Evans Family Faculty Lounge: An Expression of Gratitude Towards Faculty and a Demonstration of the Talents of Students
On Thursday, Feb. 13, UIW President Dr. Thomas M. Evans and Mrs. Lisa Evans unveiled the Evans Family Faculty Lounge in the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Library on the Broadway campus. The lounge, which was funded by Dr. and Mrs. Evans, was dedicated to the UIW faculty in honor of their commitment to the University’s students, including their son.
The vision of this lounge couldn’t have come to life without the immense support provided by the UIW Facilities team, Phil Lopes, Arthur Campos and Jeffrie McDonald.
UIW faculty members from various departments, CCVI Sisters, staff and Chair of the Board of Trustees Suzanne Goudge gathered for the official opening of the lounge. Additionally, they were joined by a few of UIW’s Interior Design students who uniquely contributed to the designing of the lounge.
Dr. Glen Ambrose, professor of the Religious Studies department and president of the Faculty Senate, shared that, “When this project started, we thought that it would be great to get students on board. Dr. Diana Allison, associate professor of Interior Design, enlisted students from her Fall 2022 Space Planning class, and they put together four different teams who all contributed amazing designs. These students were brought onto this project in their sophomore years, and now they’re seeing their work as nearly graduating seniors.”
Ambrose noted that many of the students intentionally made design choices to help create a family atmosphere reflecting the overall environment of UIW. When guests enter, they face a wall with a mural of a tree intended to represent “The Nest”. Another beautiful example is a display created by repurposing of old card catalogue cards for books written by UIW faculty emeriti. This unique feature honors the many faculty members that contributed to supporting many generations of students.
Allison explained that her 13 students involved in this design project invested time and an immense amount of work over the years to develop the final design of the lounge. They researched restorative and collaborative spaces, reviewed over 100 Senate faculty surveys, took field measurements and pitched a concept to Dr. Evans and other University officials.
“You can’t just possess technical skills or artistic skills,” explained Allison. “You must understand human behavior in order to design for it and be able to communicate the intent of the design … Our students are methodically learning these skills in classes, applying them in each Studio class, so that when they are seniors, they have a firm grasp of how to approach design with their client in mind. For these students, who in their sophomore year successfully met the criteria for this project, it was very exciting to see these talents begin to blossom.”
Allison’s students were excited to work on a “real” project where they could apply their learned skills and knowledge but also contribute to a project that benefited faculty. Through the time it took to develop the project, she was confident in her students’ abilities to take on this challenge but was pleasantly surprised by the level of professionalism and thought her students exhibited throughout the journey.
Now, as seniors, these students got to see how their vision came to life for UIW faculty to enjoy.
“It felt really special to be chosen to be involved in this project,” shared Mariana De La Rocha, Interior Design student. “It was nice to see some elements of each project incorporated into the final design. I hope this space becomes one where faculty can come in and use to either relax, collaborate or simply for a change of scenery from their office or classroom.”
“I really enjoyed the creative process of blending functionality with aesthetics to create a comfortable and inviting environment,” said Juliet Cisneros, Interior Design student. “Choosing materials, colors and furniture that reflect the University’s values while ensuring a welcoming atmosphere was especially rewarding. This project provided invaluable experience in balancing aesthetics with functionality, while also considering durability, maintenance and accessibility to meet the needs of faculty members.”
During the reception, attendees toured the space, appreciating the small and big details that conveyed the history and spirit of the University they continue to actively support and nurture. It was a day where respect and gratitude were paid to the educators past, present and future.
Evans concluded the event by expressing his hopes that faculty members will enjoy the space, knowing that a lot of love was put into the design of the lounge from both University students and members of the facilities team.