First Posted: 3/23/2015
CELINA — Wright State University’s Lake Campus is expanding.
WSU President Dr. David Hopkins made the announcement Sunday afternoon during a capital campaign launch event that the university has made an agreement to purchase land adjacent to campus, which will enable the growth proposed in the current campaign.
“We really need the space to grow and to really have these things blossom and serve the purpose they can serve,” Hopkins said. “Just this week we received word that Pat and Don Griesdorn have agreed to sell their 38 acres of property to the Lake Campus, which is right adjacent to the campus.
“This is truly an important move forward for this campus,” he continued. “To have those 38 acres that go right adjacent to us, and you see the initiatives that need space and need land for new development, this is prime real estate adjacent to the campus that will allow us to grow and expand for years and years to come.”
Five concepts for growth at the Lake Campus were introduced for the “Rise. Shine.” campaign: An advanced manufacturing center, agribusiness/food science program support, an athletics/recreation complex, a connector building and a Water Quality Institute.
The focus of the advanced manufacturing center would be to meet the employment/talent gap that exists between engineering and production in the workforce, with certified coursework in robotics, process control, mechanical and electrical systems and more, developed in partnership with the business community.
The support for the agribusiness and food science programs recognizes the role of agriculture in Ohio’s economy and the importance of having a trained workforce ready to meet the needs of the modern agriculture industry.
The athletics/recreation complex proposal includes an indoor synthetic turf baseball stadium as well as recreational facilities to be used by the entire student population. The recreational space would be run by students, providing numerous on-campus job opportunities.
The connector building is proposed to join Trenary and Dwyer halls with space for classrooms, a library learning center, the Business Enterprise Center, Career Services, a food science lab, a nursing simulation lab and a 100+ seat meeting space.
The Water Quality Institute is proposed to conduct research on Grand Lake in conjunction with industry and agriculture to determine stressors and develop good stewardship practices to protect the water quality for Grand Lake and other water systems. The program would provide opportunities for academic internships and other field experiences.
The “Rise. Shine.” campaign had its official public launch at the main campus in October, with 700 people in attendance. The campaign’s goal is to raise $150 million, and Hopkins announced Sunday that $112 million has been raised so far. Hopkins said Sunday’s event at the Lake Campus was the second in a series of stops he’ll be making over the next 18 months. The series began in Tampa, Florida, and 11 more events are in the works.
Actor Tom Hanks has been named the “Rise. Shine.” campaign’s honorary chairman, and the Academy Award winner spoke to the gathering in a video message about the quality of education offered by Wright State University.
“Wright State is a rising leader in 21st century higher education,” Hanks said, “that’s why I’m so proud to serve as your honorary chairman in this campaign.”
Hanks noted he has worked with WSU alumni and said, “They’re among the most talented professionals in this business.”
Dr. Bonnie Mathies, dean of the Lake Campus, said the students are the “Rise” part of the campaign, and the alumni are the “Shine” part. A key to attaining and maintaining that excellence is state-of-the-art facilities. Hopkins also stressed the need for supporting scholarships and keeping tuition low, to “make higher education affordable.
