Science Complex

The construction of the science complex is complete.  We finished moving in before the end of Spring 2007 semester and are currently holding classes in all four buildings.

Science Complex

 The Science Complex includes four buildings and an aviary.  The Chemistry building is a 9274 sq ft building that houses three general chemistry laboratories, an organic chemistry lab and lab support space.  It also includes offices for faculty (5) and support staff (2).  The Richard Beeks Laboratory is a 11,565 sq. ft. building that houses five laboratories (general biology, botany/environmental biology, physiology, microbiology and molecular biology), a herbarium, lab support space, and a general purpose classroom.  The James R. desLauriers Laboratory is a 6806 sq ft building that includes three laboratories (anatomy, physical anthropology and zoology), lab support space, and space to house the zoological collections.  Muriel Zimmermann Hall is a 9513 sq. ft. building that includes faculty offices the office of the Dean of Mathematics and Science, two general purpose classrooms, faculty and staff work space, a conference room, and a science library.

Three of the buildings are named in honor of three previous faculty members of the Biology Department.  Richard Beeks worked at Chaffey College from 1954-1981.  During his tenure here he taught the full range of biology course work as well as serving as Division Chair.  Under his leadership the Health Science programs joined the Life Science division.  He was instrumental in the development of the landscaping on the Rancho Cucamonga campus when the college was moved here from Ontario, he started the department’s herbarium and help provide the expertise when the new life science wing along with ponds and aviary were constructed.  He was instrumental in the development of the campus preserve.

James R. desLauriers worked at Chaffey College from 1965-1999 as a faculty member in Biology.  Jim is a field biologist who works to connect the behavioral activities of an organism with their physiological processes.  He is known by his students and faculty peers as someone who can walk around a pond, forest, or tide pool and see what is happening.  He can see the complexity of species of organisms interacting with one another and with their physical surroundings.  Jim was mentored by Beeks, Lubarski and Childs.  He started collecting skulls, stuffed birds and other organisms as a young child and continued this throughout his career.  Over the 34 years he spent at Chaffey College he taught his students to collect and preserve specimens of all types.  That collection is now the showcase of the Chaffey Biology Department.  It rivals the collections of surrounding universities.  Jim gives all the credit to his students.  Jim continues to visit the college.  He mentors faculty at all stages of their career and he still provides expertise in regard to future landscaping and preservation of the existing landscaping.

Muriel Zimmerman worked at Chaffey College from 1974-2004.  During that time she was a faculty member in biology, Division Chair of the Life Science/Allied Health areas, and Dean of the school of Physical, Life and Health Sciences.  As a faculty member and dean she participated at some point in probably every important committee on campus.  As most biologists she taught many of the different courses in the department.  She started the Environmental Technology program and taught the first courses and she was instrumental in the growth of the microbiology program and helped usher many students through microbiology into the nursing program.  As dean her leadership was important in the growth of became the largest school at Chaffey College.  She led to the development of the Health Science Career ladder in nursing and the Pharmacy Technology program.  She oversaw the Math Success Center during the Basic Skills Transformation.  After her retirement Muriel continues to teach part-time in the Chaffey College biology program.