The Pulteney Street SurveySpring '25

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THE FISH CENTER FOR THE SCIENCES

Although details of the design are still emerging, the Fish Center for the Sciences will be located on the south side of the Quad. Eaton Hall, which suffers from irreparable structural issues, will be demolished while other buildings in the Science Quad – like Lansing – will be upgraded. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2026.

Although details of the design are still emerging, the Fish Center for the Sciences will be located on the south side of the Quad. Eaton Hall, which suffers from irreparable structural issues, will be demolished while other buildings in the Science Quad – like Lansing – will be upgraded. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2026.

by Catherine Williams

Hobart and William Smith is proud to announce that as a result of the generosity of Honorary Trustee Cynthia Gelsthorpe Fish ’82, L.H.D. ’23 and John F. Fish, the new, integrated science center currently in design will be named The Fish Center for the Sciences. Their $25 million gift will support the construction of a new building that will provide physical facilities that allow for collaboration across disciplines and that match the sophistication of HWS’ science curriculum. A science center is a key priority of “Further Together: The Campaign for Our Third Century.”

“I made the gift because it was needed,” says Gelsthorpe Fish. “The Hobart and William Smith science departments have consistently delivered an excellent education to thousands of burgeoning scientists and enhanced the thinking of a wide variety of students. Science is a key component of a liberal arts education and the opportunity to learn in a lab and gain exposure to scientific methods changes your learning and thinking forever. Your aperture widens.”

Gelsthorpe Fish was influenced by a lab course she took as part of her psychology major at Hobart and William Smith. “It introduced me to the fundamental requirements of an experiment, from having a hypothesis to then challenging that theory through variable testing. Unless it’s scientifically proven, it’s just a theory. I very much believe that the disciplined search for measurable truth is a core value of a liberal arts education.”

“I am grateful to Cyndy and John Fish for their remarkable philanthropy that is making this new center for science possible and that will serve all students no matter their field of study,” says President Mark D. Gearan. “Cyndy’s commitment to Hobart and William Smith over many years as a member of the Board of Trustees has always demonstrated principled leadership that is focused on students and that creates community. Through this gift, Cyndy and John will realize a longstanding priority – a science center that honors our liberal arts and sciences curriculum, providing students access to a world class, 21st century education.”

Fish Center Gallery

Filled with rich natural light, the entrance hall of The Fish Center for the Sciences will connect to Rosenberg and Napier Halls.The second-floor lobby will offer a more private gathering area with a view of Lansing Hall and the Science Quad.This small gathering area near the main entrance will make an ideal place to relax between classes.

At nearly 40,000 square feet, the new building will occupy the south end of the Hobart Quad, adjacent to Rosenberg Hall, and draw architectural inspiration from Coxe Hall, Medbery Hall and Williams Hall. The interior will offer four floors of classrooms, labs, faculty offices and instrumentation and equipment spaces that will help unify STEM teaching, learning and research on campus. The project is being led by Suffolk Construction, a Bostonbased construction firm with extensive experience designing and building complex facilities including higher education science buildings. John Fish is the company’s founder, Chairman and CEO.

“We have benefitted tremendously from John Fish’s attention to this project,” says Gearan. “He and the Suffolk team have been focused on understanding what our faculty and students need and then delivering ideas that are responsive to our objectives but that also push our thinking.”

Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk, who is a chemist, says: “Our ambition is lofty: to have a world-class research and teaching facility that is built around our strengths – interdisciplinary collaboration, place-based research and mentorship. This will be a hub for discovery and innovation, and I can’t thank the Fish family enough for their generosity and guidance.”

Currently, HWS labs are segmented by department, but the new facility will provide “collaborative lab spaces where, say, geochemistry could be taught in the same lab as chemistry courses and certain physics courses could be taught in the same space as computer science,” says Associate Provost and Professor of Geoscience Nick Metz. “There’s a desire on the part of our faculty to think collaboratively and interdisciplinarily across the sciences.”

Gelsthorpe Fish hopes that the Fish Center for the Sciences will “reinforce community, relationships and bonds by bringing different forms of learning and thinking together to understand scientific ways to leave the world a better place.”

To date, $32.5 million has been raised toward the project’s estimated total of $59.5 million. To support the ongoing upkeep and operations of this new facility, an additional $6 million in endowment funds has been committed. Major supporters include Chair of the Board of Trustees Thomas S. Bozzuto ’68, L.H.D. ’18 and Barbara Bozzuto (see page 34); Dr. Arnold Cohen ’71, P’05 and Dr. Colleen R. Carey P’05; Betty Good ’75’; Rob ’89 and Ann Karofsky (see page 35); Trustee Allison Morrow ’76 (see page 32); Trustee Kevin Stein ’88 and his family; and Trustee Dr. Richard L. Wasserman ’70 and Tina Wasserman.

“I hope we will inspire others to step forward and help to complete this important project,” says Gelsthorpe Fish.