On December 6, Hunter President Jennifer J. Raab joined elected officials and faculty and students from the Department of Psychology to celebrate the unveiling of Hunter’s newly renovated psychology laboratory, marking a major step forward for Hunter’s largest department.

“Our students and faculty deserve a 21st-cenutry lab worthy of their hard work and dedication, and we are so proud to finally give it to them,” said President Raab.

In addition to support from CUNY, the laboratory renovation was made possible with generous contributions from the offices of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and from New York City Councilman Dan Garodnick, who toured the new facility and spoke at the ribbon-cutting.

The new lab includes top-of-the-line computers and iPads, neuroscience teaching kits, eye tracking devices, the latest in video and sound recording, and other specialized lab equipment.  The classroom attached to the lab was also upgraded, and a smartboard was installed.

“We have designed this space to allow us to teach the very broad range of areas that comprise a modern psychology curriculum, and we have the flexibility to teach our students the most up-to-date techniques with cutting edge equipment,” said Professor of Psychology Jim Gordon, who thanked President Raab for making the renovation a top priority.  “This will be one of the most heavily used facilities in the college. Every one of our almost 2,000 psychology majors takes experimental psychology in this facility.  It has not been redone since sometime before 1970 when I came to Hunter, and I have taught this course here for over 40 years.”

As a psychology professor herself, Hunter Provost Vita Rabinowitz also spent many hours at the front of the “old” classroom, and joined her colleagues – including Professor Gordon and Department of Psychology chair Vanya Quinones – in singing the praises of the renovation.

“It was time,” said Provost Rabinowitz.  “But it looks like it was worth the wait.”