Walking through the Arts Quad is a little messy and a little loud right now.
Renovations on the University’s White Hall weigh heavily on any Cornell student as he or she meanders through Campus, including up Libe Slope from West Campus. Renovations made possible, in part, by a $2 million grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
The foundation granted the University funds in May to aid the $12 million renovation project.
White Hall is one of the three oldest buildings on the Campus and, until now, it has never been completely renovated. It was built in 1869 out of Cayuga Blue Stone, the same local stone as was used to build for Morrill and McGraw, according to the University online historical tour. The three buildings, McGraw, Morrill and White make up the Old Stone Row and were the original quadrangle of the University.
The new renovations will include new office areas and a new central stairway.
When finished, the building will be a new home for Near Eastern Studies, Government, History of Art and the Visual Studies Program. The Findley Gallery, which is currently in the southern part of the basement of Goldwin Smith Hall, will also move to the fourth floor of White Hall.
The renovations are scheduled to be completed later this fall, with departments beginning to move in next semester.
The renovations are, “the top capital funding priority for the College of Arts and Sciences and an important part of the University’s initiative to enhance undergraduate education,” according to Franklin Crawford of the Cornell News Service.
The grant to finance this project is not the first connection the University has with the foundation.
Professor Thomas D. Fox, molecular biology and genetics, is currently hosting one of the 2002 Pew Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences, Xochitl Perez-Martinez of Mexico, in his lab. Martinez studies Mitochondrial Genetics.
Pew Charitable Trusts gives grants to Latin Americans who have not had any post-doctoral training outside of their home country.
“In selecting this 12th group of Latin American fellows, the Pew Charitable Trusts continue their commitment to support young investigators for post-doctoral training in the United States,” the foundation’s website said.
The fellows get a $50,000 salary stipend for two years and then $35,000 to set up a laboratory in their home countries.
Archived article by Freda Ready