Science Lab Building named for Kindschi

The new Science Lab Building on the Allendale Campus has been named in honor of former dean and longtime faculty member Doug Kindschi.

The P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science is scheduled to open in August. The 151,000-square-foot facility will help meet the demand for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and health professions fields. Grand Valley offers 86 undergraduate programs and 34 graduate programs; more than 40 of them touch on the STEM and health professions in some way.

“Doug’s generous gift will help provide support for materials, technology, and research opportunities for students,” said President Thomas J. Haas. “We are tremendously grateful for Doug’s support and wanted to reflect that by naming this new building for the sciences in his honor.”

Kindschi is currently the director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute at Grand Valley. He has served the university for 40 years in many capacities, including as a professor of mathematics and former dean of the School of Sciences and Mathematics.

The Kindschi Hall of Science was funded in part by the State of Michigan, but additional funds were needed to provide continued academic support for the teaching and learning that will take place inside the building. The building will feature nine classrooms, 15 teaching laboratories, 14 faculty and student research laboratories, study spaces, offices and a greenhouse.

Kindschi has been actively engaged with elementary and secondary students in science education through the Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education, the Regional Math and Science Center at Grand Valley and Science Olympiad. He has been a loyal donor for more than 20 years and is a Gillett Society member.