Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy will dedicate its new, state-of-the-art science wing this September. The science wing was made possible by a donation of $250,000 from Scientific Systems Inc. and Andrew Charney.
Saint Joseph’s principal, Christopher Chirieleison was overwhelmed by the donation.
“Mr. Charney’s transformational gift now enables us to provide state-of-the-art science labs in order to educate our students about the disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics. Our exceptional science faculty will utilize these resources to engage and inspire future generations of scientists, physicians and engineers who will emerge from the Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy community.”
Physics teacher and project manager Christian Klepeiss echoed Chirieleison’s thoughts.
“I think the science wing is necessary in order to bring credibility and offer cutting edge tools to our students at SJCA. With these upgrades, we have put our academy in position to compete with any other school in terms of science education,” he said.
Mr. Klepeiss was recently named one of State College Magazine’s “Teachers of the Year” for 2013.
The new science wing will become home to a number of courses including advanced physics, pre-engineering, computer aided drafting, general chemistry, anatomy, physiology and many more. Upgrades within the classroom involve everything from new lab stations, sinks, and a chemical-mixing hood to enough gas and electrical connections for each student to work independently at their own station.
The immediate benefits are numerous.
“Our experiments will no longer be limited by the equipment we possess, only by the creativity of our teachers,” Klepeiss said.
Along with Scientific Systems Inc. and Charney, the board of directors, faculty, parents, students and staff of Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy were involved with the development of the science wing. Frank Peno from Peno Engineering, Billy Sallurday from Jack Frost Construction, Miller Electric, Joseph Berrena Mechanical and PBCI-Allen were hired to construct the labs.
