The future of mathematics and science education at Fresno Pacific University will be on display during Homecoming on Friday and Saturday, October 11-12.
The centerpiece of this year's event will be the dedication of AIMS Hall of Mathematics and Science. Ceremonies begin at 11 a.m. Friday in the building's foyer. Speakers will include Sal Quintero, Fresno City Council member; D. Merrill Ewert, President of FPU; and Arthur Wiebe, former university president and co-founder of the Activities Integrating Mathematics and Science (AIMS) Education Foundation, which provided the lead gift for the $9 million project. The two-story, 20,097 square-foot facility includes classrooms and laboratories for computers, general science, physics/electronics, chemistry and research.
A special feature of the building is the Foucault pendulum located in the lobby. The pendulum, one of four in California and the only one in the San Joaquin Valley, blends the studies of mathematics and science as it demonstrates the rotation of the earth. A 235-pound polished brass ball suspended approximately 41 feet below the second-story ceiling swings over the course of 24 hours to knock over a circle of pegs.
Other activities include concerts, athletic contests, reunions and events for all ages. Among the highlights are:
- The annual Candlelight Concert at 7 p.m. Friday in McDonald Hall Atrium. Admission for the event, featuring performances by university faculty, is $10. For more information, call the Music Office at 453-2267.
- The Campus Carnival features trackless train, bounce house, rock wall and more for kids and families. The action begins at 9 a.m. Saturday on the East Hall Green.
- Students take on alumni in men's and women's flag football and basketball on Friday. Saturday will see the FPU men's and women's soccer squads square off against California Baptist University and the women's volleyball team take on Vanguard University. Call the Athletics Office at 453-2009 for more information.
There will also be reunions of the Class of 1952 and the Center for Degree Completion and an alumni prayer breakfast. For more information, call the Advancement Office at 453-2080.
Fresno Pacific University is an accredited Christian university ranked in the second tier among Western universities—master's category by U.S. News & World Report. Located on a 42-acre campus in southeast Fresno, FPU has an enrollment of approximately 1,900 students in graduate and undergraduate programs. The university also enrolls 12,000 students annually in its professional development studies programs offered locally and throughout the world.