The lobby will then lead into one of the biggest additions to the Chemistry Department in years, a new student center.

"The student center is a distinct departure from the past," Anderson says. "It will have a cafe, a place for computers, and students can view lectures or sporting events.

Anderson says the center will be the "social and intellectual hub" of the chemistry department.

"It will not only be a meeting place but it will also have a revolving presentation of student research across the department to introduce different areas of chemistry," he says.

The new lobby is expected to be complete before school begins in the fall. The student center--a much larger project--will be done by January.

Not only can students socialize in the laboratory, but the department is also subsidizing an occasional night on the town for its graduate students.

"We are happy that we can go out and the department will pick up the bill," says Joshua M. Finkelstein, a first-year chemistry graduate student.

The Right Solution?

So do these changes help make up for a lack of summer vacation and the long hours that graduate students complain about?

Faculty members say that they fully support Anderson's decisions and that they are pleased with the University for allocating more funds for the important goal of improving student life.

"These are things we've been trying to do for a while," says Lawrence Professor of Chemistry David A. Evans. "They are decisions that would have been made by the Faculty."

"We're just pleased that University Hall has backed us," he adds. "I think that U-Hall is to be congratulated for supporting our plans. We're delighted with the cooperation we've had from central administration for the departmental proposals to increase funding for student centers."

Evans also says that he thinks students are happy with the changes.

Most students say they have noticed a difference within the department.

"I feel the department is definitely trying to show a more caring attitude, Deiner says.