station, research students
What: Video of lab and river programs, interviews with Dr. Lorentz, students
When: Sunday, July - 233:30 to 5 pm
What: Groundbreaking of the Biology Field Station Outreach Center
Crestview Hills, KY— Hands-on, feet-wet science exploration and learning – what student wouldn’t love that? Now more children will have those opportunities thanks to gifts from the R.C. Durr and George A. and Delores E. Renaker Charitable Foundations, that are designed to increase science literacy for area children. Both foundations’ donations will help fund the construction of a K-16 STEM Outreach Center at the Thomas More College Ohio River Biology Field Station.
This year, the one-of-a kind Field Station celebrates its 50th anniversary. Located on 25 acres along the Ohio River in Campbell County, KY., the facility supports research studies for private and public corporations,
institutions, and agencies; and, it provides an array of STEM offerings for students as well as professional development opportunities for area science teachers.
"The generosity of both the Durr and Renaker Foundations greatly expands the unprecedented work happening at our nationally-recognized Biology Field Station," said Thomas More College President David A. Armstrong. J.D. "As the Field Station marks its fiftieth year of operations, we now look to the next 50 years and how Thomas More College can continue to share science education with young people and spur their interests in STEM careers."
As a result of years of extensive outreach activities, the demand for programs, as well as requests for collaborative research and consulting, the work outputs of the talented Field Station team simply outgrew the existing space. The Durr and Renaker Foundation’s financial support will be used to build a STEM Outreach Center adjacent to the main building that will not only alleviate the physical constraints that currently exist, but will also expand the reach of the Station to a regional, national, and even global scale as a result of the distance-learning technology that will be incorporated into the building design.
"We are pleased the Durr Foundation’s financial gift will benefit students and teachers throughout the region," said Wilbert Ziegler, President and CEO of the R.C. Durr Foundation. "We welcome our part in expanding the mission and impact of this special educational resource in our area."
Stephanie Renaker-Jansen, CEO of the George A. and Delores E. Renaker Charitable Foundation, echoed Ziegler’s feelings about the impact of the new facility and said, "our Foundation has been a long-time champion and supporter of the Thomas More College Field Station, investing in everything from equipment to programming, and we are particularly happy to provide the funds for the distance-learning technology that will enable the staff to reach even more students, train a greater number of teachers, and share best practices with other field stations around the world."
Annually, nearly 2,000 local school children, many from lower socioeconomic backgrounds visit the Biology Field Station. The new Outreach Center will allow more schools to access TMC’s STEM outreach programs, exposing more students to biology, astronomy, chemistry, engineering and physics.
"This gift affords us to the opportunity to build a facility that will enable more students, throughout the Greater Cincinnati area, around the nation, and even globally to access our educational offerings and expand their interest and excitement about the sciences," said Christopher N. Lorentz, PhD, Director of the Thomas More College Biology Field Station. Lorentz was recently named the Vice-President of an international consortium of field stations.
The groundbreaking will take place this Sunday, July 23, 2017 at 3:30pm at the Field Station, 8309 Mary Ingles Hwy, California, KY. It will be followed on by a picnic and celebration on the river. More information about the Field Station may be found at: http://www.thomasmore.edu/fieldstation/
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Thomas More College is a values-based liberal arts institution that is proud to be one of 9 Catholic Diocesan colleges in the nation. Located in Crestview Hills, KY, just 10 minutes from downtown Cincinnati, it was originally founded in 1921 by the Benedictine Sisters as Villa Madonna College. The college offers personalized attention and strong academic programs that allow students to have a distinctive and transformative experience. Thomas More College was recognized in 2015 & 2016 by PayScale.com as the number one college for return on investment in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky