Huntington, West Virginia — Marshall University holds ribbon cutting for new Brad D. Smith Business & Innovation Center
Dozens of Marshall University leaders, staff and students attended the official dedication ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
“This is a landmark moment in a series of landmark moments that are happening on our campus, in our city, across the state and, frankly, in the Appalachian region,” President Brad Smith said. said. “Because it's our time. We want this opportunity and we're committed to it. It's our power.”
The 78,000 square foot facility on Fourth Avenue in Huntington is home to the Lewis College of Business and features the latest technology to support the education of business students and service to the business community. It also includes a 360-seat auditorium, a finance lab with 12 Bloomberg terminals, a computer lab, and nine classrooms. Classrooms incorporate ThinkHub Education technology with instructor and student stations.
“The Brad D. Smith Center for Business Innovation was needed to overhaul Marshall's business education with an emphasis on teamwork, innovation, and regional economic integration,” said Lewis College of Business. said Avinandan “Avi” Mukherjee, former dean and Marshall Chancellor. “This new facility will serve as the centerpiece of this transformation, providing Marshall University students with state-of-the-art resources, technology and collaboration spaces essential to success in today's business environment.”
Students got their first taste of the new facility, which opened in January after two years of construction.
This project was funded through the generosity of several donors, including a $25 million gift from Marshall President Brad D. Smith and his wife Alice Smith, both alumni of the Marshall College of Business.
A $1.8 million donation from Encova Insurance allowed an auditorium to be included in the plans. Holland's Miller Auto Group donated $1 million to the Forum of Facilities, Service Wire Company donated $1 million to the Center for Transformative Sales and Excellence, and John Rahal donated $1 million to the Rahal Center for Strategic Engagement. did.
“We often talk about the importance of town-and-gown relationships between our universities and their surrounding communities. For 187 years, Huntington-Marshall University has taken that further,” said Smith. Told.
