The expansion is part of a $60 million project that continues to renovate older areas, according to the University. The expansion also adds nearly 90,000 square feet to the business school.
IU President Michael A. McRobbie and Kelley School of Business Dean Idalene Kesner were two of the speakers at the dedication.
“Momentum is something we’ve been talking about a lot lately at the Kelley school,” Kesner said in a Sept. 17 press release. “We strive to teach o ur students how to recognize and cultivate those moments in their lives that could lead to opportunity — how to create momentum. Our new Hodge Hall Undergraduate Center is certainly a very visible and impressive ?example.”
The expansion was paid for in part by a $15 million gift from James Hodge , for whom the building is named. An additional $33 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. and $12 million more was made up of private gifts, according to the University.
James Hodge is a Marion, Ind., native. He graduated from the business school in 1974 and went on to become president of Permal Asset Management.
“This remarkable facility, made possible through individuals who share the University’s vision of excellence in teaching and research, will enable the Kelley School to maintain its strong international standing while dramatically transforming the important role Indiana University plays in undergraduate business education,” McRobbie said in the release.
The dedication was nine years in the making as planning for the expansion began in 2005.
The project isn’t completed, with the final phases set to be finished next year.
“Through its enhanced classroom and collaborative spaces and state-of-the-art technologies, Hodge Hall will enable our students to more easily connect with top business leaders and companies around the state, nation and world, preparing them for their own successful careers in the global marketplace,” McRobbie said in the release.
Kathrine Schulze
