Longtime College supporter Mary Michels Scovanner '77 makes major gift to fund new plaza

Thanks to a significant donation from Mary Michels Scovanner ’77, what was once an asphalt parking lot behind Main Hall and adjacent to the Student Center, will soon be transformed into an attractive brick-lined plaza, complete with a fountain, ampitheatre seating, and bricks honoring faculty emeriti.

Construction on the plaza, which will be named Michels Plaza, will begin soon and is expected to be completed at the same time as the Student Center renovation. The two projects have been designed to work together to enhance and beautify one of the most traveled areas on campus, while providing a unique space for the community.

“Once the Student Center renovation is complete, the outdoor spaces associated with that facility and this new plaza will transform the look and feel of back campus,” said John E. Klein, president of Randolph. “In addition to providing a unique gathering space for students, classes, and other events, the new plaza will highlight Randolph’s views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

For Scovanner, a Randolph College trustee, the opportunity to support campus life was important. “This is an exciting project that I believe will create a vibrant and welcoming place for our campus community to gather,” she said. “It’s great to have this opportunity to support the College in a way that I hope will enrich campus living for our current and future students.”

The new plaza will feature ampitheatre seating around a fountain. The seating is designed to mimic the seating in Randolph’s Greek Theatre, and the fountain, which will feature three bursts of water, will add energy to the space. In addition to landscaping, the design of the plaza will incorporate the same diamond pattern found on the front campus brick walkway. An area of the plaza will also be designated to honor faculty emeriti with special bricks.

Klein expressed gratitude for Scovanner’s commitment to improving student life. Several years ago, another initiative funded by Scovanner provided amenities and campus improvements designed to enrich the campus community and improve the student experience.

“Mary Michels Scovanner has been a long-time supporter of the College, giving of both her time and financial resources,” he said. “We are grateful for her unwavering commitment to Randolph College.”

Student Center Renovation Update: June 26, 2012

The $6 million Student Center renovation continues to progress. Window installation and work on the two-level cardio center and third-floor theatre have brought big changes to the interior and exterior of the facility.

Check out the latest photo slideshow here:

http://web.randolphcollege.edu/studentcenter/slideshow/june26/index.html

 

Lynchburg Bird Club donates money to Randolph biology department for growing bird and mammal collection

Randolph College is fortunate to have a growing collection of bird and mammal specimens that students can examine to learn more about animal biology and evolution. Thanks to the Lynchburg Bird Club, that collection of skins will have a new home.

Last week, the club presented a $1,000 donation to the College. The money will help pay for a new museum cabinet for the expanding collection of avian study specimens, said Doug Shedd, The Catherine Ehrman Thoresen ’23 and William E. Thoresen Professor of Biology.

A group of three students and an alumna recently began working with Shedd to prepare bird specimens to be added to the collection. The students have been learning how to perform taxidermy to preserve the birds and repair any damage they have. “For the first time in many years, we’re adding new specimens to the collection,” Shedd said.

Angelina Haines '12 (left), Will Guzman '15, professor Doug Shedd, Emily
Smith '11, and Aaron McRorie '13 have been working to expand the
College's collections of animal study skins. Photo by Barbara Shedd.

Emily Smith ’11, who graduated in December, organized the project after spending last year cataloging the College’s natural history collection and updating the tags on each animal specimen. Aaron McRorie ’13, Angelina Haines ’12, and Will Guzman ’15 have been working with her to preserve the new specimens.

Shedd said this project is helping to expand an important resource at the College. “Natural history collections play an important role in ecological and evolutionary studies and in teaching,” he said, pointing out that biology students study the specimens to learn about evolution, while art students use the collection to draw animals with great detail.

“We are excited about the progress we've made with the Collection Project and look forward to important additional advances soon,” Shedd said.