A week of major donations puts Penn's science departments squarely on track for the development of new laboratory space.
Carolyn Hoff Lynch, along with her husband, legendary investor Peter Lynch, donated $10 million to the University to go toward a new Life Sciences Complex to be located behind the Quadrangle.
The first phase of Penn's new complex will take Carolyn Hoff Lynch's name, in honor of the University trustee and School of Arts and Sciences overseer.
The donation is the second $10 million donation, and comes during a week that netted the University nearly $30 million.
The building is slated to be finished by the end of the summer and is expected to provide a tremendous boost to Penn's Biology department.
"In the past, those pursuing knowledge in the life sciences have been forced to cope with mediocre equipment," Lynch said in a statement. She has served as the chairwoman of the Advisory Board for the Biology Department for 10 years. "Now with such a preeminent lab, the potential for growth is unlimited. I am happy to be a part of this successful venture."
The pond adjacent to the laboratory -- now known as the BioPond -- will also bear Lynch's name.
"We are absolutely thrilled with Mrs. Lynch's support in the past and with this gift now," Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences David Balamuth said. "Mrs. Lynch has been involved with the planning of the new Life center. ... She was instrumental in moving it along, and now she has made this wonderful contribution."
Balamuth said that the Life Sciences center is a fundamental upgrade of facilities from the standpoint of both research and teaching and is absolutely necessary for Penn to remain competitive in attracting top-notch faculty and students.
School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rebecca Bushnell shared Balamuth's praise for the donation from the two 1968 alumni.
"We are so grateful and so appreciative for the contribution that the Lynches made," Bushnell said. "This Phase One building in Life Sciences is absolutely critical for the future of sciences at Penn."
The five-floor facility will also enable the Biology department and the Genomics Institute to conduct new interdisciplinary research, which is seen as a central feature of the building.
The nearly 200,000-square-foot complex is being constructed in two stages.
Following the completion of the first phase by the end of the summer, the University plans to demolish two existing building -- the Kaplan Wing and Mudd Biology Research Laboratory -- and erect the remainder of the complex. Penn officials are currently seeking contributions for the second phase of the project.
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