COLLEGE STATION — A dedication ceremony celebrating the opening of the Howard Hesby Student Atrium on the campus of Texas A&M University is scheduled for Dec. 7, 2011.
The Howard Hesby Student Atrium is located in the Kleberg Animal and Food Sciences Center on Texas A&M’s west campus and is named in memory of the long-time and respected animal science professor and advisor Dr. Howard Hesby.
The newly renovated area provides a much-needed place for students to study and gather, a concept originally thought by Hesby. When the Kleberg Center was built in 1975, an animal science student lounge was provided on the first floor. This area was removed in 2004 to make room for additional office space. At that time, Hesby and others worked to find a suitable area for students to use and the idea of renovating the atrium to make it more student-friendly was born. In 2005, Dr. Hesby passed away.
“Dr. Howard Hesby was a great friend to the students in the Department of Animal Science and influenced more than 15,000 students during his time at A&M. It is only appropriate that the space he dreamt to create for the students be named in his honor,” said Dr. H. Russell Cross, professor and interim head of animal science.
Construction on the initial phase of the atrium began in June 2011 includes new lighting and carpet, comfortable seating and tables, television monitors for announcements and news, and wireless technology.
“The design of the atrium appropriately honors Dr. Hesby and the legacy he left as a beloved and respected teacher, mentor and friend. But most importantly, we want the atrium to become a student-centered place for students to interact with each other and their professors, and we want them to feel comfortable and at home,” Cross said.
The dedication ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will include a short program followed by a reception and light refreshments. Please RSVP by Dec. 1 to cacoufal@tamu.edu or call 979-845-1542. View invitation.
For more information about the project, go to https://animalscience.tamu.edu/hesby-atrium.
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