The impact of giving was felt deeply at Kent State University on Friday, April 24, as the university hosted the grand opening for the new Aeronautics and Technology Building, made possible by generous donors.
The event celebrated the opening of the 55,000-square-foot building and the move of the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology from Van Deusen Hall to the Science Corridor. Construction on the building began in summer 2013.
During the ceremony, Kent State President Beverly Warren; Robert Sines, interim dean of the college; and Dennis Eckart, Kent State University Board of Trustees chair, welcomed guests to the college's new home. Students led tours of the space and demonstrated the capabilities of specific labs, while attendees also experienced the new Air Traffic Control Lab, Sustainability Lab, Aeronautics Teaching Lab and the Materials and Processes Lab.
Sines says the move was necessary for the college.
“I think the students are getting a much better educational experience in the new building because of the new facilities, new equipment and new surroundings,” Sines said.
The building is a part of Kent State’s Foundations of Excellence: Building the Future initiative. Through the FoE initiative, Kent State is constructing new buildings, completing facility upgrades and establishing dynamic, new spaces.
The Aeronautics and Technology Building was made possible through the FoE initiative and the combined support of many generous donations, including those from several leading companies: Rockwell Automation, Ajax TOCCO, Lubrizol and Tinker Omega. Through these gifts, donors are helping Kent State create more than just brick and mortar facilities; they are helping the university transform its campuses into state-of-the-art academic environments to meet the needs and expectations of the 21st-century student, and beyond.
For more information about the College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology, visit www.kent.edu/caest.
For more information about Kent State’s Foundations of Excellence initiative, visit foe.kent.edu.