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Colby College to launch new science facility following anonymous $150 million donation - The Boston Globe

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  Published in Science and Technology on Sunday, September 14th 2025 at 18:58 GMT by The Boston Globe
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Colby College Secures a Landmark Gift to Launch a New Science Facility

In a move that promises to reshape the research landscape of New England’s oldest private liberal‑arts college, a $100 million donation announced today will fund the construction of a state‑of‑the‑art science building at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. The gift, made anonymously by a philanthropic partnership that includes local businessman and former governor Charles “Chuck” Hall, former U.S. Senator Mary‑Jane O’Connor, and a private foundation focused on climate science, will allow the college to expand its undergraduate science program, hire new faculty, and create a hub for interdisciplinary research.

The announcement came during the college’s annual fundraising gala held at the historic Huntley Hall on campus. President Dr. Lisa Patel welcomed the donors in a speech that underscored the transformative potential of the new facility. “This is a gift that will echo through generations of Colby students,” she said. “It is an affirmation that small colleges can compete on the national stage for cutting‑edge science and engineering research.”

The new building, to be named the Hall‑O’Connor‑Foundation Center for Earth and Life Sciences (HOF Center), will span 30,000 square feet on the northern side of the campus. The design, by award‑winning architecture firm Baker & Kline, incorporates “green” building standards, including a solar‑powered atrium, a rain‑water harvesting system, and a living roof that will serve as an outdoor laboratory for plant science students. A central atrium will house a 200‑seat lecture hall that can be used for both public and private events.

Key features of the HOF Center include:

• Advanced laboratories for molecular biology, bioinformatics, and geoscience. The complex will have six high‑throughput sequencing stations, a 3D‑printing lab, and a custom-built greenhouse that can simulate climate change scenarios.
• Collaborative spaces that blur the line between disciplines. The building will contain “interdisciplinary pods” that can accommodate students and faculty from biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and computer science.
• Student‑research suites that allow undergraduates to work side‑by‑side with graduate students and post‑docs. Each suite will have flexible workstations, high‑speed internet, and access to lab equipment.
• An outdoor amphitheater that will double as a public outreach space, hosting science festivals, community lectures, and student science fairs.

Colby College has a long history of supporting natural‑world research. Over the past decade, the college has invested in a number of initiatives that align with the new building’s purpose. For example, the campus is home to the Colby Marine Lab, which studies Atlantic‑Maine coastal ecosystems, and the Maine Center for Climate Change Research. The new center will bring these efforts under one roof, facilitating collaboration between field scientists and laboratory researchers.

The donation’s impact extends beyond the building itself. The college has announced plans to use a portion of the gift to create the Hall‑O’Connor Faculty Fellowship—a competitive stipend that will attract scholars from abroad. “We want to bring world‑class researchers to Colby so that students can learn from them directly,” said Dr. Patel. “This fellowship will provide a pipeline of talent and help raise the college’s profile in scientific communities.”

Additionally, the foundation will fund a new Colby Science Outreach Program aimed at middle‑school students in the region. The program will deliver field trips to the new building, science kits for teachers, and summer camps that introduce children to concepts such as genetic editing, renewable energy, and oceanography.

While the donation was made anonymously, the partners’ identities were revealed in a follow‑up article on the Boston Globe’s “Colby College donors: the faces behind the money” page. The piece highlighted the philanthropic histories of Hall and O’Connor, both of whom have spent their careers in public service and environmental advocacy. Hall’s background in renewable‑energy engineering and O’Connor’s work in federal climate policy are said to have informed the focus of the new building.

The college’s board approved the donation on Monday after a rigorous review process that evaluated the donors’ intentions and the long‑term sustainability of the gift. The board noted that the funds would be held in a trust to cover both construction costs and the operational budget for the first five years.

What Comes Next?

Colby College’s president said the college will begin construction in early 2026, with a projected opening date of summer 2028. In the meantime, the college will expand its existing science departments, hire three new faculty members, and increase the number of undergraduate research assistants from 20 to 45.

Students, faculty, and alumni have responded positively. A student group organized a “Science Fest 2025” to celebrate the new building’s announcement. The college’s alumni association launched a fundraising drive, “Colby Scientists,” which aims to raise an additional $10 million to support graduate‑student scholarships and research grants.

The Boston Globe’s science editor, Sarah Nguyen, concluded her coverage with a quote from a senior biology major, Alexandra Reyes: “Seeing a building like this, built by people who care about the future, makes me believe that our education here will truly shape how we approach the world.”

The new HOF Center is poised to place Colby College at the forefront of interdisciplinary research, linking undergraduate education with graduate‑level inquiry and community outreach. With the gift’s help, the college will not only build a new structure but also lay the foundation for a future where students graduate ready to tackle the most pressing scientific questions of our time.