On September 24, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and the City University of New York (CUNY) officially opened a new DNA Learning Center (DNALC) on the CityTech campus in Brooklyn, New York City (NYC). CSHL President and CEO Bruce Stillman congratulated everyone involved in opening the DNALC NYC and described why DNA education is so important in the region.
The project cost nearly $30 million, including construction of the facility and an endowment for scholarships for students who otherwise would not be able to attend. The new DNALC will promote science literacy and provide an opportunity for students to understand DNA and genetics that plays a critical role in their own lives. The CSHL and CUNY collaboration will make research experiences accessible to thousands of students. The founder and executive director of the DNALC, David A. Micklos, was recently recognized with the 2021 Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education for building the DNALC into an innovative science educational powerhouse.
“With this facility in Brooklyn, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has achieved another milestone in its long history of science education,” Stillman says. “We are privileged to collaborate with the City University of New York and City Tech to serve not only the high school and middle school students in New York, but also CUNY students, their teachers, and their families.”