Knox began work in September 2025 on a $10 million renovation to the Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center (SMC), partnering with two regional companies: RATIO Design and Russell.
SMC is home to Knox’s biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics, and psychology departments, along with the Amott Science Commons, a collaborative learning space that includes the College’s Makerspace Hub. Funded by a $10 million grant from the State of Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the current renovation project will focus primarily on the building’s C-Wing, which houses the chemistry classrooms and laboratories, common spaces, and faculty offices, as well as upgrades to building systems.
A SMC Renovation Steering Committee, including Knox administrators, faculty, and staff, is working closely with RATIO and Russell to finalize plans and designs. “The chemistry department is very enthusiastic to meet with the architects to explore the project scope to update the science building’s infrastructure," said Associate Professor of Chemistry Helen M. Hoyt ’01. “Modernizing these systems will enable future generations of Knox science students and faculty to ask and answer their own research questions.”
The current renovation of SMC is the first since 2020, when renovations to the building’s entryway and central learning core were completed. The renovation expanded the atrium that brought more light—and a 55-foot fin whale skeleton—into the entryway and provided seating and study areas for students and visitors, as well as the Amott Science Commons and six modern classrooms.
“Knox is grateful to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for its investment in Knox, the State of Illinois for its investment in higher education across the state, and our partners, RATIO and Russell, as we embark on this transformative capital project,” said President C. Andrew McGadney. “As an historic campus, investments in academic buildings and infrastructure are crucial to ensuring that teaching and learning take place in modern, state-of-the-art facilities.”