Everyone who enters McCarthy Hall’s second floor from the terrace takes a subtle but beautiful journey across Southern California’s ocean, desert, and mountain ecosystems.
Three large, colorful murals inspire and educate students, faculty, and visitors with imagery and facts about the geological features, flora, and fauna of these three environments. They are prime examples of the “science on display” element that Marie Johnson, dean of Cal State Fullerton’s College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, has long said is vitally important to the modernized space.
“We want our students to be inspired and informed by an imaginary west-to-east transect across the ocean, desert, and mountain ecosystems that nurture our natural surroundings in Southern California. We hope they are curious to learn more about them as they become scientists and contribute to the research and stewardship of these natural wonders.”
Dean Marie Johnson, College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
“We worked with a graphic artist as part of our discussions with the architects who designed the floor,” Johnson says. “They asked us questions, and together, we crystallized a vision for the murals. People find them lovely and calming and science-y – all things that we aspire to! They have real, relevant information but are presented in an artistic way that just takes it to the next level.”
The murals enhance a space that also has lots of natural light, windows offering a glimpse into real-time scientific discussions and research happening in classrooms and labs, impressive displays of fossils and minerals, writable glass walls covered with student-created scientific illustrations, and plenty of collaborative spaces hosting lively discussions of biology and geology.
“It took a village to imagine, design, and build the second floor,” Johnson says. “The pandemic made a hard project even harder, but we stayed true to our vision and completed it. It’s a joy every time I walk onto the floor and see our students, staff, and faculty enjoying a space that is worthy of their excellent efforts every day to learn and teach science.”
Recognizing the Donors Who Make a Space Like This Possible
Donor support is essential to advancing the college’s goals – and those of the departments of Biological Science and Geological Sciences – to promote a teacher-scholar model and encourage the common pursuit of scientific knowledge and discovery.
Within McCarthy Hall’s second floor, several named spaces recognize donors whose investments supported the students, faculty, and programs this magnificent space is designed to engage and sustain.
Naming opportunities are still available for supporters who wish to help launch a new student scholarship or fellowship; create an endowment to support students, faculty, or the department; or ignite innovative research and discovery-based learning in state-of-the-art spaces.
For more information on donor recognition opportunities for those who wish to invest in the students, faculty, programs, and research that will elevate the potential of the college’s remarkable community, contact Michael Karg, executive director of Development at mkarg@fullerton.edu or 657-278-3348 or Toni Miller, senior director of Development, at tamiller@fullerton.edu or 657-278-3308.
