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UCR Business Wins Riverside Beautification Award

ilseu — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 18:19:08 +0000

UCR Business Wins Riverside Beautification Award ilseu Wed, 02/05/2025 - 10:19 More News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR February 04, 2025

UC Riverside was honored at the City of Riverside’s annual beautification awards for its new School of Business building, a recognition that underscores the university’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.

The new four-story building, which opened last fall, received the Sustainable Design & Innovation Award as part of the Keep Riverside Clean and Beautiful Awards on Thursday, January 30. This recognition is especially meaningful, as the awards celebrate not only aesthetics but also forward-thinking approaches to design that benefit both the environment and the community.

The new School of Business building on Monday, September 30, 2024. (UCR/Stan Lim)

The program, now in its 38th year, is sponsored by the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce and the City of Riverside’s public works department. Each year, the committee evaluates projects based on criteria such as architectural design, maintenance, landscaping, and long-term sustainability. By honoring significant buildings and projects across the city, the awards highlight efforts that enrich the local landscape and demonstrate civic pride.

The award was presented during Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson’s State of the City address, a gathering that brought together city leaders, business representatives, and community members. Accepting on behalf of the campus was Yunzeng Wang, dean of the School of Business.

“We are honored to receive this recognition of the School of Business’s beautiful new home, which has become a vibrant center for students, faculty, and staff,” Wang said. His words reflected the pride the campus feels in having a facility that matches the caliber of its programs and serves as a visible symbol of UCR’s growth and progress.

The 63,400-square-foot building includes modern classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, and a large auditorium designed to host lectures, conferences, and community events. The building provides the School of Business with a state-of-the-art environment that supports both teaching and research, while also offering students increased access to the resources they need as enrollment continues to grow rapidly.

In honoring the project, the chamber highlighted the building’s sustainable features, which demonstrate UCR’s leadership in environmental responsibility. Among these features are a 216-kilowatt solar array on the roof, which reduces reliance on nonrenewable energy; perforated metal fins along the windows, which reduce glare and limit heat gain; and drought-tolerant landscaping, which conserves water while maintaining an attractive exterior environment. These features not only lower the building’s environmental footprint but also provide long-term operational savings.

The building has earned LEED Platinum certification, the highest standard in green building design, making it the third structure on UCR’s campus to achieve this distinction. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized benchmark for sustainability, and Platinum status reflects a commitment to excellence in areas such as energy efficiency, water conservation, materials usage, and indoor environmental quality.

“All of this is thoughtfully designed with care to be at once both functional and beautiful,” said Jacqueline Norman, campus architect. Her statement captures the balance of utility and aesthetics that guided the project from conception to completion.

This recognition also continues a growing tradition of excellence at UC Riverside. It is the sixth consecutive year that UCR projects have been honored at the awards. Previous winners have included the School of Medicine Education Building II, the Student Health and Counseling Center, and the Student Success Center — each project further demonstrating the university’s dedication to creating facilities that enhance student experiences and contribute to the surrounding community.

By receiving this award, the new School of Business building stands as a landmark for UCR and for the city of Riverside, reflecting both institutions’ commitment to sustainable growth, innovation, and community pride.

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School of Business Celebrates New Building

ilseu — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 18:31:22 +0000

School of Business Celebrates New Building ilseu Tue, 10/22/2024 - 11:31 More News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR October 22, 2024

UC Riverside celebrated the start of a new chapter for the School of Business with the dedication of its new four-story instructional and administrative building at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Oct. 18.

The 63,400-square-foot building, which includes classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, and a cafe, was completed last month after a year-and-a-half of construction. Staff and faculty began moving into the building in early September with classes starting as the fall quarter began.

The new building realizes a vision that began a decade ago to meet the school’s growing enrollment demands with a larger, modern facility with more classroom and office space as well as amenities for students, said Yunzeng Wang, dean of the school.

“This state-of-the-art business building is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and growth,” he said. “It is designed to be more than just classrooms, it is a hub of collaboration, a breeding ground for ideas, and a launchpad for future leaders. It will help us build bridges between business leaders and faculty to deepen their connections and shared expertise.”

Watch the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony highlights video

View Ribbon cutting & open house photo album

The new building is located next to Anderson Hall, where most of the school’s administration had been housed. The 1917-era building predates UCR, built as part of the Citrus Experiment Station.

Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox described how Anderson Hall was at that time surrounded by citrus trees and built on a hillside to provide a view of the then-nascent downtown Riverside. The new building also provides expansive views of the campus and downtown Riverside and, like the old agricultural building, will build bridges between the campus and the community, Wilcox said.

“This will be here 100 years from now,” he said. “As you walk through it, think about not just what the university will look like but what kinds of things may have happened in those 100 years and what kinds of things are yet to still happen in this world. It’s exciting for us here at UCR to have a chance to think about a future that long.”

