by Rich Stratton, Assistant Director or Public Relations
Nearly two years after breaking ground, Cedarville University dedicated the $40 million Scharnberg Business and Communication Center today before a standing-room-only crowd along the new Stinger Plaza between the Stevens Student Center and the new facility.
Dr. Thomas White, president, Dr. Jeff Haymond, dean of the Robert W. Plaster School of Business, and Dr. Will Smallwood, vice president for advancement, offered remarks at the ceremony. They were joined by Daniel Petek, president of Castek Aluminum and chair of Cedarville’s Board of Trustees, whose family donated the Stinger statue earlier this month. Petek provided the prayer of dedication.
LIVESTREAM VIDEO OF CEREMONY - (PROGRAM BEGINS AT 6:28 IN THE VIDE0)
The dedication ceremony highlighted the 1000 donors who contributed to the construction of the 65,000 square foot building. The lead donors were the Lorne C. Scharnberg family, the Robert W. Plaster Foundation and the Berry Family Foundation. Representatives from BHDP Architects and Danis Construction will participate in the
The Scharnberg Business and Communication Center is the home of the Robert W. Plaster School of Business, the Department of Communication, the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity and the new Berry Center for Free Enterprise.
The Scharnberg Business and Communication Center is named in honor of Lorne C. Scharnberg. Mark Scharnberg, a 1997 graduate of Cedarville University and the son of Lorne Scharnberg, contributed $10 million for the construction on behalf of the Scharnberg family and their businesses, Katecho and
Lorne Scharnberg is a trustee emeritus at Cedarville University. He began his service on the board in 1994 and served three terms as chair before transitioning to emeritus status in 2018. He has been an unfailing champion for Cedarville University and its commitment to scriptural fidelity and academic excellence.
“With the completion of the Scharnberg Business and Communication Center, I am thrilled that the quality of the facility now matches the quality of the faculty,” said Thomas White, president. “Whether it’s in business, communication, or cybersecurity, this new center will enhance engagement and student learning and, most importantly, be a place where lives are transformed for eternity.”
The Scharnberg Business and Communication Center is the crown jewel of Cedarville’s $175 million One Thousand Days Transformed Campaign. One of this campaign’s major elements was expanding Cedarville’s capacity for teaching and learning to meet its growing student enrollment. Cedarville is expected to announce its 16th consecutive record enrollment in September.
“The caliber of this new facility, with its technological capabilities and innovative space design, reflects Cedarville’s commitment to academic excellence,” said Haymond. “Our purpose in the Plaster School of Business is to prepare students for a lifetime of ministry and service through their professional careers.”
The new Scharnberg Business and Communication Center will provide a space for excellent academic preparation and spiritual growth, something students are excited to experience.
“I am excited to be in a building where I genuinely feel inspired,” said Will Woods, a sophomore marketing major from New Florence, Pennsylvania. “The collaboration rooms and professional atmosphere,
New classrooms are one of the hallmarks of this building, including a customizable auditorium that can seat more than 500 people for conferences and large classes or can be subdivided to provide multiple educational spaces.
In addition to the sizable classrooms, the building also includes a
Built on the northern shore of Cedar Lake, the view of campus from inside this building is matched only by the beauty of the building’s windowed and balconied waterfront exterior. Students and visitors will be drawn to its lakeside patio and will enjoy photo opportunities at the Stinger statue.