Austin Hall hosted a display of design students’ work May 1.
Jordan Clausen and her parents, Troy and Malissa Clausen of Salem, were among the happy throng of design students and their mothers and fathers on hand May 1 at Austin Hall.
“This is a great school for her,” Troy said of his daughter, who was among the honorees being recognized at the afternoon reception.
Jordan, a junior, is one of 19 recipients of a Cecelia T. Shuttle Worth Scholarship.
In all, some five dozen students in merchandising management and apparel, interior and graphic design were honored with various scholarships and awards during the event – recognition for their teaching, research, scholarship, creativity and overall excellence.
Among the honorees are five students selected as School of Design and Human Environment All-Stars: Ashtin Crawford, Lauren Davis, Eliot Frack, Haley Lillybridge and Sara Winick-Brown.
The event, which helped kick off Mom’s Weekend on the OSU campus, included a gallery of work by design students in multiple disciplines.
“This is so much fun,” textiles instructor Brigitte Cluver said as she toured the exhibits. “I never get to see what the other classes are doing.”
Design students Sarah Wilson, left, Sydney Juell and Brendan Spencer.
One of the first aspects of Austin Hall, the new home of the OSU College of Business, that visitors can’t help but notice is the artistic array of stainless steel spheres suspended by cables above the building’s central staircase.
To the science oriented, the display might seem molecular in nature, but it’s really mathematical. The artwork by Ray King is called Abacus, named after the ancient tool for counting and calculating.
King lives in Philadelphia and his philosophy is to create “dynamic sculptures that interact with the sun by reflecting light into shadow and refracting light into colors.” He’s exhibited his work internationally since 1976 and has done site-specific artwork throughout the U.S.
King’s Austin Hall creation is actually 24 abaci, each representing an important year in College of Business history — ranging from the 1858 creation of Corvallis Academy, to which Oregon State traces its history, to the 2014 opening of Austin Hall.
A plaque (shown below) on the east-facing wall near the northeast corner of Abacus explains why each date significant and also provides instruction on how to read an abacus. Basically, the columns of spheres stand for thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, with spheres below the abacus’ horizontal rod assigned a value of one each, and spheres above the rod having a value of 10 each.
It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it — though if it takes you a few minutes to do that, don’t feel alone.
The third-floor fountain at Austin Hall has already dispensed the equivalent of 6,683 12-ounce bottles.
Likely you’ve satisfied your thirst at an Austin Hall water fountain, so now allow us to quench your curiosity as well.
You’ve probably noticed that each of the College of Business’ four Elkay-brand EZH2O fountains – one per floor – is equipped with a meter that gives a running tally of how many disposable plastic bottles it’s helped eliminate waste from. Those cumulative numbers are nice, but what do they translate to on a level the average Austin Hall water drinker could more readily relate to?
We’re glad you asked, and here’s what we learned:
In a one-week period – in this case from 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, to 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15 – the fountains provided enough water to fill 2,528 12-ounce bottles, or 237 gallons. How do we know the bottles referred to are 12 ounces? Experimentation. And in case you were wondering, the meter records water dispensed via the conventional lever in addition to from the bottle-filling sensor.
Here are a few other water fountain fun facts from our informal research project:
— The second-floor fountain is by far the building’s busiest, having already flowed out water equaling 13,875 bottles in the short history of Austin Hall. During our one-week study period, the number was 1,223, only 72 fewer than the other floors combined.
— The fourth floor is apparently way less thirsty than the rest. Bottle count to date: 4,516.
— The third floor has pumped out 6,667 bottles so far.
— With 7,828 bottles, the first floor combines with the second floor to basically double the joint output of the top two floors.
So ponder all of that the next time you tend to your hydration needs, and reduce your carbon footprint, at an Austin Hall drinking fountain.
Austin Hall is set to become the new home for Oregon State University’s College of Business in the fall of 2014
This fall, the newest addition to Oregon State University’s already stunning campus will officially open. Austin Hall is set to open its doors in the fall of 2014, and its 100,000 square feet of space will include ten classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, collaborative team rooms, more than 70 faculty offices, staff and program offices, a café and an event space. Last week, faculty, staff and students from the College of Business traded in their laptops for hardhats for the afternoon for an up close tour of the project.
