Classroom and Lab Renovations and Equipment

Equipping Minds — and Classrooms — for What’s Next

When you invest in classroom and lab renovations, you’re helping students gain the tools and experiences they need to succeed in a world defined by innovation. Your gift turns ordinary spaces into extraordinary learning environments that prepare the next generation of thinkers and leaders.

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Classroom and Lab Renovations and Equipment

With exceptional faculty and academic staff comes the need for modern, well-equipped spaces that foster excellence in teaching and learning.

Renovating labs and classrooms ensures access to updated technology, relevant research tools, and hands-on learning opportunities that prepare students for success.

Each renovation represents a direct investment in the academic experience — transforming traditional spaces into vibrant, adaptable environments that promote creativity and engagement.

Upgraded classrooms feature flexible furniture, advanced HyFlex technology, and dynamic layouts that allow students and faculty to connect, collaborate, and learn in new and exciting ways.

Investment Range:

Renovation costs range from $25,000 to $250,000 for labs and classrooms.

Naming Opportunities

Donors also have the opportunity to name an unnamed classroom or lab in honor of a beloved faculty member, family member, classmate, or themselves.

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Together, we will design more cutting-edge academic spaces to encourage and deepen the learning experience for students and make an unforgettable first impression that reflects the innovation and excellence of a McDaniel education. ”

PRESIDENT JULIA JASKEN

Renovations to North Village Courtyard

Bring New Life to North Village — One Gathering at a Time

Your gift will help transform North Village into a welcoming, engaging space that inspires community and connection. Every contribution brings us closer to a campus where students can gather, celebrate, and make lasting memories — right in the heart of McDaniel.

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Renovations to North Village Courtyard

The heart of a great college experience often beats outside the classroom — in the shared spaces where friendships form, ideas flow, and memories take root. McDaniel’s outdoor spaces play a vital role in creating that sense of connection, offering students places to unwind, recharge, and belong. Revitalizing the North Village Courtyard will transform a familiar area into an inviting hub for community life that reflects the energy and spirit of McDaniel students.

Life at McDaniel thrives when students have spaces that bring them together outside the classroom. North Village is home to many juniors and seniors, and plans are underway to transform its courtyard into a lively outdoor destination. The new courtyard will offer a welcoming place to gather, relax, and build community. By supporting this project, you are helping create an environment that enriches campus life, fosters connection, and enhances the McDaniel experience for years to come.

Invest in the Outdoors Where Students Come Together

These upgrades will breathe new life into North Village, creating an outdoor environment that balances relaxation, recreation, and connection. The redesigned courtyard will be a place where friendships grow, ideas are shared, and the McDaniel spirit shines brightest — a true reflection of campus life at its best.

Planned Investment: $50,000

Picnic Tables

Durable, welcoming picnic tables provide the foundation for connection — a place where students can share meals, study together, or simply enjoy time outdoors. These tables will encourage conversation and camaraderie, turning everyday moments into opportunities for friendship and collaboration.

Grills

Adding grills will transform the courtyard into a vibrant gathering spot for cookouts, celebrations, and student events. Whether hosting a club social or an informal dinner with friends, these spaces will foster traditions that strengthen the bonds of the McDaniel community.

Fire Pits

Fire pits create warmth — both literally and figuratively. They’ll offer a cozy focal point for small groups to gather in every season, creating a sense of belonging and shared experience that defines campus life.

Pavilion

A pavilion will serve as the centerpiece of the new courtyard, providing shade and shelter for gatherings large and small. This flexible space can host student organization meetings, performances, or casual get-togethers, making the courtyard usable year-round.

Adirondack Chairs

Comfortable Adirondack chairs will give students a place to relax, reflect, and connect with one another between classes or at the end of a long day. Their inviting design makes the courtyard not just a pass-through space, but a destination for community.

The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library

The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library

Home / facilities

CENTRALIZING ACADEMIC SUPPORT

This fall semester, students were welcomed back to the Hill with a new home for student success, academic excellence, and innovation: The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library. The renovations to the library began at the end of the fall 2024 semester with the goal of creating a one-stop shop for all student support needs.

“This innovative hub brings traditional library services together with IT, Student Success and Support, the Writing Center, STEM Center, and Student Accessibility and Support Services in a centralized location,” says Christine Moran, associate vice president of student success. “The convergence of these services provides a thriving ecosystem, streamlining support mechanisms for students, providing a holistic and convenient approach to fostering academic and personal growth, and ultimately equipping students for success.”

These upgraded facilities not only enhance the current student experience but also provide a tangible and compelling representation of the quality of a McDaniel education to prospective students and families who will carry the college’s reputation for academic excellence and innovation into the future.

“The Learning Commons @ Hoover Library represents McDaniel’s commitment to integrated student support and academic excellence,” says Provost Flavius Lilly. “By uniting our key resources and services in one space, we create a collaborative environment that enhances learning and empowers every student to succeed.”

