Modernized Research & Training Laboratories for Coker West Wing, Highlands Biological Station

西卡罗莱纳大学获得了一笔赠款，用于位于北卡罗来纳州西部蓝岭的高地生物站（HBS）的实验室改造http://highlandsbiological.org/。作为一个研究和培训中心，威廉钱伯斯科克实验室位于温带生物多样性热点地区南部阿巴拉契亚山脉的心脏地带，50多年来一直是哈佛商学院研究和培训的主要场所。哈佛商学院为北卡罗莱纳大学系统的所有17个机构提供服务，每年吸引来自美国和国外的数十名研究人员，举办众多访问学院和大学课程，几十年来一直在野外生物学的各个领域提供广泛的暑期课程。建于20世纪50年代，焦克尔实验室的西翼被广泛使用，但随着现代化的发展，它越来越过时，这是一个优先考虑的翻新项目，以改善可达性，增加研究和培训的能力。改进将包括(1)增加西翼研究实验室的数量，并为其配备足够的工作台面、照明和电源插座；(2)扩大和重新配置主要培训实验室，以增加配置良好的工作台空间，并增加额外的设备，如通风柜、水槽和实验室用品存储。这两个区域的共同点是电气升级（现有的电气系统不接地，由2线romex组成）和绝缘/气候控制（目前在这个街区建筑中没有绝缘，也没有湿度控制）。通过电气和暖通空调升级来提高安全性和功能性，并重新配置该翼楼的研究和教学空间以优化使用，将使研究实验室空间净增加33%，教学/培训空间净增加62%。多年来，大量的科学研究以及研究生和本科生课程在科克实验室进行，主要围绕该地区独特而丰富的动植物和生态。作为众多高级研究小组的研究基地，以及陆地、水生生态学和有机生物学许多领域的本科生和研究生的培训基地，这些改进将进一步提高哈佛商学院几十年来闻名的高质量研究和教育经验。科学生产力与研究空间的质量密切相关，哈佛商学院在扩建、现代化和符合人体工程学设计的实验室中接待研究人员的能力转化为高质量的出版物和其他研究产品。科克西翼的改进还使哈佛商学院能够提供更高质量和数量的野外生物学浸入式培训，这对于培养来自各种合作机构的当代和未来几代大学生至关重要。通过hbs赞助的研讨会、项目和相关活动，与当地和地区社区的接触将使公民能够与自然世界建立联系，并更好地了解自然世界，这些活动适用于从K-12年级的学生到终身学习者，再到保护非营利组织的专业人士以及联邦和州机构。

Western Carolina University is awarded a grant for laboratory renovations at the Highlands Biological Station (HBS) located in the Blue Ridge of western North Carolina http://highlandsbiological.org/. Established as a center for research and training in the heart of the southern Appalachians, a temperate zone biodiversity hotspot, the William Chambers Coker Laboratory has been the primary locus of research and training at HBS for over 50 years. HBS serves all 17 institutions in the University of North Carolina system and annually attracts dozens of researchers from the US and abroad, hosts numerous visiting college and university classes, and for decades has offered an extensive program of summer courses in diverse areas of field biology.Built in the 1950s, the West Wing of the Coker Laboratory is extensively used yet increasingly outmoded with modernization a top-priority renovation project to improve accessibility, and increase capacity and capability for research and training. Improvements will include (1) increasing the number of research laboratories in the west wing and equipping them with adequate work surfaces, lighting and electrical outlets, and (2) expanding and reconfiguring the main training lab to increase the amount of well-configured bench space and add additional equipment such as a fume hood, sinks, and storage for lab supplies. Common to both of these areas are electrical upgrades (the existing electrical system is not grounded and consists of 2-wire romex) and insulation/climate control (there is presently no insulation in this block building, and no humidity control). Improving safety and functionality through electrical and HVAC upgrades and reconfiguring research and teaching space of this wing for optimized use will yield a net increase in research laboratory space by 33%, and teaching/training space by 62%.A prodigious quantity of scientific research and graduate and undergraduate courses have taken place in the Coker Laboratory over the years, largely centered around the unique and rich flora, fauna, and ecology of the region. As research base for numerous senior research groups and training ground for undergraduate and graduate students in many areas of terrestrial and aquatic ecology and organismal biology, these improvements will further enhance the high quality research and educational experiences for which HBS has been known for decades. Scientific productivity is closely linked to quality of research space, and HBS's ability to host researchers in expanded, modernized and ergonomically designed laboratories translates into quality publications and other research products. The Coker West Wing improvements also permit HBS to provide higher quality and quantities of immersion training in field biology, critical to preparing current and future generations of tertiary students from a variety of partnering institutions. Engagement with the local and regional communities will enable citizens to connect with and better understand the natural world through HBS-sponsored workshops, programs, and related activities for groups ranging from K-12 students to life-long learners to professionals conservation non-profits and federal and state agencies.