VIENNA, WV (September 13, 2007)--Ohio Valley University and area officials formally dedicated the Drennan Science Center in a celebration on the main campus on September 13, 2007. A special ceremony was held in the Chapel, followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the new facility. Tours were conducted and refreshments were served.
“Don and Rudith Drennan have left an indelible mark on the Ohio Valley University campus,” OVU President Dr. James A. Johnson said. “As we officially dedicate and name this new science facility in their honor, we celebrate their friendship, we recognize their commitment to our students, and we acknowledge their love for faith-proclaiming higher education.”
Named in honor of long-time OVU supporters Don and Rudith Drennan, the 4,300 sq. ft. $1 million facility was designed by David Reiser with RVC Architects in Athens, Ohio, and engineered by Pickering & Associates in Parkersburg, W.Va. Silverheels Construction served as the general contractor.
“Don and Rudith Drennan are true examples of servant-leaders,” said OVU Executive Vice President Steve Eckman. “Don not only came out of retirement to lead us through this project as the Vice President for Special Projects, but worked tirelessly to make it a reality. We would not have a science center of this scope, or size, if it had not been for Don and Rudith’s generosity of time, effort and financial support.”
“We are humbled by the countless hours of ‘hands-on’ involvement that Don gave this facility. The Drennans have much more than their name on this building… they have a part of their heart and soul in it as well. They have provided a facility that will serve the young people who attend Ohio Valley University for generations to come. We are proud to recognize and honor their generosity on this occasion,” Eckman said.
Renovation on the Center began back in late 2006 and was completed in June 2007. Two labs are featured within the facility, including a chemistry lab with 24 fixed stations, the Ramsey-Sweitzer Life Sciences Lab, individual prep areas and a commons area.
The Center was made possible through the generosity of the Drennans, and other OVU supporters, and was initiated by receipt of a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant designed to improve and strengthen the institution’s academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability.
The Title III grant will extend beyond the construction phase. Over the course of the next few years, the grant will provide thousands of dollars in improvements to Ohio Valley University’s math and science offerings. The grant will assist in faculty development, provide new classroom materials—such as software in math and science—and allow OVU to hire additional professors in chemistry and higher mathematics.
“I am extremely pleased to have the new science labs. I have been praying and planning for these new labs for several years,” OVU Associate Professor of Natural Sciences Gordon Wells said. “The new facilities will enable us to better serve our students and add new programs, such as the new bachelor of science in biology we launched this fall. I am looking forward to teaching new classes and developing additional science programs. These facilities will allow us to strengthen our math and science curricula.”
According to University officials, a bachelor of science in chemistry offering will be offered soon.
OVU received the grant in 2005 to renovate an existing building on campus for a single science lab. During the process, the planning team realized a second lab would be needed to fit the needs of students and faculty. The project was subsequently expanded to two science labs. The U.S. Department of Education provided the funding for the first lab, and OVU raised the necessary funds to construct the second lab within the facility.
“A task force comprised of faculty and staff from all areas of the University served on this project,” President Johnson said. “We researched other facilities and programs, took the best aspects of each site, and incorporated them into the design of our new labs.”
OVU will use the new labs in conjunction with its current education curriculum. The University currently certifies teacher education students with degree emphases in math and science.
“The key element here is that we will continue preparing students to become teachers with specialized emphases in math and science that will serve as qualified educators within our region and state. In the future, OVU will also look to add pre-med degrees and courses,” Johnson said.
For more information about the academic programs at Ohio Valley University, contact Dr. Jim Bullock, Vice President for Academic Affairs, at 304-865-6116 or email
jim.bullock@ovu.edu. Visit us online at
www.ovu.edu.
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