by KARA SCHWEISS
When the Durham Science Center opened on the west end of UNO’s Dodge Street campus in 1987, it was a state-of-the art facility housing three floors of new classrooms and laboratories — plus a planetarium open to the public — in a space approaching 170,000 square feet.
However, building codes, mechanical systems and even instructional best practices all changed over time, and as the facility approached 40 years in service, it needed some essential updates, said Melanie Bloom, dean of UNO’s College of Arts and Sciences.
In 2024, thanks to both public funding and philanthropic support, UNO completed a major $35 million transformation of the Durham Science Center into a facility that now offers interactive and collaborative hands-on STEM learning experiences for students of all ages.
Durham Science Center is state-of-the-art once again, Bloom said.
The impetus for the renovation project was the college recognizing the critical need for a vibrant STEM workforce, and that the hub for STEM education at UNO is the Durham Science Center.
The renovation now provides a 21st-century educational experience for students preparing for careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health care. UNO is also better positioned to help build the future pipeline of professionals in career fields critical to the region.
“The new spaces are designed for more active learning and collaboration,” Bloom said. “Now that we have student study spaces, it is a super-active building. There are mobile whiteboards that allow students to work on math and physics problems between classes or work on chemistry.
“There’s mobile seating — comfortable seating — and students are taking full advantage of that. Before, you would see students walk to and from class, but now it is a vibrant space they’re utilizing for collaborations or to have downtime between classes.”
The building has come alive, in a way, Bloom said.
“It has a totally different energy than it used to have, and that’s one of the major improvements I see in the space,” she added. “I knew there was potential when we looked at the designs, but to see it actually meet that potential is really exciting.”
Visual transformations included a first-fill infill to the formerly three-story open vestibule, creating space for student study and lounge areas. In classrooms with sloped floors, concrete was cut out and replaced with tiled flooring. Refreshed wall and floor coverings throughout the building also add to the sense of revitalization.
Less visually prominent but important project elements included mechanical, electrical and plumbing work like new lighting, new electrical distribution panels and generator replacement; fire alarm conversions; and a new roof.
Changes to classroom spaces primarily involved modernizing with current technologies, implementing flexible designs to support contemporary learning methods, upgrading aging environmental systems from whole-building HVAC to laboratory vent hoods, remodeling restrooms, creating new study and team spaces, and making classrooms and other spaces more accessible per today’s ADA standards.
One space exemplifying the renovation project is a large classroom on the first floor designed to facilitate interactive group learning in high-enrollment courses. Instructors can now seamlessly transition from lecture to group activities while meeting the demand of fundamental courses a large number of students are required to take.
The Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Foundation Physics Lecture Lab Combination Space, also on the first level, is another space with meaningful upgrades. Designed to facilitate a best-practices “studio physics” model for introductory physics courses, the room is set up for instructors to easily integrate lecture, lab work and group problem-solving into their curriculum. It also allows for more efficient programming while maintaining low student-to-facilitator ratios.
Another transformed space is the MatheMaverick Zone on the second floor. The zone is a collaborative learning/tutoring space to support students in quantitative reasoning courses, staffed by student tutors and math faculty designating office hours for the space. It also accommodates diverse group configurations and is used for evening review sessions that have attracted an average of 100-plus students.
A fourth space that serves as an example of project particulars is the third-level chemistry laboratory, which boasts safety and technology upgrades as well as movable furniture that makes heavy instrumentation and equipment more accessible and mobile.
The facility aesthetics were also improved, Bloom said, with artwork displayed throughout the building.
“The art is really interesting,” she said. “As you go through, you can see the visual representation of the disciplines that are housed in the building.”
The renovation project was made possible through public and philanthropic support, said David Belieu, senior director of development for UNO Advancement at the University of Nebraska Foundation.
“In addition to funding from the state, the philanthropic leaders in Omaha agreed that we need to make investments in STEM education and recognized that UNO is leading the effort to increase enrollment in STEM-related fields. If we want to produce a workforce that is capable of serving the needs of the state, we have to ensure that we’re producing, and educating, and recruiting the best possible,” he said.
“We’re lucky in the city of Omaha and the state of Nebraska to have philanthropic leaders who see the need to invest in our STEM pipeline and in STEM education to ensure UNO students are getting the best education possible,” Belieu added. “We’re grateful they recognize UNO as a leader in STEM.”
The following named spaces in the Durham Science Center recognize the donors whose generous support helped create a 21st-century hub for science education at UNO.
RUTH AND BILL SCOTT STUDENT COMMONS
MARIE MAYNARD DALY, PHD ENTRANCE (north)
HDR ENTRANCE (south)
DICK AND MARY HOLLAND STUDY SPACE
HOWARD & RHONDA HAWKS COLLABORATION SPACE
DEBBY DURHAM FAMILY FOUNDATION (classroom 170)
DR. C.C. AND MABEL L. CRISS FOUNDATION PHYSICS LECTURE LAB COMBINATION SPACE (physics lab 143)
Through ONLY IN NEBRASKA: A CAMPAIGN FOR OUR UNIVERSITY’S FUTURE, UNO and the College of Arts and Sciences are focused on securing philanthropic gifts to support the education of a vibrant STEM workforce. The Durham Science Center — the hub of STEM education at UNO — is one such project. Securing funding for the renovation of UNO’s Allwine Hall, UNO’s oldest building, and the expansion of the Peter Kiewit Institute facility remain top campaign priorities. Visit OnlyinNebraska.org/UNO to learn more.
