University dedicates Best Hall expansion

Trine University kicked off its Homecoming weekend by dedicating its latest expansion to Best Hall, with trustees, employees, students and others gathering outside the building for the event on Friday, Oct. 6.

“Our phenomenal growth in the past few years has once again created the need for an expansion of our academic programs, facilities and labs to meet our flourishing needs,” Trine University President John Shannon, Ph.D., said in welcoming those in attendance.

The more-than-36,000-square-foot, three-story addition, completed for less than its $16 million budget, features offices and classrooms, including six specialized laboratories, as well as collaborative learning space. Its striking interior murals and the university seal on the center of the building are visible to those driving by campus on U.S. 20.

The expansion, the second since Best Hall was constructed in 1967, will help accommodate overall growth in the university as well as significant growth in Trine’s Rinker-Ross School of Health Sciences, which is housed in the building.

Best Hall also will be home to Trine’s Associate of Science in Nursing program, which will launch in January in partnership with Cameron Memorial Community Hospital.

Dr. Shannon offered special thanks to several university employees and teams for their work on the building, as well as to JICI Construction and Ken Wilson, the company’s president.

“If you look across campus, (JICI has) completed tremendous work, and we appreciate their partnership in their building of remarkable facilities,” he said.

Dr. Shannon also thanked the university’s Board of Trustees for their leadership and support, and offered special recognition to the Olive B. Cole Foundation, the Hayner Foundation and Dolores Tichenor, Ph.D., for their financial support.

Dr. Shannon said the Olive B. Cole Foundation, represented by its president, Emily Pichon, has not only supported Best Hall but the Steel Dynamics Inc. Center for Engineering and Computing, the Northeastern Indiana Tri-State Regional Science Fair, laboratory equipment, the Bock Center for Innovation and Biomedical Engineering, and student scholarships.

The Hayner Foundation, established in 1966 by John and Mary Hayner, longtime residents of Fort Wayne, supports a variety of religious, charitable and educational purposes.

Drs. Don and Dolores Tichenor were fixtures at Tri-State and Trine universities for many years. Don Tichenor, a 1958 mechanical engineering alumnus, taught mathematics and mechanical engineering courses from 1962 until his death in 1993. Dolores, who said she remembered when the original Best Hall opened, taught mathematics from 1967 until 2010.

“We can't thank you enough for your friendship and support, and for being with us today,” Dr. Shannon said to Dolores Tichenor.

“Thank you all for your involvement and most importantly, your enthusiasm and support for Trine University,” Dr. Shannon said in closing. “We are so fortunate and blessed because of all of you who are here today. We thank you for your time, dedication and support, which contributes so much to the success of Trine University and our current and future students.”