Last month, the Joint Science Department (JSD) of Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pitzer colleges received a $5 million gift from the Sidney J. Weinberg foundation for the endowment of the new Dean’s position.

This Weinberg Family Dean of Science Endowment Fund, which will be awarded over five years, will also be used to support research.

“[It] will enhance what’s going on—the excellent program already in place,” JSD Dean David Hansen said.

The money will largely be used to fund Hansen’s position, which he said aims “to facilitate and oversee ongoing efforts.”

“When I came to interview, I was enormously impressed by the faculty, students and the program,” Hansen said.

Prior to Hansen’s arrival roughly a year ago, he said, the JSD seemed to be doing too much.

“There are 40 full-time faculty members,” Hansen said. “They needed a person to oversee and facilitate the efforts that are already ongoing.”

The gift money will also be used to provide a research fund for Hansen and his student-faculty projects.

“At the moment, my lab is not active, but we’re gearing up for this summer,” he said.