92 Chronicle Fall02 for Web - Berry College

BERRYPrivate bedrooms and bathroomsshared with only one roommate— not exactly what most collegegrads think of when they hear the words“residence hall,” is it?But that’s exactly the plan for a threestory,58,800-square-foot facilityplanned for Berry students, according toJoe Walton (62C, 76G), Berry’s vicepresident for finance.The residence hall project, which isexpected to be completed in time forclasses in the fall of 2003, will provideliving space for 122 students.The layout features two-, three- andfour-bedroom suites, each with a sharedHOME SWEET HOME-TO-BEkitchen, living room and dining room.Lounges and study areas will round outeach floor, providing gathering placesand a sense of community, according toDr. Thomas W. Carver, vice president forstudent affairs and dean of students. “Ibelieve this facility will be a model forother colleges. We’ve really done thingsright.”Dr. Carver added that the facility willrelieve the overcrowded conditions inother residence halls. “This newresidence hall will mean that we’ll nothave to continue crowding in studentsas we’ve been forced to do in recentyears,” Dr. Carver said. “It will also giveus the flexibility to repair otherfacilities in the summers.”The residence hall will be situatedat the southern border of the existingtownhouse complex, Mr. Walton said.The project, which will cost anestimated $6.8 million, will befinanced with a tax-exempt bondissue repaid over 20 years throughresidence hall fees paid by studentsliving in the facility. The Atlantabasedarchitectural firm O’Neal is incharge of the design, with WinterConstruction Company serving ascontractor for the project. ■— DAWN TOLBERTNEWSGIFT BOOSTSBERRY ABROADThanks. Gracias. Danke. Grazie. Merci.All are appropriate words for Berrystudents and faculty members to use inthanking a friend of the college, whoprefers not to be named, for a gift insupport of international learning valued at$3.2 million.The gift of income-producing propertywill generate an estimated $225,000 peryear, and it is the donor’s wish that thesefunds be used to expand study-abroadand cultural immersion experiences forBerry students and international researchand study opportunities for Berry facultymembers.“This very generous gift directlysupports one of the goals of our newstrategic plan,” said Berry President ScottColley. “That goal is to encourage facultyand student participation in internationalstudy, learning, work and service. Intoday’s global economy, it is critical thatour students are exposed to the worldbeyond Georgia and to cultures differentfrom their own. It is also imperative thatour faculty members have the opportunityto share ideas and exchange viewswith their peers from around the world.We are so very grateful to our longtimefriend, someone I respect greatly, forfinding yet another — and very generous— way to express his belief in Berry’senduring mission.” ■— KARILON L. ROGERSSUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM ENDOWEDFOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCESFaculty and students studying the earth’s environment and human interactionswith it will have a wonderful new resource available to them next summer.The Laura Maddox Smith Research Institute for the Environmental Sciences willprovide funding for teams of Berry faculty and undergraduate students to conductresearch in the environmental sciences, according to Dr. Bruce Conn, dean of theSchool of Mathematical and Natural Sciences.“Research is a critical part of our curriculum,” Dr. Conn said. “Students can’t trulyunderstand the scientific enterprise unless they are actively engaged in seeking newknowledge for humanity. This new institute gives faculty and students theopportunity to do in-depth and concentrated study that far surpasses any they mightconduct during the academic year.”The institute was recently endowed by a very generous gift from Laura MaddoxSmith, a longtime friend and supporter of the college who is interested in thehealth of the environment, especially that of Northwest Georgia.The newly established institute will provide a stipend to each faculty team leader;funds for expendable materials, supplies and other expenses; and money allocated forthe faculty/student teams to travel to present their work at major conferences.Student researchers will received full-time summer pay through the Berry on-campuswork opportunity program. Dr. Conn said, “This program gives students the chance toearn money over the summer, gain experience and continue working on theirintellectual growth.”Each research team must be made up of at least one faculty member and twoundergraduate students. Participating students will experience the entire scope ofscientific research as first-hand participants, from the planning stages, through theexecution of the laboratory and field research, to the presentation of the results atscientific conferences.Faculty will benefit from having support for their research endeavors andexpanded interaction with their peers. With Berry’s exceptional physical andintellectual resources, Dr. Conn and others envision Berry becoming the laboratory formany of the world’s important research projects in the environmental sciences.“Part of our intention is to create a true 28,000-acre living laboratory on ourcampus,” Dr. Conn said. “No other college or university has this kind of naturalresource. This gift from Mrs. Smith has helped lay the groundwork for Berry to havea truly world-class environmental sciences program.” ■— DEBBIE RASUREPAUL O’MARA4