Engage Bryant 3.0: Inside phase 1 of the university’s transformational Campus Master Plan C F O , P R I N C I PA L A R C H I T E C T S H A R E V I S I O N F O R F I R S T T H R E E Y E A R S
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I N S I G H TS A N D OPPORTUNITIES F O R A LU M N I , PA R E N TS , A N D FRIENDS Volume 29 No. 1 Winter 2024
3 Bryant Giving Day Success 4-5 Champions for Philanthropy 6-7 Alumni Profiles 11 Homecoming Recap The priority projects align with key pillars of the university’s Vision 2030 strategic plan, says Bryant President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “The Campus Master Plan isn’t only a blueprint for physical expansion; it is a comprehensive strategy that will propel the university toward its Vision 2030 goals,” says Gittell. “With approval from the Board of Trustees in October, Bryant is embarking on an exciting and transformative journey that will shape the future of the university for years to come.”
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P H I L A N T H R O P Y U P DAT E
Vision becomes reality
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he Board of Trustees’ approval of the Vision 2030 Campus Master Plan is a bold and decisive step forward for Bryant University. We eagerly anticipate all the exciting developments the next decade will bring as our university transforms into Bryant 3.0, the third chapter in a 160-year history that began in Providence and reached new heights with Earl Tupper’s gift of land in Smithfield. With help from a growing number of early lead investors, and under the leadership of President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., we have begun work on a number of key initiatives to revolutionize the Bryant experience
and advance the priorities of the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan. The Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center (BELC) is an incredible resource made available through a generous gift from Fidelity Investments. It will serve as the future home of the College of Business, with dedicated space for entrepreneurship, sales training, marketing, women’s leadership, and supply chain education, as well as artificial intelligence, data science, and data visualization labs. The BELC will also provide space to student clubs and organizations, continues on page 10
Bryant University
University leaders and state dignitaries cut the ribbon on Bryant’s new Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center during Homecoming 2023 in October. Bryant’s Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center is a 250,000-square-foot building gifted to the university by Fidelity Investments. It is the future home of the College of Business.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE IN 3.0 As Bryant’s enrollment grows, on-campus housing must meet the demand, says Ng. Last winter, she tapped DC-based higher education architecture firm Ayers Saint Gross to assess residential life at Bryant. Principal architect Kevin Petersen and
1150 Douglas Pike
R I B B O N C U T T I N G AT B RYA N T ’S B U S I N E SS ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADERSHIP CENTER (BELC)
right now,” says Ng of phase 1 of the Campus Master Plan, a three-year timeline with a $140 million budget and a fundraising target of $32 million. “It’s a major investment that the university is making for our campus and our students. We appreciate the generosity of our trustees, alumni, and friends in making Bryant 3.0 happen.”
Smithfield, RI 02917-1284
indicated they would gift the university a state-of-the-art, 250,000-squarefoot building — the home of the new Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Center (BELC) — university leaders recognized an opportunity to advance the campus in broad, strategic strokes. “We’re investing in the future of Bryant, and we’re beginning the work
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250,000-square-foot hub for academic excellence; a future-forward residence hall; updates to athletic, dining, and co-curricular facilities: These, and more, high-impact projects are under way as Bryant University embarks on phase 1 of its 10-year Campus Master Plan — a move that will launch the university into “Bryant 3.0,” the institution’s third significant campus transformation over its 160-year history. The university had already begun discussions on a project to expand campus housing opportunities for upperclass students, says Donna Ng, Bryant University’s chief financial officer and vice president for business affairs. However, during the fall 2022 semester, when Fidelity Investments
B RYA N T UNIVERSITY