Sabine Freij, assistant dean of graduate programs for the school, also noted the connections between the past and the future with the school now housed in both the oldest building on campus and, for now, the newest. The new building represents UCR’s commitment to empowering students and future business leaders, she said.

“Every corner of this space was designed to encourage creativity, critical thinking, and the sense of belonging within the community — a sense of belonging for students who are first-generation, from underrepresented groups, international students, and our Dreamers,” she said. “You belong here, and the School of Business is home for you as we celebrate this milestone today.”

The new building includes a 350-seat auditorium, two 80-seat classrooms, a computer and finance lab with a stock market ticker LED display, study spaces spread throughout the building, and a graduate student lounge.

Thomas Kramer, associate dean of undergraduate programs for the school, said the school now has enough space to offer freshman and sophomore classes in one location instead of spread around campus. The new home will foster a shared sense of identity among faculty, staff, and students, and elevate the school’s profile, he said.

“We are not just officially opening up a new building and expanding our physical footprint, we are opening up the possibilities to enrich educational experiences for our students, and we are opening up opportunities to create an academic community that will retain and attract researchers and teachers of the highest quality,” Kramer said.

Jacqueline Norman, campus architect, described the years of planning and months of construction work that went into creating the building, which consisted of 25,000 pounds of concrete, 2 million pounds of precisely placed reinforcing steel, and over 900 skilled construction workers who spent more than 283,000 hours at the site.

“Let this space serve as an inspiration and an education-ground for students who will become ethical leaders,” she said. “Let it be a hub for groundbreaking research that will benefit society. And let it be a symbol of the university’s unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.”

Sandy Reyes-Moran, a graduate student at the school, said students have already begun to enjoy the new space, from the welcome new coffee shop to the study areas where students can gather to exchange ideas.

“A heartfelt thank you to our school’s leadership for working tirelessly to make this new exciting space a reality,” she said. “It has been such a joy to witness the positive transformation in the essence of our campus.”

View more photos from the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house celebration on Flickr:

View photo album

Watch YouTube highlights videos of the ribbon cutting ceremony and open house celebration:

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House Celebration highlights video (with speeches)

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House Celebration highlights video (no speeches)

Full New Business Building Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with speeches

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Header image: UCR School of Business dean Yunzeng Wang (with scissors) and UCR Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox celebrate ribbon cutting with UCR School of Business staff and faculty

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School of Business Opens New Building

ilseu — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 16:13:10 +0000

School of Business Opens New Building ilseu Thu, 10/10/2024 - 09:13 More News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR October 09, 2024

UC Riverside’s School of Business opened its new building in late September, launching a new era at a state-of-the-art facility with increased space to meet fast-growing enrollment.

The four-story, 63,400-square-foot building was already bustling with activity, with students filling its auditorium, classrooms, and the lounge area near its café following the start of instruction on Sept. 26. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house celebration will be held Oct. 18.

The $87 million project, which began construction in April 2023, is a key element of the school’s plan to grow its faculty and increase enrollment with a modern building that fosters engagement with the community and business leaders, said Yunzeng Wang, dean of the school.

Wang marveled at the completed project shortly after moving into his new office, where a miniature model of the building sat on his desk.

“It’s very exciting,” he said. “It’s beautiful.”

The new building, which includes classrooms, administrative and faculty offices, and a large auditorium, creates a home base where students can learn, study, socialize, and network with their peers and business leaders in one place, School of Business leaders said.

Until now, the school’s administration had been housed at Anderson Hall, built in 1917 as part of the Citrus Experiment Station that preceded UCR. Due to limited space at Anderson and Olmsted Hall, where program offices were located, many classes have been held in other buildings on and off campus.

The new facility, located in the south side of campus, is next to Anderson, which will continue to have offices and classes. Landscaping, outdoor benches, tables, and a crosswalk were added around both buildings to connect them and create a neighborhood feel.

“Everything is here for the students,” said Kathleen Drake, assistant dean for marketing and communications. “The goal was for them to feel more connected to the school.

Sean Jasso, professor of practice, teaches a class in the auditorium at the new School of Business building on Monday, September 30, 2024. (UCR/Stan Lim)

The 350-seat auditorium, which has two 192-inch LED wall monitors and a white board, is unlike any other the school has had in size and technology. It is being used for large classes, lectures, and other events.

The building also includes two 80-seat classrooms, which — like the auditorium — feature hybrid learning technology allowing lecturers to deliver multi-media presentations that can be recorded and streamed. The tiered classrooms feature seating that allows students to face either direction and interact with each other.

