On Nov. 18, 2021, Soka University of America (SUA) held a dedication ceremony for the Marie and Pierre Curie Hall on its campus in Aliso Viejo, California.
President Ed Feasel began the ceremony by acknowledging the SUA alumni who opened the path for the new Life Sciences Concentration, which supports students interested in health fields.
He also thanked donors around the world, including the Soka Gakkai and the SGI-USA and all their members, for their financial support, without which it would not have been possible to build the 90,000-square-foot facility.
Curie Hall features eight teaching labs and classrooms, 11 research labs, 18 faculty offices, collaborative work spaces and meetings rooms, plus a large conference room, where the ceremony was held. The hall was built to LEED Gold standards to exemplify excellence in environmental care with the hope that it will help inspire new generations of scientists.
After remarks from Dr. Feasel and Soka Student Union President Yuka Hombo, SUA faculty members and students shared their excitement about the new facilities and curriculum, which will allow students to prepare for careers in the health and science fields.
Sergio Prince, representing Supervisor Lisa Bartlett of the Fifth District in Orange County, presented SUA with a Certificate of Recognition for the Dedication of Marie and Pierre Curie Hall, sharing this quote from Marie Curie: “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
Marie Curie was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, which she was awarded in 1903 in physics, with her husband, Pierre, and Henri Becquerel. When she received a second Nobel in chemistry in 1911, she became the first to win a Nobel twice and the only person to be awarded the prize in two scientific fields.
SUA is ranked No. 29 on the list of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2022.” The four-year liberal arts college and graduate school, founded upon the Buddhist principles of peace, human rights and the sanctity of life, is open to top students of all nationalities and beliefs.
Adapted from a report by Soka University of America’s Office of Community Relations
Application Deadline
Interested in applying to SUA? Applications for the undergraduate program are due on Jan. 15, 2022. Go to soka.edufor more information.
You are reading {{ meterCount }} of {{ meterMax }} free premium articles