Members of Brock’s Senior Administrative Council (SAC) got a peek behind the scenes of the University’s technical shops and science stores Tuesday, taking tours that may soon be available to the wider Brock community.

Organized by the Faculty of Mathematics and Science, the Oct. 16 tours showcased the often-unseen services of Brock’s science stores, and electronics, machine and glassblowing shops.

The shops have been a part of the Faculty since 1966 and were originally created to service existing scientific equipment, develop new and innovative equipment for both teaching and research labs, and to provide technical expertise, scientific supplies and materials for Math and Science.

As the University has grown, the services have expanded to include the Faculties of Social Sciences and Applied Health Sciences while also providing support to non-academic offices and local outreach programs.

For Mathematics and Science Dean Ejaz Ahmed, the tours offer a chance for participants to take in the array of services first-hand, while also hearing from the professionals who staff the shops and stores each day.

“I would like people to learn more about our Faculty and the services we provide,” he said. “Each shop has its own expertise in its specialized area; however, they often combine their resources and skills to provide technical support for experiential learning, teaching, transformative and cutting-edge research as well as external venture initiatives.”

Though the initial morning tours were for a limited audience, Ahmed hopes they will be soon be expanded to include others.

“We felt the best way to advertise to the SAC group was to provide guided tours and we have plans to offer these tours to other members of the Brock community as well,” he said.  “This is hopefully the first of many.”