New biostation grows
Aaron Hummel
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: News
Construction crews are on schedule to finish a 15,000 square foot conference center at Hillsdale College's Rockwell Lake Biostation by April, Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé said Friday.
The conference center, built on a diverse, 685-acre property in Luther, Mich., donated to the Hillsdale College biology department in 2000 for natural science research, will primarily be used to expose friends, supporters and guests of the college to ecology and environmental issues in accordance with donor George Gordon's wish, Péwé said.
"The main goal is to use [the biostation] more often," Péwé said. "Now it's kind of a well-kept secret, and we're going to change that. But we're not going to change the fact that it's a great natural resource."
Gordon is financing about half of the $4 million cost of the conference center, Péwé said.
The college is working to raise an additional $1.2 million endowment to support the estimated $96,000 in annual operating expenses, he said.
"It's like a Dow Center up north," Péwé said. "It's going to be really nice."
The conference center will contain 10 guest rooms, a great room, a dining room big enough for 40 guests, a small workout room and a small commercial kitchen, Péwé said.
The conference center is the second part of a three-step construction plan proposed by Associate Professor of Biology Anthony Swinehart in 2000. Phase three of construction calls for two student dormitories that should be completed in March. Two similar dormitories were finished last October under phase one of the plan.
The new dormitories will make field trips and summer classes more feasible for students and professors because it will enable them to stay for an extended time, Biology Department Chairman Frank Steiner said.
"I can't believe that the station has developed to this extent so quickly," he said. "And that's due to a variety of people. Dr. Swinehart has been the primary mover up there, and it's been under his leadership."
The conference center, built on a diverse, 685-acre property in Luther, Mich., donated to the Hillsdale College biology department in 2000 for natural science research, will primarily be used to expose friends, supporters and guests of the college to ecology and environmental issues in accordance with donor George Gordon's wish, Péwé said.
"The main goal is to use [the biostation] more often," Péwé said. "Now it's kind of a well-kept secret, and we're going to change that. But we're not going to change the fact that it's a great natural resource."
Gordon is financing about half of the $4 million cost of the conference center, Péwé said.
The college is working to raise an additional $1.2 million endowment to support the estimated $96,000 in annual operating expenses, he said.
"It's like a Dow Center up north," Péwé said. "It's going to be really nice."
The conference center will contain 10 guest rooms, a great room, a dining room big enough for 40 guests, a small workout room and a small commercial kitchen, Péwé said.
The conference center is the second part of a three-step construction plan proposed by Associate Professor of Biology Anthony Swinehart in 2000. Phase three of construction calls for two student dormitories that should be completed in March. Two similar dormitories were finished last October under phase one of the plan.
The new dormitories will make field trips and summer classes more feasible for students and professors because it will enable them to stay for an extended time, Biology Department Chairman Frank Steiner said.
"I can't believe that the station has developed to this extent so quickly," he said. "And that's due to a variety of people. Dr. Swinehart has been the primary mover up there, and it's been under his leadership."
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