Sigma Xi 100th Anniversary focuses on future in life sciences
By Cat Vaughn, Corner Post staff

University of Missouri-Columbia’s Sigma Xi celebrated their 100th anniversary Thursday April 7, 2005. Sigma Xi is the scientific research society present on campus. Activities for the anniversary included initiation, dinner and guest speaker Dr. R. Michael Roberts.

Roberts is the Director of Life Sciences at MU. He delivered a speech entitled, “How do researchers hit it off, and what can we do to make academic science more creative?”

“Science is all about collaboration,” Roberts said.

His speech dealt with Nobel Prize winning scientists throughout the years and steps future scientists must take to leave an impact. Some suggestions Roberts made were to “follow your noses and hunches,” and have a shared respect and work ethic.

In addition to these pointers, Roberts discussed the importance a building can have on science. Both Roberts and Mike Chippendale helped father the new Life Sciences Building that sits at the corner of Rollins Street and College Avenue.

“Those were the two hardest years, getting it going,” Roberts said.

Now, the Life Sciences building serves as a multi-functional facility on campus. It not only hosts classrooms for promising new scientists but also scientific seminars. The Life Sciences building is already forming and building new scientific teams. Equipped with new, more spacious laboratories and a more open building as a whole, the center is one of the most conducive buildings for learning.

“You must let people meet, wander, and talk,” Roberts said. “You can not keep them in a lab all day.”
It was with this goal in mind that the Life Sciences building construction was started.

Today, the Life Sciences building serves more people than just academics. It is a thoroughfare for students during passing. With its “communal” atmosphere it is not uncommon to find students sleeping on the furniture before finals or just talking animatedly with their fellow classmates in the lounge areas.

With so many students going into the Life Sciences field it is important to provide them with a building conducive to their every need. Science has morphed into “organized big” science over the past years, in which scientists have formed larger teams and diminished the common partnerships.

“There is this sort of Peter Pan existence of having people who aren’t always there that long,” Roberts said in reference to students. For those students serious in science, the Life Sciences building and administrators will make sure they make it successfully.

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