Last December, UW-Madison Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering faculty, staff and some alumni gathered in the basement of Engineering Hall for a little light demolition. The occasion was the ceremonial brick-breaking to kick off the renovation of B103, the instructional lab that is home to the required transport lab and home to the legendary Summer Lab capstone course.
Several alumni who have already donated to the renovation as well as faculty, staff and supporters of CBE toured the space and took a few whacks at the wall to signify the start of the project, which CBE hopes will be completed in time for the start of Summer Lab in 2023.
The plan is to redesign and modernize the lab, creating a large open space around a clerestory that will flood the basement space with natural light. New lighting, windows and floors will make the space more inviting. Increased storage space, flexible utility dropdowns and moveable benches will make it a state-of-the-art classroom setting.
It will also include rooms radiating from the central lab space that will provide access to specialized equipment and meeting areas. The plan will also add an extra 4,500 square feet of lab space by incorporating the adjacent underused room, B209. The room will house large equipment like distillation and humidification towers, solvent extraction units, packed bed reactors, heat exchangers and other pilot-scale equipment used for Summer Lab and other classes.
Last October, alumni Matt Koenings (BSChE ‘81), Beth Berenschot-Koenings (BSChE ‘81) and
Don Baldovin (BSChE ’57) joined Dean Ian Robertson, Chair Eric Shusta and others to kick off
Summer Lab renovations.
While the vision is starting to become reality, the department still needs alumni to support the effort, especially to equip the lab space.
Neenah, Wisconsin-based alum Peter Allen (BSChE ’81) says he decided to support the project after retiring from a 38-year career with Kimberly-Clark. While his degree was key in setting him up for career success, over time he realized it was much more than that. “Being back on campus while my daughters were UW students reminded me how influential my time in Madison was and how important it was to the rest of my life. The rigor, the disciplined thinking I learned, the whole of the experience opened opportunities and made the rest possible,” he says.
“I look back with a sincere sense of appreciation. And I feel a sense of responsibility. How do I ensure that others have the same opportunity? How do I assure that the quality of the program is maintained, both in terms of faculty and in terms of facilities? To me, donating to this project was a no-brainer.”
Brookfield, Wisconsin-based Kevin Yttre (BSChE ’03) agrees. Currently a mergers and acquisitions consultant in the chemical and materials industry, Yttre says his training in CBE and experience in Summer Lab in particular helped make him who he is today. “Summer Lab is a real rite of passage that bonds UW-Madison alumni,” he says. “Once you’ve gone through it you kind of feel like you could walk through a brick wall.”
He hopes his donation to the B103 project will allow future students, including some of his five children, to have a similar experience. “I would not have had the opportunity for that experience if there weren’t alumni prior to me who invested in the school,” he says. “I doubt I’ll ever meet those people, but I’m grateful for the time and investment that they put into the program. And I think being able to support CBE that same way for future generations to have a great experience is something my wife and I are excited to be a part of.”
Though the project is officially underway, CBE still hopes to raise $4 million for the $13 million project. There are still many opportunities for alumni and friends to participate. For more information, contact Kyle Buchmann, (608) 630-1679, or Kyle.Buchmann@supportuw.org.