OSU College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge and DSLC students pose for a photo outside of Austin HallStaff and faculty from the College of Business passing through Austin HallA peek down the hallway of faculty office space on the third floor of Austin HallCopper tubing in the radiant ceiling heating system efficiently regulates the temperature in 100,000 square foot, LEED certified building
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge brought along several students from the Dean’s Student Leadership Council (DSLC) on the Austin Hall tour. Kleinsorge says that she’s most excited about the “creativity and innovation that Austin Hall will inspire among our students, faculty and staff.”
This was the second tour for business student Obum Gwacham, who said “One of the biggest surprises is the amount of space the building will have for students to sit back and just work on their computer, work on projects, or even sit down and gather their thoughts.”
College of Business Director of Operations Malcom LeMay agrees. “I think the Digital Commons will be one of the more popular spots on campus for students to study and collaborate, and I can’t wait to see the Marketplace full of students enjoying the fireplace,” said LeMay.
Everyone on the tour was very impressed and excited about the new space opening in just a few more months, and business students, staff and faculty will surely feel the same once they see it. But don’t just take our word for it. Pictures—like actions—speak louder than words, so see for yourself and check out some photos of the construction updates below!
One of Austin Hall’s ten classroom spacesIt may not look like much now, but the College of Business’ event space in Austin Hall will soon sparkle
Dean Ilene Kleinsorge looks on at the exterior of Austin Hall and shares her vision of the College of Business’ bright futureThe new hub of the College of Business at Oregon State provides plenty to smile about
So much changes every Fall, but this year the Oregon State College of Business community gets to watch a different sort of change take place as the construction of Austin Hall continues.
The exterior framing of the building finished up at the end of August and the exterior façade is going up. Meanwhile, the rest of the Oregon State campus continues its usual brilliant fall transition.
Last week we took a few minutes to stop and admire the two together and capture some photos.
(from left) Construction Manager Cory Destefano and College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge stand in Austin Hall.
Work has been moving quickly at the Austin Hall construction site.
The first preliminary work started in February. The official construction launch was two months later with a ceremony April 19. Then on Friday, August 2, the crew from Andersen Construction reached “top out,” finishing the roof of the four-floor building.
The milestone was also a chance for everyone involved to take a moment and appreciate all the hard work that’s gone into the building, with a barbecue for crew members held inside the structure of the new building on Monday.
“We celebrate; it’s a huge undertaking to get to this point,” said Construction Manager Cory Destefano on reaching top out. “The building is complete now. You’re up at the highest elevation you’re going to go.”
Around 200 were treated to a lunch from Pig Out BBQ, including some College of Business faculty and staff involved in the design process.
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge spoke to the crowd, letting everyone know how much the Oregon State and College of Business communities appreciated their hard work to keep the project on schedule.
“I want you to know your work is watched all over the world by our alumni, and they are astounded how quickly your work has come together,” Kleinsorge said.
Check out some photos from the event, including a look inside the new building from a tour COB faculty and staff received after the barbecue.
Pat Frishkoff reacts as it’s announced the new AFBP director’s office at AUstin Hall will be named in her honor.
With the opening of Austin Hall in 2014, the Austin Family Business Program is taking the opportunity to honor one of the pioneers of family business at Oregon State.
For years, the advisory board of the Austin Family Business Program had wanted to find a way to honor the program’s founder, Pat Frishkoff.
Frishkoff worked to start the program in 1985, at a time when there was little emphasis on family business in universities. After retiring from OSU in 2002, she continued to help families through her Leadership in Family Enterprise organization.
“What she put together was the beginning of family business education,” AFBP Director Sherri Noxel said. “The only other program that existed was at Wharton, and that was very different, more consulting focused. Pat was able to develop family business education integrated into an existing college of business.”
The perfect opportunity finally presented itself with the construction of Austin Hall, the new home for the College of Business. The new building is named for Ken and Joan Austin, who provided a $10 million gift for the project and also supported Frishkoff’s efforts in 1985.
Austin Hall means a new home for AFBP as well, including a new director’s office. With that opportunity presented, a group of anonymous donors stepped forward to name the office in Frishkoff’s honor.
