The Rady School celebrated the opening of Wells Fargo Hall in a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan, UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, philanthropist Ernest Rady, Steve Bernstein of Wells Fargo and Rady School MBA student Ashley Zeeland.
The 81,000 square-feet hall holds a classroom for 185 students, two classrooms for 75 students each, 45 faculty offices, 18 team study rooms and multiple multi-purpose conference rooms. The hall also includes the J.R. Beyster Auditorium, named in honor of support provided by Betty and Dr. J. Robert Beyster.
According to the press release, construction on the $47-million Wells Fargo Hall began May 21, 2010 after a $5-million challenge gift from Ernest Rady. This challenge gift showed Rady’s commitment to the project and “challenged” others to support the proposed building. This led to a $5-million gift from Wells Fargo Bank that facilitated the project. Private donations from Rita and Richard Atkinson, Arthur Brody, Jan Tuttleman and Tony Thornley also supported the construction of the hall.
“The opening of Wells Fargo Hall is a testament to the continued support of the Rady School by our community,” Rady School Dean Robert S. Sullivan said in a May 16 press release. “The new facilities will provide the Rady School with the capacity to accommodate more students and enhance its educational and research programs. The Rady School now will have among the finest facilities in the nation.”
Wells Fargo Hall also meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and achieved silver certification for its water savings and energy efficiency.
According to a press release, the hall will start being used this summer. The Rady School opened in 2003 and its first building, Otterson Hall, opened in 2007.
In addition to the Rady School, construction projects are currently in progress at other areas of campus. Construction on the Jacobs Medical Center Plant began last week, on May 21. The structure, which will provide support utilities for the Jacobs Medical Center bell tower, will be completed in Fall 2014.
The university will also welcome Engineering Building Unit IV in 2013, a four-story structure with office and laboratory space for 50 faculty members and 1,100 students, in addition to studios and design space for visual arts students. Government and private funds are supporting the $83.3-million project.
