The following is an event announcement from SMC.
Santa Monica College (SMC) will celebrate its new, state-of-the-art, LEED Gold-certified Mathematics + Science Building on its Main Campus at 1900 Pico Boulevard with an open house. Built with funding from voter-approved bond measures AA, V, and the State of California, this building brings together four departments—Earth Sciences, Mathematics, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences—under one roof for the very first time.
Plus, the new SMC Planetarium and observatory, whose popular events are open to the community, including schoolchildren, features a 0.7-meter CDK700 telescope—the only such telescope available to the public in this region of Los Angeles.
WHEN:
- Reception & ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m.
- Science Lab open house at 5 p.m.
- Planetarium presentations at 5 p.m.
- Observatory night sky viewing at 7 p.m.
WHO:
[Schedule/Speaker lineup is subject to some change]
- Welcome by SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery
- Remarks by SMC Vice President of Academic Affairs Jason Beardsley
- Remarks from department chairs/leaders representing Earth Sciences / Mathematics / Life Sciences / Physical Sciences
WHERE + PARKING:
- The event will be held in/outside the Mathematics + Science Building, which flanks Pearl Street. Parking is available in Lots 1 or 5. View campus map (PDF).
RSVP: Please RSVP with interest by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29 via email to Smith_Grace@smc.eduor by calling 310-434-4454.
ADDITIONAL INFO ABOUT THE NEW SANTA MONICA COLLEGE MATHEMATICS + SCIENCE BUILDING:
- The 110,000 square-foot Mathematics + Science Building had a soft opening in late 2024, and began serving students then. The building includes 22 classrooms, 11 labs, study areas, and advanced instructional technology in addition to the planetarium and observatory.
- The building is LEED Gold-certified and won a design award in 2024 from the Los Angeles Business Council in the “under construction category.”
- The project also restores the Memorial Clocktower, seamlessly integrating SMC’s past with its future. The clocktower, dedicated shortly before Memorial Day in 1955, commemorates SMC student veterans who gave their lives in World War II and the Korean War.
