Lyman Briggs School of Science
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The Lyman Briggs School of Science, located at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States, is named in honor of Lyman James Briggs, who attended Michigan Agricultural College from 1889-1893. As of 2006, it is one of two residential colleges at MSU, the other being James Madison College.
The Lyman Briggs School intends to address C. P. Snow's "Two Cultures" by bridging the divide between the sciences and humanities. Science classes offered by LBS include chemistry, biology, physics, and math, and also classes such as "Literature and Science", "Science and Technology Studies", and a Senior Seminar program. All of these classes attempt to reveal science's relationship with society, literature, and philosophy. Smaller class sizes allow for more interaction with professors.
The Lyman Briggs school is located in Holmes Hall (named for founder John C. Holmes), one of the largest residence halls on campus. Many of the over 1200 students in the residence hall are members of LBS. Many of the students in the Lyman Briggs program intend to pursue careers in medicine, but there are a variety of other programs that are supported by Lyman Briggs. In all, there are over 30 coordinate majors, from human biology to computer sciences. LBS also has the unique distinction of being one of the few major schools to allow undergraduate students to teach as "Learning Assistants." Learning Assistants run recitations and labs in chemistry, biology, math, and physics.
Although LBS is not considered a residential college at this time, it is expected that at the close of the 2006-2007 academic year, Lyman Briggs will regain its title as a residential college.