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Hesby Student Atrium
Watch the Howard Hesby Student Atrium Update Video
When the Kleberg facility was built in 1975, an Animal Science student lounge was provided on the first floor. This area was removed in 2004 to provide administrative offices for a new department in the building. Not long after that, Howard Hesby and I worked to find another suitable area for the students to study, congregate, etc., and we came up with the idea of renovating the atrium to make it more student-friendly. Shortly after that, Dr. Hesby passed away. He was a great friend of students in the Department and it was determined that it would be appropriate to name the planned atrium after him, now known as the Howard Hesby Student Atrium.
The vision for the atrium is to provide students a location to gather and visit, study and share notes. It needs a friendly atmosphere, but should have a professional appearance for visitors. In addition, approximately 3,500 students pass through the area every day, so there must be an unobstructed pathway through the atrium. There are several faculty offices located on the first floor with a window to the atrium, so some sort of barrier (plants, lattice, etc.) should be present to protect the privacy of the offices, especially since much of our student counseling occurs in those offices. Tables and chairs are often moved about the atrium and left in disarray, so it would be preferable to have those anchored to preserve an appearance of order in the facility.
The atrium is the focal point for our building, so it is fitting that the area be dedicated to student use and named after one of the greatest supporters of students in our department. The ideal renovation would allow that use, but preserve faculty office privacy and facilitate the movement of large numbers of students between classes.
We are pleased to be linking with the Department of Architecture to develop concept designs and renderings for the atrium. Graduate students will be working on this as a class project, with final conceptual designs due around November 2008. A focus group will be established to assist in the final selection, and input will also be sought from Animal Science faculty, staff, and students. We are excited to have assistance from the Department of Architecture and particularly from its students, since this space is being renovated for students.
For further information regarding the Hesby Student Atrium project or to provide a financial contribution, please contact:
Dr. Gary Acuff, Professor & Head
Department of Animal Science
979-845-1543; gacuff@tamu.edu
OR
LeeAnn Knox, Assistant Director
Texas AgriLife Development
979-845-4740; l-knox@tamu.edu