Kent State Breaks Ground on Business College’s Future Home

Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, recently broke ground on a new facility for the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship. The ceremony for Crawford Hall took place on Tuesday, March 8, with an attendance of more than 400 including university officials, students and alumni, donors and elected officials. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2024, according to a news release.

The building is named after Ambassador Edward F. Crawford and his family, who facilitated its construction with the largest single philanthropic gift in the university’s history. The university has raised more than $20 million from more than 120 donors to go toward the project.

Kent State University Crawford Hall groundbreaking
Kent State University officials and donors to the Crawford Hall project officially break ground for the new building.

“The university and our students will shine even brighter and touch more corners of the world with our research and our alumni thanks to Crawford Hall and the support of Ambassador Edward F. Crawford and his family,” said Kent State President Todd Diacon. “We are very thankful to each of the donors who chose to partner with us to see our vision for the future of business education become a reality at the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship.”

The new facility will stand four stories and include active learning classrooms, a business analytics lab, an entrepreneurship lab, a behavioral research hub, sales and trading labs, a business theatre and a student success center. The new Crawford Hall will be one of the largest academic buildings on any of Kent State’s campuses, and it will offer 50% more square footage than the business school’s current space.

“My fellow students are bright, innovative and creative. Crawford Hall will contain all the necessary tools to develop our skills and become the students, businesspeople and entrepreneurs we strive to one day become,” said Kent State marketing student Juliana Buonaiuto at the groundbreaking ceremony. “I cannot wait to see what Crawford Hall holds for the student body and how it will foster the growth of such talented young minds.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • R.I. District Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New Elementary School

    Cranston Public Schools in Cranston, R.I., recently announced the completion of Gladstone Elementary School, according to a news release. The 100,000-square-foot facility serves as a replacement for the 1950s-era former building, and it consolidates the student, faculty, and staff populations of Gladstone and Arlington Elementary Schools.

  • Missouri K–12 District Cuts Ribbons on Two New Middle Schools

    Springfield Public Schools in Springfield, Mo., recently celebrated the completion of two new middle school facilities with ribbon-cutting ceremonies, according to a district news release. The district officially opened the new Pipkin Middle School and Reed Academy on Sept. 3, both of which were funded through the $220-million Proposition S bond program approved by voters in 2023.

  • URI Cuts Underwater Ribbon on New Ocean Robotics Laboratory

    The University of Rhode Island recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Ocean Robotics Laboratory at its Narragansett Bay Campus, according to a news release. Two students used a remotely operated vehicle to cut an underwater ribbon in a 30-by-20-foot test tank.

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.