And Schlinger, too.

Chemists and chemical engineers at Caltech will soon have a new playground. Work on the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Laboratory for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering began on February 13.

The lab will form a new focal point for the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, said David Tirrell, the McCollum-Corcoran Professor and professor of chemistry and chemical engineering. The new lab will attract new faculty and spur research, said Tirrell, who also chairs the division.

Located near the western end of the San Pasqual walkway on campus, the four-story building will occupy 60,000 square feet and should be finished in 18 months. It will also likely merit a Silver rating under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for environmentally sustainable buildings.

The Schlinger Lab was named in recognition of a $20 million campaign donation from Warren and Katharine Schlinger. Warren (BS ’44, MS ’46, PhD ’49) spent 12 years studying, researching, and teaching at Caltech. Katharine grew up in the Pasadena area and met her husband while working as a department secretary for Chemical Engineering.

In addition to the Schlinger and Moore Foundation contributions, gifts have come from an array of supporters, including the estate of former trustee Victor K. Atkins; trustee G. Patricia Beckman (daughter of Mabel and Arnold Beckman, PhD ’28); Barbara J. Dickinson (widow of Richard Dickinson ’52); the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; the John Stauffer Charitable Trust; John W. Jones (’41); Helen and Will Webster (’49); Gregory P. Stone (’74); and others. Funds raised to date total $37 million; the building is anticipated to cost $45 million. —EN