Expanding the Reach of Discovery

Inside the Center for the Sciences and Innovation, a student steadies a pipette over a vial while another sketches equations across a glass wall. Down the hall, undergraduates debate data collected just hours earlier. They are testing ideas, refining questions, and learning from one another. Half a world away, on a faculty-led study abroad in Costa Rica, Trinity students collect environmental samples and observe geologic processes firsthand, carrying that inquiry beyond the classroom and lab.

This is everyday science at Trinity University: hands-on and collaborative, reflecting Trinity’s commitment to providing the best undergraduate liberal arts science education in the country.

Over the past two years, Trinity has expanded these moments and connected them across disciplines, opening research opportunities to more students earlier than ever before, thanks to the Semmes Foundation.

In 2024, the Foundation, led by Trinity Trustee Emeritus Tom Semmes and Trinity Trustee Pat Semmes, made a $26.5 million gift, the largest in Trinity’s history. The gift established the D. R. Semmes School of Science and is transforming science education.

The investment also strengthened a commitment from the Semmes family that has shaped Trinity science for more than 70 years and remains one of the most enduring partnerships in the University’s history. From the construction of Thomas Semmes Chemistry Hall in the 1950s to endowed professorships and the Semmes Distinguished Scholars in Science Scholarship, the Semmes name has long been tied to faculty mentorship and hands-on learning at Trinity.

While the Semmes’ historic gift built on an existing foundation for the sciences at Trinity, it also created an endowed dean position to ensure sustained leadership in support of the School’s mission. That leadership is already shaping how research and teaching intersect across the sciences.

Dean of the D. R. Semmes School of Science David Ribble, Ph.D., has seen the impact unfold quickly.

“Although only two years have passed, we are already witnessing the transformative impact this gift has had,” said Ribble.

“The Semmes funds strengthen faculty scholarship and expand access to intensive undergraduate research experiences, from supporting student Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships to sustaining projects between grant submissions. Survey results from Semmes students show how this targeted investment accelerates discovery and helps cultivate the next generation of researchers, clinicians, and scientific leaders. Many students shared profound gratitude for these experiences–and opportunities they now envision–would not have been possible without this support.”

For students, the impact is personal.

Adeline Mai ’28 researches neurodegenerative diseases in a physics lab. For her, a neuroscience major on the pre-med track, the impact of the Semmes family’s generosity began with an email to Professor Kwan Cheng, Ph.D., who became her mentor.

“I introduced myself saying that I was interested in joining and was wondering if there would be anything for me in the lab, since I had no prior research experience,” Mai says.

Her email became an opportunity that shaped how Mai sees her future in science.

While Cheng’s mentorship reflects Trinity’s long-standing strength in undergraduate research, the Semmes gift’s creation of new endowed faculty positions will ensure that Trinity can continue recruiting and retaining faculty who bring students into the work of discovery.

The gift also supports students directly through undergraduate research fellowships and stipends, opening lab and field opportunities earlier in a student’s academic journey. At many institutions, these experiences are typically reserved for graduate study. Since 1996, the four-year, full-tuition Semmes Distinguished Scholars in Science scholarship has created life-changing opportunities for STEM students at Trinity. Now strengthened by the 2024 investment, the scholarship continues to replace financial barriers with possibilities through research funding and faculty mentorship.

“I would not have been afforded the same opportunities [at another school]. I would have to really fight to be known by my professors, and I wouldn't have been as happy there as I am here,” says Bethany Bass ’26, a biochemistry major from Boulder, Colorado. “The sense of community and the sense of belonging at Trinity is so important to me.”

Today’s Semmes Scholars study fields ranging from neuroscience and engineering to computer science and environmental geosciences. Many pair STEM disciplines with music, entrepreneurship, or the humanities. Together, these paths reflect Trinity’s belief that scientific discovery thrives at the intersections of disciplines.

Beyond the classrooms, the successes of Trinity alumni demonstrate the impact of the Semmes' generosity. Trinity Semmes graduates advance to Ph.D. programs, research careers, and leadership roles in industry and academia. In recent years, 98% of Trinity alumni have achieved positive outcomes, such as pursuing advanced study or research-intensive careers

The quieter impacts appear sooner: in confidence gained, in questions asked, and in the moment a student realizes they belong in the lab or in the field, half a world away.