President's
Letter
From the Alumni
Director
On Campus
Applause
Hometown Bus Tour
Building a Better Voting
Machine
Lights, Camera,
Learning
Ferris Dedicates
Granger Center
Rosie the Injection
Molder
Bulldog Bites
Who Helps the Dawgs
Out
Trial by Nursing
Navigating the
Academic Waters
Profile of a Bulldog
Spring Reunion
Class Notes
Distinquished Alumni
Pacesetters
Officer of the Year
In Memoriam
Alumni Events
On Friday, May 7, approximately 400 people gathered on a bright spring afternoon to help officially dedicate Ferris State’s new Granger Center for Construction and HVACR.
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| Janice and Alton Granger cut a ceremonial ribbon at the May 7 Ceremony. | College of Technology student Jamie Dorland programs the Siemens Inc. head end computer, one of the building’s state-of-the-art electronic systems. | Systems
such as the Granger Center’s ductwork and telecommunications cable are designed to be out in the open, making the building a giant classroom for students studying its various mechanical and electronic systems. |
Friends,
alumni and industry representatives attended the dedication along with
members of the University and Big Rapids community, as well as Alton and
Janice Granger, whose lead gift helped make the new $18 million facility
a reality.
“Jan and I are very supportive of education,”
said Alton Granger during remarks before a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “We
love this place—we’ve had the privilege to work here for 10
to 12 years. Also, the industry has been very good to us, and what better
way to repay an industry than to help educate its future leaders?"
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| Among
the many features of the Granger Center designed to make it student-friendly
is this bank of open computers on the building’s second floor.
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| Hundreds
of people gathered to help Ferris State dedicate the Granger Center
for Construction and HVACR.
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| Celebrating the unveiling of the Klett Family Materials Laboratory at Ferris State University were James “Chip” Klett II, Michell Schembarger, Kristin Klett, Andrea and James Klett, and Tammy and Dale Klett. |
Designed by the architectural firm of Albert Kahn Associates, Inc., the Granger Center features a number of mechanical systems—including geothermal heating and cooling—that are open to view, making the entire building a learning facility. Students can trace systems from beginning to end. Four rooms that are study carrels and student offices also double as “environmental test chambers,” that can be heated and cooled by students to get hands-on experience in the working of different systems.
In addition to the Grangers, others speaking at the dedication included Ferris President David Eisler, Board of Trustees Chair Bruce Parsons, Interim College of Technology Dean Charles Matrosic and trustee Gary Granger, son of Alton and Janice.
Sending congratulations on the building’s dedication were U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Rep. Dave Camp and Michigan House of Representatives Speaker Rick Johnson. State Senator Michelle McManus was on hand to help celebrate the new building.
“I believe this is the finest structure of its kind in the country—no, make that the world,” said Eisler.
The previous month, on Wednesday, April 14, the University dedicated the Klett Family Materials Lab located within the Granger Center. The facility is named for the family of James A. Klett, a leader in the asphalt industry and current chairman of the College of Technology’s Construction Technology and Management Advisory Committee, whose lead gift made possible the expansion and upgrade of the facility.
Klett was on hand to dedicate the facility by unveiling a sign over the entrance—made, appropriately, out of asphalt—that identifies it as the Klett Family Materials Lab.
In brief remarks, Klett stressed the need for training not only at the undergraduate level, but continuing education for professionals who need to keep up-to-date in the field.
“This is just an opportunity for us to do something to make a difference for everybody,” Klett said.
In addition to the Klett Materials Lab and its many open mechanical systems, the Granger Center has student study and common areas, banks of computers for student usage and is home to the Michigan Construction Hall of Fame.