On June 1, Webster University welcomes a new addition that will ultimately benefit both students and employers within a key business sector.

The College of Science and Health resides in Browning Hall, a cutting-edge interdisciplinary science building equipped with state-of-the-art technology, to expand high-quality science and health program opportunities within the university.

“We continue to do what Webster has historically done so well for more than a century — meet the unmet needs of the community,” said Webster University President Julian Schuster. “In this instance, it will be through boosting the number of graduates in the region with strong backgrounds in health and science fields.”

The College of Science and Health serves as an umbrella for undergraduate and graduate programs in biological sciences, biology, chemistry, nursing, psychological science and psychology, in addition to graduate programs focusing on biomedical sciences, environmental management, gerontology, human services, counseling and other related fields of study.

Webster faculty have found innovative ways to enrich learning experiences for biology students in courses that could be done in the classroom with much less impact. Spring break may include trips to truly unique study locations. For instance, while in the Galapagos Islands, biology students and professor Stephanie Schroeder explore the islands through the lens of speciation and biodiversity, as a component of their Evolution Lab course. There they study various ecosystems and collect observational data to be used in their final course projects. Programs like this are designed to enrich the curriculum by giving students a learning experience outside the classroom and allow them to understand the world around them. In addition to an enriched learning experience, this gives biology students a more global perspective and builds on their understanding of diversity of biology and cultures.

Highly respected within the St. Louis area, Webster University’s health sciences programs have garnered many accolades thanks to accreditations and collaborations with major healthcare organizations. The nursing program partners with BJC HealthCare, SSM Health and Mercy Hospital, and the Webster Groves Counseling program has achieved Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation, opening up numerous options for graduates who want to work in counseling-related fields across the United States.

The Doctor of Nursing Anesthesia Practice program routinely generates a student wait list thanks to its dynamic instructors, and virtually every healthcare facility in the region that employs nurse anesthetists counts a Webster graduate among its staff. The biology and psychology programs at Webster are two of the most popular majors and enable students to work closely with instructors on a variety of research projects.

“Webster faculty integrate research and teaching in innovative ways,” said vice president for academic affairs Nancy Hellerud. “In addition to bringing their research experiences into classrooms and labs, faculty members employ student researchers to assist on projects and sponsor students as they embark upon their own research. Students apply for student research funding and present at conferences, including our own Research Across Disciplines conference. They graduate ready to take the next step in their careers or education path.”

Research from Webster University health and science faculty members has garnered national attention in the past several years. Associate professor Ryan Liberati was awarded two grants from the Schultz Foundation for Advancing Counseling, and associate professor Nicole Miller-Struttmann is part of a multi-agency effort to study ways to maximize pollination in urban environments. Dr. Linda Woolf recently received the prestigious Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching of Psychology, and Drs. Michael Hulsizer and Heather Mitchell have won awards from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (APA Division Two).

Webster’s programs and faculty benefit from grants awarded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Hearst Foundation and other entities.

Webster University chancellor Elizabeth J. Stroble looks forward to seeing what the new college will be able to accomplish in the future.

“In the past decade, faculty and students in Webster’s health and sciences programs have significantly increased their capacity for impactful teaching, scholarship and community engagement,” she said. “Expanded facilities, competitive federal grants, valued accreditations, alumni career success and purposeful partnerships are all in evidence as a result.”

For more information, visit webster.edu/gowebster.