Claremont McKenna College unveils the Robert Day Sciences Center—an AI-integrated, interdisciplinary science hub set to redefine undergraduate STEM education.
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| Claremont McKenna College opens the Robert Day Sciences Center, a state-of-the-art facility integrating AI, life sciences, and liberal arts education. Image: CMC |
Claremont, California, USA — September 23, 2025:
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is set to officially dedicate the Robert Day Sciences Center (RDSC) on Friday, September 26, 2025, marking a transformative moment in undergraduate science education. The dedication will feature public events including talks by celebrated architect Bjarke Ingels and artist Damián Ortega, along with student and faculty presentations, culminating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the building’s Social Stairs.
The 135,000-square-foot RDSC, designed by the internationally acclaimed Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), is BIG’s first completed project in the Los Angeles region. The striking structure—shaped like a rotated hashtag—features a sky-lit atrium, layered terraces, and a commissioned sculpture by Ortega titled Magnetic Field, composed of metal rings and 1,476 glass spheres symbolizing Earth’s electromagnetic energy.
Named in honor of Robert Day, a Class of 1965 alumnus, philanthropist, and founder of the TCW Group, the RDSC houses CMC’s Kravis Department of Integrated Sciences. This pioneering program requires all undergraduates, regardless of major, to engage with interdisciplinary coursework spanning chemistry, biology, physics, machine learning, and data science. Students will also be challenged to build a generative AI tool to address a real-world scientific issue.
“The Robert Day Sciences Center is more than a building—it’s a launchpad for infinite possibility,” said Heather Antecol, CMC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. “This facility and its curriculum represent a new frontier in science education, grounded in liberal arts and innovation.”
Organized around three global challenges—Health, Brain, and Planet—the program is computationally intensive, research-driven, and collaborative. Lab spaces are designed to foster open exchange between disciplines, encouraging breakthrough discoveries at the intersections of life sciences, data science, and the humanities.
“This program equips the next generation to confront the world’s most pressing challenges with intelligence, empathy, and purpose,” said CMC President Hiram Chodosh. “Especially in the AI era, we must cultivate the best of human ingenuity.”
The RDSC includes cutting-edge research infrastructure such as a microscopy suite, EEG lab, nuclear magnetic resonance facility, and a high-performance computing cluster supporting work in neuroscience, computational chemistry, and genomics. Faculty are drawn from across disciplines—including neuroscience, physics, engineering, and data science—ensuring a boundary-breaking academic environment.
The Robert Day Sciences Center is the first completed structure on CMC’s new 75-acre Roberts Campus, made possible by a $140 million gift from alumnus and trustee George R. Roberts (Class of 1966). The campus expansion will also include new academic buildings, residences, and an athletics complex known as the Sports Bowl, with Phase One opening in Fall 2026.
With its dynamic blend of architecture, technology, and education, the Robert Day Sciences Center stands as a beacon for the future of undergraduate science—where integrated learning, AI innovation, and human creativity converge to solve the world’s most complex challenges.