Wednesday, May 14, 2008

SMU breaks ground on new Caruth Hall

By Pegasus News wire

Last week (May 9), Southern Methodist University broke ground on a new Caruth Hall on the site of the original building bearing that name (built in 1948).

Including a $7.5 million donation from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation, commitments totaling $18.4 million have been received in support of the $22 million construction project. Other major donors include Robert Palmer of Houston ($4 million), the Hillcrest Foundation of Dallas ($2 million) and the J. E. and L. E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa ($2 million).

As you can see from the architectural rendering, the new Caruth Hall will maintain the architectural style of other campus buildings while providing enhanced facilities for the Caruth Institute for Engineering, the Dept. of Engineering Management, Information and Systems and the Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering. Incorporating 64,000 sq. ft. of space designated for teaching, research and innovation, and built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Standards, the facility will nearly double the size of the current center for engineering on campus.

The sort of rococo chair that would be just PERFECT for Dr. Etter's use

Said Geoffrey Orsak, dean of the School of Engineering: "The new Caruth Hall will be a remarkable laboratory of innovation for our students, faculty and corporate partners. The building will offer new opportunities for collaborative research and hands-on learning, as well as providing high-performance space for engineering institutes and centers."

As announced in March, the Caruth Institute will be directed by Delores M. Etter, who recently stepped down from her post as Asst. Secy. of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisitions. Dr. Etter will also hold the Texas Instruments Distinguished Chair in Engineering Education - which chair she can place wherever she wants, we're sure, in the new building once it's completed.

posted by JM

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