The science departments are located in the Sonderegger Science Center, which is well-equipped thanks to the Sonderegger Endowment Fund that allows us to purchase high-quality equipment for teaching and research.
The Geoscience Department has a teaching collection including 400 mineral samples, 400 rock samples, 700 fossils and 200 maps used in many classes. Additional equipment is available for independent research including a soil corer, lapidary wheel, stream tables, groundwater models and basic field supplies. All programs in Geoscience are designed to be flexible to allow you to explore the topics you find interesting. Including field classes and independent projects.
Our new Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) provides you access to high-tech equipment including:
- Multiple 3-D printers with different printing capabilities
- A high-powered laser cutter capable of cutting or etching most woods and plastics
- 3D scanner
- Electronic and soldering equipment
- Hand tools and project space
- 2- and 3- dimensional design software
Coming soon:
- CNC machine
- Injection molding
The facility provides resources and opportunities for student-directed projects and is open to students from across campus, not just science majors. Workshops and training sessions open to anyone are offered on a regular basis.
Our Physics Department is also home to a 20” Obsession Dobsonian telescope. The telescope currently resides at the Ernest Hupenden Painted Forest, near Reedsburg, WI. This rural location is ideal for observing the night sky. The telescope is used by students in our Astronomy class and for student project. Additionally, our department hosts public observing nights at the Painted Forest in the summer and fall.
The Chemistry Department has purchased a number of high-quality, industry relevant scientific instruments. The faculty and staff are prepared to teach students how to use these state of the art instruments. Through course work, research projects, and collaborations with other departments, you have access to the following instruments: High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), UV-Vis Spectrometers, and X-ray Fluorescence instruments.
The Biology Department has a wide variety of equipment for use in the classroom and for independent research such as qPCR for conducting DNA analyses, fluorescence microscopes for exploring the microbial world, and Biopac equipment for collecting physiological data. The department also has an Anatomage table for studying human anatomy and physiology using virtual cadavers.