Carol Angle ’48 names faculty building in new Science Complex
Wellesley was founded on the philosophy of inspiring women and providing them with a safe haven in which to ask questions, explore topics, and prepare to make a difference in the world. This philosophy combined with a liberal arts foundation opens students’ minds to endless opportunities and ambitious career paths.
The first path Dr. Carol Remmer Angle ’48 chose at Wellesley was English literature, but everything changed one day as she walked across campus. “It was a beautiful Wellesley day in the snow, and I walked by Paramecium Pond,” she recalls. “I had some kind of an epiphany. I said, ‘You know what I want to do? I want to study medicine.’” After Wellesley, Angle went to medical school, and she became a pediatrician, an environmental toxicologist, and an expert on the effects of lead poisoning.
On January 31, the new Science Complex opened its doors to the Wellesley community, providing current and future students and faculty with a modern facility that supports the College’s vision. At the heart of the complex is the Angle Building—a thoughtfully designed space with 158 faculty and staff offices—named in recognition of a generous $10 million gift from Dr. Angle in 2021.
"These spaces will catalyze productive collisions of ideas between members of our community and creative new kinetic pathways toward partnerships so that we can more collectively tackle important scientific problems from many perspectives," says Mala Radhakrishana, professor of chemistry, who made the Angle Building her new academic home this spring. "I'm really excited about the open, bright, collaborative spaces."
As a hub for discovery across disciplines, the Angle Building signifies the College’s commitment to its dedicated professors, who are well-known for making significant contributions to their respective fields while also mentoring and engaging students in high-quality research projects. “Throughout the design process, it has been clear that the classrooms and gathering spaces in the building have been designed with a focus on supporting opportunities for both collaboration and social interaction,” says Sara Wasserman ’02, Kresa Family Assistant Professor of Neuroscience. “Science has become more collaborative than ever before and we will continue to need to implement cross-disciplinary approaches to make progress.”
The Angle Building will be a critical component of the academic experience for Wellesley students, one that opens the doors to a lifetime of curiosity and learning.