“That reflects the community we’ve built, with not just one but multiple people stepping up,” Noxel said. “I just couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to honor her than to have a space dedicated to future directors.”
The honor was announced April 19, the same day as the construction launch for Austin Hall, at a gathering at the current AFBP space in Strand Agriculture Hall.
The honor was kept secret from Frishkoff until Noxel raised a toast and presented her with a bouquet of roses.
“Her husband [Paul Frishkoff] was in on it,” Noxel said. “Only later I learned he can’t keep a secret. [Pat] said at the end of the day, ‘You mean Paul knew?’”
Pat Frishkoff speaks to guests at the Austin Family Business Program open house April 19, 2013.
Director Sherri Noxel addresses the crowd at the at the Austin Family Business Program open house April 19, 2013.
Pat Frishkoff reacts as it’s announced the new AFBP director’s office at AUstin Hall will be named in her honor.
Pat Frishkoff speaks to guests at the Austin Family Business Program open house April 19, 2013.
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge and AFBP Director Sherri Noxel toast at the AFBP open house.
College of Business seniors Josh Gilardi and Kayla Pearce unveil the sign for the Austin Hall construction site.
Friday afternoon, with a late bit of sun peaking through after early morning clouds, the Oregon State University College of Business community took a moment to celebrate the construction launch of Austin Hall, the new home for the College of Business that will open in Fall 2014.
That community included not just current students and faculty but alumni, friends, family and those invested in Oregon and its continued economic growth – and it was a capacity crowd with more than 300 people in attendance.
“The dream and this journey to Austin Hall has been a vision of so many alumni and donors for many years and I have had the privilege of carrying this dream and sharing the story of the College, of Bexell Hall, of the people and the programs,” College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge told the crowd assembled on 26th Street to see the official launch.
The lead gifts came from two storied OSU families, those of Ken and Joan Austin and the Al and Pat Reser. Together they pledged a combined $16 million — $10 from the Austin’s themselves — to kick off the campaign.
Then Friday Kleinsorge announced that 1965 College of Business graduate and E*TRADE co-founder Bernie Newcomb raised his already substantial gift of $250,000 to $1 million, becoming the sixth to pledge at least $1 million.
Benny the Beaver holds a thank you to College of Business alumnus and Austin Hall donor Bernie Newcomb.
Newcomb has been a strong supporter of the College of Business for many years.
Friday Newcomb’s partner Gerry Marshall was in attendance at the construction launch. She also took time to visit with COB faculty and staff picked as Newcomb Fellows and the students supported by the Newcomb Family Scholarship.
Newcomb’s gift pushed the campaign past its original $30 million philanthropic goal, a major milestone as the campaign continues toward the Fall 2014 completion of Austin Hall.
Throughout the afternoon different members of community took turns to share their thanks and what the new building will mean to them.
Oregon State University President Ed Ray addressed the gathering, and noted that while many buildings at OSU have names on them, Austin Hall will be a fitting tribute for a great OSU family.
“I can’t think of a name other than Austin we could be prouder of being on this building,” Ray said.
College of Business student Connor Deeks after the Austin Hall construction launch ceremony Friday April 19, 2013.
College of Business student Connor Deeks shared testimonials from his fellow students, from bringing together students, alumni and faculty into a single space to the creation of a landmark students could point to as a point of pride.
“Austin Hall will propel students to achieve their highest potential,” Deeks said. “I take great honor in saying thank you.”
Representing the state of Oregon, state Treasuer Ted Wheeler pointed out that while Austin Hall was a great moment for OSU, it would pay dividends for the entire state economy by helping to better prepare graduates to contribute in the workforce.
“[Austin Hall] is the kind of thing we need to invest in now to continue the economic development of our state,” Wheeler said.
You can continue to follow the progress of Austin Hall by going to business.oregonstate.edu and clicking on the live webcam, where you can watch the construction as it happens
Joan Austin (left) speaks after the Austin Hall construction launch Friday APril 19, 2013.
The murals date to the 1930s and depict a number of people important to the history of Oregon State University and the state of Oregon itself, including John Andrew Bexell himself.
