Ohio State to dedicate Laboratory of Biological Sciences

COLUMBUS -- The dedication of the Stanley J. Aronoff Laboratory of Biological Sciences is set for 2 p.m. on Friday (9/5) at 318 W. 12th Ave. on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University. A reception and student-led tours of the facility will follow the dedication ceremony.

The laboratory is named for the former president of the Ohio Senate, from 1989-1996. Aronoff served in the Ohio General Assembly for 36 years – eight terms in the Ohio Senate and three terms in the Ohio House of Representatives. Aronoff also has been a long-time supporter of higher education and Ohio State.

The five-story, nearly $26.7 million building provides 107,000 square feet of laboratory and office space for College of Biological Sciences’ faculty, staff and students in entomology; evolution, ecology and organismal biology; and plant biology. Basic research in medicine, agriculture, the biotech industry and the environment is supported by 32 research laboratories and research support spaces.

“Specifically designed and built to accommodate the increasingly complex needs of modern biological research, the high-tech facility enhances our mission of conducting leading-edge research and provides an environment that nurtures increased undergraduate research activity,” said Joan M. Herbers, dean of the College of Biological Sciences.

“This is a vital center of learning and investigation,” Herbers said. “Research conducted here has enormous potential for future applications that can have a far-reaching impact on the lives of the citizens of Ohio. Just as importantly, the building heightens our ability to deliver outstanding educational opportunities for generations of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students.”

Researchers in the three departments have diverse interests, embracing the breadth of modern biology. They study insect behavior and physiology; restoration ecology; metal-absorbing properties of plants; metabolic engineering; environmental impact of introduced species; and movement of toxins through aquatic food chains. They also examine effects of global climate change on forest ecosystems; plant development, structure and function; ecological impact of transgenic plants; habitat fragmentation; space biology; and social behavior in animals.

“I am honored to have the new Laboratory of Biological Sciences building named for me. What goes on inside its walls will make life better for millions of people," said Stanley J. Aronoff. "For me, this is an exciting experience, but also a humbling one."

The new facility is an important component of the Biological Sciences complex. It is the second phase of a three-phase process of renovation and development. Phase One, construction of the Biological Sciences greenhouses to replace the old greenhouses, was completed in 1993. Phase Three, renovation of historic Jennings Hall (formerly Botany & Zoology Building), is scheduled to begin in 2004.