My Shiny New Lab

I'm now largely moved into the new science building, the Shelby Center. The moving company moved my office stuff (mostly boxes of books) into my new office, and I moved my own "lab" gear into my new lab. I haven't had a real lab since moving to UAH, so this is a big step forward. My gear has been scattered through three rooms around Wilson Hall, and now I can pile it all together.

The first photo below shows the lab from the corner where I'll build some kind of aquarium rack for multiple 10 and 20 gallon tanks. I even have a window, instead of hanging out in the bunkers in the old building. You can kinda see the fume hood in the far back right corner, on the far side of the island in the middle of the room. This side of the island will probably be for microscopy and dissections, so the dissecting microscope is there. The good digital compound microscope will probably also go on that bench. The low back bench along the window will hold the two old P4 computers we've been using for counting and characterizing telescope shiner eggs The lab is bristling with internet ports, so we're ready for the 21st century, etc. On the back bench is the stack of boxes with my preserved fish collection waiting to be put into the cabinets below, which contain pull-out trays ideal for holding jars of fish, etc. We've been told that lab stools will be delivered in a few weeks, until then I brought over two solidly built chairs from the old lab.

Below is a view back to where the other photo was taken from. The bay along the wall is where the aquarium rack will go, along with my small freezer chest. You can even see an overhead safety shower, a piece of lab safety equipment you wouldn't find in the old building. I'm happy to say that we're now in compliance with federal safety standards, albeit 25 years later than most other places. The place is beautiful, and the teaching labs are also an amazing improvement on what we've been using. I could gush on and on.....