After posting the story on Facebook, though, we got a question not about the murals’ past but their future. A commenter was curious what happens to the murals after the College of Business moves to Austin Hall in fall of 2014.
We got in touch with Malcolm LeMay, Director of Operations for the college, to see what’s planned for the murals once the College of Business moves on.
“The murals belong to Bexell and will not be moved,” LeMay said.
Oregon State doesn’t see buildings belonging to an individual college, as programs change names and locations quite a bit. With that in mind, the murals will stay put.
And that will give College of Business faculty, staff, students and alumni another reason to come back and visit Bexell from time to time.
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge is shocked as she's greeted into the library at the CH2M HIll alumni Center.
Walking to the CH2M Hill Alumni Center library July 12, Oregon State College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge took one look at the buffet table and sighed.
“My immediate thought was how unfortunate it was they had to order so much for six people,” Kleinsorge said referring to the number of people she thought would be at the reception.
What the Sara Hart Kimball Dean didn’t know was her family, friends and colleagues had assembled to recognize her by naming the Dean’s Boardroom at Austin Hall, the future home of the College of Business, in her honor.
Kleinsorge was presented with a plaque recognizing the accolade, which will hang in her office until permanent signage is installed in Austin Hall after its scheduled completion in 2014.
“I see three faces [walking in],” Kleinsorge remembered. “I see [alumnus and donor] Larry Brown, [OSU President] Ed Ray then I see my daughter. I’m trying to put it together and it didn’t make sense. It really didn’t until the plaque.”
Since becoming Dean in 2003, Kleinsorge has pushed for the new building, working tirelessly to help raise the needed funds. The building is named for Ken and Joan Austin, alumni who committed $10 million to the project.
With the project nearing success, a group of alumni decided a more permanent reminder of Kleinsorge’s efforts was needed, stepping up to make the naming possible:
Stephen and Marian Bailey
Larry H. and Dena Brown
Malcolm and Monette LeMay
Duane and Barbara McDougall
Jon and Margie Masterson
Bernie Newcomb
Irva Kay Neyhart
Tod and Kimberly Perkins
Patricia Reser
Don and Jennifer Robert
John and Kate Stirek
Ken and Marta Thrasher
Jack and Virginia Wilborn
Ken Thrasher presents College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge with a plaque recognizing the naming of the AUstin Hall Dean's Boardroom in her honor.
Ken Thrasher hosted the presentation, thanking Kleinsorge for her service and noting her commitment to getting the Austin Hall campaign off the ground.
“Her leadership has been absolutely phenomenal,” Thrasher said. “It’s been a wonderful tribute to her to have this be a part of her legacy of what she’s created at Oregon State University and the College of Business.”
President Ray said he’s been impressed with Kleinsorge’s ability to articulate what the building would mean to those outside the university. As Ray pointed out, just telling someone you need a new building isn’t enough.
“You actually need to be talking about the extraordinary things you’re accomplishing despite the [current] building, and you need a great building to match the great people and things that are being accomplished,” Ray said. “Ilene and her colleagues did a tremendous job demonstrating the quality of the faculty and students they were attracting and what the possibilities were longer term, bringing them all together.”
Kleinsorge said she didn’t feel the full impact of the honor until an early-morning walk on Sunday.
“I was an emergency room nurse,” she said. “You take that shock and trauma, and if you emote, you do it at home where it won’t affect the outcome.
“[Sunday] I began to think about each of the people on the plaque, how important each has been in supporting me, and the tears flowed,” Kleinsorge said.
While Kleinsorge said it’s difficult to express the depth of her gratitude for the honor, she sees it as an indication she succeeded in both staying true to the needs of Oregon State students while connecting with those outside Corvallis.
“It means a great deal,” she said. “Future Oregon State University business students will know they had a dean who cared enough that they had a place to inspire them.”
College of Business Dean Ilene Kleinsorge poses with donors who contributed to naming the Austin Hall Boardroom in her honor..
As for the donors who made the honor possible, Kleinsorge said each name engraved into the plaque represents a personal connection that’s helped make Austin Hall a reality.
“They reflect what is the best part of OSU. A generous spirit, success, strong ethic, and they value education.
