1978: The Opening of Donnelly Science Center

When the new state-of-the-art Donnelly Science Center opened its doors in 1978 on the Evergreen campus, the facility was met with rave reviews.

“At night it’s an absolutely stunning sight coming up Charles Street,” F. Xavier Spiegel, ’61, then-professor of physics and engineering, told Loyola’s student newspaper, The Greyhound, at the time.

For nearly 50 years, Donnelly has provided the backdrop for Loyola’s Jesuit approach to science—and Loyola students have continued to benefit from the University’s investment in its science programs and facilities.

In part by maximizing the use of Donnelly’s well-equipped laboratories, Robert Pond, Ph.D., has been able to empower his students to discover the latest in engineering during his wide-ranging, 25-year career as a Loyola faculty member. The labs, for example, have supported Pond’s capstone and senior design students as they developed an array of systems, from helping elephants exercise at the Maryland Zoo to providing liquid feeding for people with motor and nerve impairments.

“Loyola’s humanities core curriculum along with rigorous mathematics, science, and technology studies yield engineering graduates who continue to learn and care for all peoples and the natural world,” Pond says.

Twelve years ago, Donnelly underwent a renovation that included a 15,000-square-foot expansion featuring new laboratory spaces, a conference room, microscopy center, robotics laboratory, and more for the departments of biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, and engineering.

Now, Loyola is preparing to start an extensive renovation of Donnelly to offer enhanced and additional research and learning spaces. Plans are still coming together for the project, which is scheduled to begin in 2024.

Do you have a favorite memory of Donnelly Science Center? Share it at magazine@loyola.edu.

Support Loyola

Capital investments like the upcoming Donnelly renovations provide a unique opportunity to support Loyola and have space named for you and your family. For more information on naming opportunities, contact Brian M. Oakes, ’99, MBA ’10, vice president for advancement, at boakes@loyola.edu.