“The facility by design really gives that whole vibe of an encouraging, welcoming, and inviting environment to students,” said Sabine Freij, assistant dean of graduate programs for the school. “From every corner in the building, in every floor, you see these open collaboration spaces for students and faculty to sit and build on ideas.”

Administrators, staff, and faculty began moving into the new building in early September and scheduling fall classes there shortly after.

The structure features locally sourced red brick known as UCR Brick, concrete columns, and large glass windows with perforated metal fins on the sides to reduce glare and heat gain. Part of the second floor projects out to shade the outdoor plaza below, while the fourth-floor executive board room features expansive views of the campus, and mountains beyond.

“The view is phenomenal,” said Frank Salhab, project manager with contractor McCarthy Building Companies, which oversaw construction and design. “It gives you a feeling like you’re floating over the campus.”

The first floor opens to an airy lobby with couches and tables next to a small coffee shop called Biz Café. Next to it is a 2,278-square-foot multipurpose room with couches, lounge chairs, and stools that allows for a variety of uses from studying to socializing. The café was a late addition to the project during construction, said John Franklin, project manager with Planning, Design, and Construction. He noted it fills a need in that area of campus, which has few dining options.

A stairwell featuring donor names on the wall leads to a computer and finance lab on the second floor with a stock market ticker on LED displays on both inside and outside walls. The lab, which can be used for individual study or group projects, seats up to 78 people with computer monitors at each seat that rise from inside the desk. Students can access terminals with business and market news and data through the Bloomberg news site for class and research projects and the school’s investment clubs.

A wall outside the computer and finance lab on the second floor features a stock market ticker on LED displays. (UCR/Stan Lim).

Study areas are spread throughout the building including a separate graduate student lounge with amenities like lockers and kitchen areas.

The building has a 216-kilowatt solar array on the roof achieving LEED Platinum-status, meeting leading industry standards for energy efficiency and sustainability. The solar panels began producing energy back into the campus electrical grid a few months ago, Franklin said.

Miguel Aranda, assistant dean and director of undergraduate programs, described the new building as “futuristic but grounded.”

“This is something special,” he said. “It will be a space to inspire students, providing them the technology and space they need.”

Freij said the new space can provide educational opportunities beyond the classroom, whether it’s hosting industry panels or seminars with visiting researchers, or taking part in student competitions in-person or virtually. The large lockers provide enough space for students to keep business attire for interviews or special events.

“We’re finally able to provide this for our students and accommodate the needs and the numbers with modern-day technology and, the standards of other business schools that enable their students to be competitive,” Freij said. “We’re now providing resources and a facility that match those to support students in their education and career endeavors.”

The project blends into the sloped topography of the site so that the second floor leads out to an open courtyard with a hillside view. Between landscaped areas are section walls that can be used for seating to create a mini-amphitheater layout for gatherings.

“The new School of Business building will be the defining first step towards creating a unique district in this area of campus for all to enjoy and will set the stage for inspired and responsible surrounding future development,” said Jacqueline Norman, campus architect.

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Business Building Enters Next Construction Phase

ilseu — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:57:22 +0000

Business Building Enters Next Construction Phase ilseu Fri, 01/05/2024 - 09:57 More News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR January 02, 2024

UC Riverside’s new School of Business building entered a new phase of construction recently as work moves forward for an September 2024 opening.

In late December, the school and construction team celebrated the midpoint of construction as crews poured the final concrete placement for the frame of the building.

“The super structure is what we call it — it’s complete,” said Frank Salhab, project manager with contractor McCarthy Building Companies.

For the last several months, carpenters, iron workers, and other construction crew members created the concrete and steel frame of the building. Those crews wrapped up their work Dec. 18 and a new group of tradespeople began working on the project.

The next phase involves buildout of the exterior skin of the building and interior elements including mechanical, electrical, and plumbing fixtures.

Construction on the new building began last spring and is proceeding on schedule, Salhab said.

“We’re right on time with the university’s support,” he said.

The four-story, 63,400-square-foot building is being built just south of Anderson Hall, where most of the school’s programs and administration are currently housed. The new instructional and administrative building will provide increased space and modern facilities to meet growing enrollment demands.

Construction crew members celebrated the midpoint of construction for the new School of Business building on Dec. 15, 2023. (UCR/Imran Ghori)

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UCR Business Celebrates Building Groundbreaking

ilseu — Mon, 01 May 2023 21:26:22 +0000

UCR Business Celebrates Building Groundbreaking ilseu Mon, 05/01/2023 - 14:26 More News Imran Ghori | Inside UCR May 01, 2023

UC Riverside celebrated a new chapter for the School of Business with a groundbreaking ceremony for a new instructional and administrative building that will provide increased space and modern facilities to meet growing enrollment demands.

