The Interactive Learning Pavilion
Join Professor Emerita Paula Bruice in supporting this new campus landmark
When students consult their schedules this quarter, they will likely find that some of their classes convene in a brand new space: the Interactive Learning Pavilion. A bright building at the heart of campus, between the Library and the UCen, it is UC Santa Barbara’s first new classroom building in more than 50 years.
The Interactive Learning Pavilion provides roughly 2,000 seats of classroom space, increasing the university’s capacity by 35%. This innovative building will reduce student waitlists, increase flexibility and improve access to classes that students need to graduate in four years.
“I definitely feel more engaged, mostly because of the natural light keeping me awake,” said third year Writing and Literature major Jasmine Liang. “My experience is definitely a lot more comfortable in the Interactive Learning Pavilion.”
Paula Bruice is a professor emerita in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC Santa Barbara, where she taught organic chemistry for 48 years. In 1977, the Associated Students selected her as the recipient of the very first teaching award given on campus — Teacher of the Year. She later received the Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award (1980) and the UC Santa Barbara Alumni Association Teaching Award (2006). A lifelong educator, Bruice was the first supporter to name a space in the Interactive Learning Pavilion.
“My 48 years of teaching at UC Santa Barbara made me acutely aware of how much the Interactive Learning Pavilion was needed. I taught my large classes in Chem 1179, where I had to remind students that the permanent “spot” on the blackboard was a hole, not an electron, and where blackboard dust was an occupational hazard. Many of my smaller classes were taught in Phelps, in a room where the professor stood on a platform above the students.
I always encouraged my students to find a quiet room on campus and routinely go there after dinner to study, rather than making them believe they were getting good study time in the dorm or in other shared living space. Therefore, when I found out there were study rooms in the Interactive Learning Pavilion, that was what I wanted to support,” said Bruice.
Designed for active learning and teaching, the Interactive Learning Pavilion incorporates state-of-the-art design, technology and furniture to provide the most flexible environments for our students and faculty. It is organized into two buildings around a courtyard with modern seating areas that take inspiration from the California landscape. Study areas in the courtyard and upper walkways provide comfortable spots for students to gather, in addition to two indoor study rooms.
On the first two floors, five tiered lecture halls are furnished with long tables and swivel chairs to facilitate small group work and maximum visibility. The upper floors contain 20 classrooms that seat 30 students each. These are equipped with glass whiteboards and movable tables and chairs to support active learning.
By naming a prestigious space, you will help UC Santa Barbara welcome students to the Interactive Learning Pavilion. Your gift will enhance technology, equipment and infrastructure. Additionally, private support will help provide the resources to continually invest in inclusive learning environments over time. With your partnership, UC Santa Barbara will foster an environment of academic inquiry and collaboration for decades to come.
A full list of naming opportunities is available upon request. Please contact:
Kelly Adams
Senior Director of Development,
Regional & Constituent Programs
kelly.adams@ucsb.edu
(805) 448-0015
Published September 2023
I always encouraged my students to find a quiet room on campus and routinely go there after dinner to study, rather than making them believe they were getting good study time in the dorm or in other shared living space. Therefore, when I found out there were study rooms in the Interactive Learning Pavilion, that was what I wanted to support.
Professor Emerita Paula Bruice