Shorter University has received a $60,000 gift from Joe and Charlotte Ware, of Marietta, Ga., to fund the renovation of the university’s microbiology laboratory. The gift was made through the Ware Family Foundation.

The gift will fund the renovation of the laboratory, which is located in Rome Hall, and the purchase of new equipment including incubators, microscopes and a smart board. The renovated space will also house the Stergus Pathology Collection, a collection of more than 250 specimens of diseased human organs that was donated to Shorter by the late Dr. Ingrid Stergus, a Rome pathologist, in 1975.

“We are grateful for the Wares’ generosity in making this gift to improve the microbiology laboratory,” said Shorter University President Dr. Don Dowless. “The strength of our science program is built on Shorter’s commitment to offering excellent classroom and laboratory experiences while requiring students to conduct research as part of their academic training. This renovated laboratory space will provide an enhanced learning environment that will be of great benefit to our science majors. We appreciate the Wares’ love for the Lord and their support our mission of Transforming Lives through Christ.”

The Wares’ granddaughter, Victoria Pregibon, is a junior biology major at Shorter.

Shorter University’s science programs graduate students who are well prepared for continued educational opportunities and to join the workforce, according to Dr. Kathi Vosevich, Associate Provost and Dean of Shorter’s College of Arts and Sciences.

“Over the past three decades, 86% of our applicants have been accepted to medical schools,” Dr. Vosevich said. “An impressive 91% of our pharmacy school applicants, 87% of our applicants to physical therapy and occupational therapy programs, and 86% of our applicants to physician assistant programs have been accepted. In addition, our graduates are being enrolled by many of the nation’s most prestigious graduate programs in the sciences. Others are being hired by a wide variety of companies and organizations.”

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its list of best Southeastern Colleges. Shorter is a member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, and four master’s programs. Learn more about Shorter at www.shorter.edu.

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