A Jungle in the Science Center

By Ryder Ebbe in Campus News, College Days, Student Life on March 30, 2025

With the construction of the Franzen Science Center wrapping up, many job opportunities for students at Ripon College are emerging again. For students working within the biology department, these roles are in full bloom.

Benjamin Grady, an associate professor of biology and director of the Environmental Studies Program, provided insights into what occurs behind the greenhouse’s foliage curtains.

“We use the greenhouse for teaching any plant-related classes. We’ve got specimens in there that I will either take students in there to teach about, or bring plants into the classroom to teach. So it’s a living collection that we use for teaching,” he said.

The greenhouse has also provided an ensemble of students with an opportunity to gain pre-professional experience while being employed. Noelle Thull, a freshman majoring in biology, noted that her job at the greenhouse enables her to set a schedule that works for her.

“It’s actually really flexible. I only have to come in here for like an hour or two every week,” she said.

With many different on-campus job opportunities available for students, professors, and employers understand that a student’s life is full of different time commitments. 

“This job’s flexibility is incredible…they can come between classes and spend an hour there working. And again, I think it’s almost therapeutic for them to be able to do that, to kind of break up their day…you’re doing something different with your brain and that’s a good thing, and it’s experience,” Professor Grady states. 

Not only do on-campus jobs at Ripon College provide students an outlet to change the environment and challenge themselves outside of the classroom, but they also allow students the opportunity to connect with the faculty here on campus.

Professor Grady explained that students may make many different connections with people through on-campus jobs.

“You get to work with different people, and you get to, you know, build relationships with staff and faculty, which could help get a letter of recommendation,” he said.

Sidney McNatt, a junior majoring in biology and Environmental Studies, hopes to cultivate opportunities for students to enjoy greenery across campus.

“We are hoping to eventually kind of branch out and kind of put plants a little bit more across campus, mainly within the science center, but also figure out what we can do to make things better, and kind of get the word out that we are here, and we’re a place that you can totally visit. We’re always here for students, and we really want to help as much as we can with the student body,” she said.

Sidney McNatt and Noelle Thull encouraged students to come into the greenhouse whenever they want. Whether that be to warm up during the cold months here at Ripon, or to check out the different plants that students are growing at the time. 

“I think it would be really nice to see people coming in and like really going through and enjoying it,” McNatt said. 

“I tell students to come to the greenhouse. They’re welcome anytime. It’s honestly a very chill place to just sit down and just look at the fish in there too. If you just need a place to go, sit and relax for a second and de-stress, I definitely recommend this place, because it doesn’t really feel like I’m working when I’m here,” Thull said.

With study corners just outside the greenhouse,  this location, nestled in the new Franzen Science Center, not only provides students with an opportunity to be involved on campus through a job, but also allowsall students the option to get some work done surrounded by lush foliage and cascading greenery.