The Chronicle

Issue date: 11/12/07 Section: News
Last update: 11/12/07 at 6:20 AM EST

Media Credit: Jianghai Ho Richard Brodhead honors Melinda Gates for her gift to the French Family Science Center Friday.

Media Credit: Jianghai Ho Melinda Gates, benefactor of the French Family Science Center, speaks at a dedication held Friday.

Returning to Duke for the formal dedication of the French Family Science Center Friday, Melinda French Gates, Trinity '86 and Fuqua '87, reflected on her alma mater and the Science Drive her gifts have helped transform.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which was established in 2000 to reduce inequities and improve lives worldwide, provided a $30-million gift to support FFSC in 2002.

"I married someone who didn't finish college," Gates said of her husband Bill, who dropped out of Harvard University to found Microsoft, Inc. "Quite often I find myself in situations where we are introduced as a couple, and my husband would say, 'Between us, we have one-and-a-half degrees.' So, he also likes to take some affiliation with Duke as well."

Gates was joined at the ceremony by her family, for whom the $115-million, 280,000-square-foot brick-and-glass behemoth was named. The day's events also included tours through the building and a symposium on "Undisciplined Science."

"I would just like to make one observation: You guys go to a lot of trouble to help create pretexts for your family reunions," President Richard Brodhead joked during his introduction.

Gates, a former member of the Board of Trustees, said she had been approached by Provost Peter Lange and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs John Simon after a Board meeting to discuss supporting the project.

"Could we meet what I knew, from experience with the Board, would be Melinda's very high standards?" Lange asked. "The answer is before us for all to see."

Gates added that the Gates Foundation had then been at a point in its history where she and Bill had decided not to do any more building projects. She said it was a testament to the strong vision for science and recruitment Lange laid out for her that the building was funded.

George McLendon, dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences, said in addition to building the University's science program, FFSC presents a number of opportunities for faculty recruitment, attributing the last dozen hires in the sciences to the appeal of the collaborative facilities.

"More and more researchers in different fields are realizing they can't work in silos anymore," Gates said. "They have to combine their strengths. That's why Bill and I were so excited when Peter first talked to us about the possibilities for an integrated science center."

Gates, who double-majored in computer science and economics, said her work with the foundation gave her insight into the necessity for cooperation among the sciences.

"I suppose it's ironic that, now that I'm involved in philanthropy, I spend a lot more time working on things related to biology-vaccines and drugs-than I do on computer science," she said. "I've really come to appreciate both areas, and that's one of the reasons I'm so excited about this building."

Gates said as her first visit to her family's namesake approached, she considered what the building itself meant.

"To a large degree, that's a question that must be answered by each of the people who will work in it," she said. "It will be answered in the years ahead by the work you do here, by the discoveries you make, and by the lives you change."


The Chronicle's Chelsea Allison sat down with Melinda French Gates after the dedication to discuss science, global health and FFSC. Excerpts from their conversation are included below.

CA: Now that you've seen French Science, what do you think of it in terms of advancing your initial goals?

MFG: I knew what the overall vision for the building was. I had no concerns [Executive Vice President Tallman Trask] would pick the right architects and make that vision come true. Being here today just reinforces that all the more. I see that where it is really conducive to this way of doing science, so I really think we achieved the goals set out for the building, which is terrific.

CA: How do you think Duke specifically is at a point in its history where we can make a good global impact?

MFG: I think Duke has seen for quite some time an intersection between medicine and the biological sciences and chemistry and the computer sciences and strategically over time were recruiting people with that in mind so they've got a number of great scientists here together who are working collaboratively.... They're seeing that you've got to give real-life experience to students, and that's really important.

CA: Is there anything that the Gates Foundation or you yourself are hoping for in the future with these initiatives?

MFG: Duke is already on the forefront of some of these areas, and I think by strengthening the sciences as they're going to do with a building like this, it will keep them on the cutting edge and push the envelope even further. The whole idea behind [Duke Engage] is to get students... to understand what the needs are, so whatever they do-whether it's science or economics politics on campus-they understand that it's a broader world than just where they grew up or here in Durham.


CA: And I think probably one of the biggest challenges will be accommodating the number of interested students.

MFG: Which is exactly the kind of challenge we want.


CA: On a more personal level, are your own children interested in science at all?

MFG: I was just telling [Dean of Undergraduate Education Steve Nowicki], my husband watches his videos, his biology lectures, all the time at our house. So because we're very interested in biology and because we don't watch TV as a family, these science videos are on all the time, so the kids are exposed and we definitely talk a lot about science.

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