The $3.6 million renovation was supported by donors including current McDaniel trustees Charles A. Boehlke Jr. ’78; Marjorie Rankin Kimble M.Ed. ’86 and Jeffrey Kimble M.Ed. ’84; Millard Mazer ’83; and Robert Pick ’92, P’25; along with James Francis ’84 and the late Jean Andrews Richards ’45 and Donald Richards.

The STEM Center and Learning Commons underscore that all disciplines, methods, cultures, learning styles, and workways are welcome, available, and supported at McDaniel.”

BOB PICK, ’92, P’25, McDANIEL COLLEGE TRUSTEE

STEM Center Gift Bridges Disciplines

STEM Center Gift Bridges Disciplines

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Although Trustee Bob Pick ’92, P’25 studied History and Political Science on the Hill, he has always made his living in the technology sector, bringing the world of STEM closer to his heart.

“I have directly observed the value that a liberal arts education can deliver in an increasingly STEM world,” Pick says. “I have been struck by how frustrated some students were in feeling that their academic interests and passions would be a barrier to success in a STEM society. Donating to provide the STEM Center in the new Learning Commons @ Hoover Library is our direct action to alleviate this concern.”

Pick says that he and his wife, Heather, were eager to donate to this project because it establishes a visible STEM pillar in the center of campus. “The liberal arts, in many respects, are all about ‘and.’ It’s not one discipline or the other; one culture or another. It’s about navigating all,” he says. “The STEM Center and Learning Commons underscore that all disciplines, methods, cultures, learning styles, and workways are welcome, available, and supported at McDaniel.”

I have been struck by how frustrated some students were in feeling that their academic interests and passions would be a barrier to success in a STEM society. Donating to provide the STEM Center in the new Learning Commons @ Hoover Library is our direct action to alleviate this concern. ”

BOB PICK, ’92, P’25, McDANIEL COLLEGE TRUSTEE

Professionally, Pick has spent more than 11 years at Tokio Marine North America Services, where he currently serves as executive vice president and chief information officer, with responsibilities for technology strategy, delivery, IT, and business operations across the U.S., with more than 1,000 technology staff in the U.S., India, Costa Rica, U.K., and Europe.

In addition to donating to establish the new STEM Center, Pick has also recently engaged with Provost Flavius Lilly and a network of fellow alumni to re-envision the Computer Science curriculum on the Hill.

“Asking alums in a field to provide insight is a great example of the strength and sophistication of our academic programs,” Pick says. “There are notable trends in what hiring managers in this industry are seeking: understanding of modern engineering languages and methods; awareness of cybersecurity and cloud technologies; experience and understanding of user experience design; awareness of data architectures and engineering; and recently, experience with classic and generative AI. Turning the curriculum slightly away from math and toward experience with these modern methods and platforms will prepare students for early success in tech.”

This innovative emphasis on STEM programs and careers is a cornerstone of the new vision for McDaniel, and the college is grateful to donors like the Picks for making it a reality for students pursuing fields that truly represent the liberal arts and sciences.

A New Chapter for the Writing Center

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Fostering further collaboration among academic support services, the Writing Center has a new home in the Learning Commons @ Hoover Library, with a modernized facility in a central location.

Iris Levandoski ’27 is the only dual tutor who works in both the STEM Center and the Writing Center, so her unique perspective on the opportunities provided by both services has her eager for the integration this academic year.

“The McDaniel Plan is designed to combine subjects like math, writing, science, philosophy, and even food studies to give students unique perspectives to the world,” Levandoski says. “I was trained as a Writing Center tutor first, and at surface level, it seems really odd to have a Computer Science major for a writing tutor. But I need writing just as much as I need math to be successful.”

With the new Learning Commons @ Hoover Library, Levandoski says, “I am thrilled to have the ability to physically combine the two worlds of critical thinking into one space. Switching from quantitative thinking to qualitative thinking will be as simple as switching to a different tab in my browser.”

Our hope is that this new hub of services will make it easier for students to quickly and seamlessly get the help they need at all stages of their academic growth, whether that’s when they want to get ahead, stay on track, or catch up after a setback.”

—VANESSA FLORA-NAKOSKI, WRITING CENTER DIRECTOR

Writing Center Director Vanessa Flora-Nakoski looks forward to serving students in a more integrated way than they were able to in their previous location in Hill Hall.

“Our hope is that this new hub of services will make it easier for students to quickly and seamlessly get the help they need at all stages of their academic growth, whether that’s when they want to get ahead, stay on track, or catch up after a setback,” Flora-Nakoski says. “The tutors and I are very excited to have more space and options for fostering our community of McDaniel writers, building on our long-standing tradition of welcoming, cozy vibes for both academic and creative writers here on campus.”

Writing Center Tutor Morgan Holtzman ’27 echoes those sentiments: “Our previous location was out of the way for many students, but the library is a central, accessible location for everyone. The new location will enable more students to use our services at the center, and the tutors are looking forward to being able to serve more students in the upgraded space!”