Campus and community leaders gathered Thursday, April 27 at former Parking Lot 8, where the four-story, 63,400-square-foot building is being built. The site is just south of Anderson Hall, where most of the school’s program and administration are currently housed.

Preliminary grading work on the site began last fall. The project is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

UCR School of Business Dean Yunzeng Wang at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new School of Business building on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at UC Riverside. (UCR/Stan Lim)

Yunzeng Wang, dean of the School of Business, said the project will help move forward the school’s vision to create a world-class environment where students and faculty can engage with business leaders and deepen connections to the community.

“This beautiful new building, set to open in 2024, will provide much needed space for the growth of the school outlined in our strategic plan, including new programs, increased enrollment for both undergraduate and graduate programs, and additional faculty,” he said.

The new building will have 38,500-square feet of assignable space with features including a large multipurpose room; two 80-seat classrooms; a 350-seat auditorium; a computer lab; a studio to record podcasts, lectures, videos, and other media; study areas; a student lounge; 20 faculty offices; 59 administrative offices including one for the dean; a faculty and staff lounge; an executive meeting room; and group meeting rooms.

The facility will include state-of-the-art technology for hybrid learning where lecturers can deliver multi-media lectures that can be recorded and streamed.

Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox called the groundbreaking an opportunity to celebrate the transition from the school’s past at Anderson, which helped shaped its accomplishments, to an exciting future at the new building.

UCR School of Business Dean Yunzeng Wang and Chancellor Kim. A. Wilcox at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new School of Business building on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at UC Riverside. (UCR/Stan Lim)

“We’re in a blessed position to be able to think about what Anderson Hall has meant to us with the school’s history and all of what the new School of Business building is going to mean for us,” Wilcox said.

Since 2015, the school’s enrollment has grown by 58% to 2,100 students in fall 2021 as both graduate and undergraduate programs have grown in popularity even as classroom and administrative space has remained limited.

Campus Architect and Associate Vice Chancellor Jacqueline Norman said the new project reflects the work of the school and UCR in building a program whose reputation has grown in the business world and attracted increased student demand.

“Today is the day where we get to see the physical manifestations of their work come to fruition,” she said.

Norman said the building will be a transformative one with interior and exterior design features that make use of the hillside topography. It includes both symbolic and physical connections between the past and present linking Anderson Hall and the new building with benches, a walking path, and other elements, creating a centralized School of Business hub. It’s also expected to set the tone for future growth in the south campus area.

Dave Robinson, chair of the School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council, said UCR has shaped the lives of many people including his own family’s—both Robinson, his wife and his son are UCR alumni. He said the new project will allow the School of Business to strengthen its mission of serving the region and building a bridge with the business community.

“Business needs the business school—the source of its future leaders, innovators, and, yes, disruptors, just as the business school needs the business community—the source of internships, jobs, and career paths for our outstanding students,” he said.

Rami Zwick, associate dean of graduate programs and a professor of marketing, said the new building will create a sense of home for students.

He noted that most of the school’s students take their courses all over the campus, including until recently a movie theater at University Village, and usually only visit Anderson for office hours or Olmsted Hall to see their advisers.

“Think of the difference it’s going to make to students who take undergraduate courses at the new building,” Zwick said. “I am looking forward to providing our students, both graduate and undergraduate, with a sense of home, both spiritually and physically.”

Campus leaders and the project team take their turn shoveling dirt at the goundbreaking ceremony for the new School of Business building on Thursday, April 27, 2023, at UC Riverside. (UCR/Stan Lim)

View our groundbreaking ceremony highlights from April 27:

View more groundbreaking ceremony photos on Flickr:

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Regents Approve Plans for New Business Building

ilseu — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:53:50 +0000

Regents Approve Plans for New Business Building ilseu Mon, 08/01/2022 - 06:53 More News Imran Ghori | UCR News July 26, 2022

The Regents of the University of California have approved construction plans for a new UC Riverside School of Business building that will provide more instructional and administrative space to meet growing enrollment demand.

The vote, which took place July 20, allows the campus to move forward with construction this fall. The new building is expected to be completed by fall 2024.

The project consists of a four-story building that includes modern classrooms, a large auditorium, a computer lab, and other instructional space. It will be built at Parking Lot 8, just south of Anderson Hall. Anderson houses most of the school’s programs and administration.

“We are so very pleased to be given the approval by the UC Regents to move forward with our new School of Business building,” said Yunzeng Wang, dean of the School of Business. “This is the cornerstone in our plan to grow the UCR School of Business through new faculty, increased enrollment, and additional staff, and increase our engagement with the community through building a central hub for connection between business leaders, our research faculty, and our students.”

Wang expressed his gratitude for all those involved in the project’s progress — from the project committee to campus leadership to UCR Planning, Design and Construction.

Since 2015, the school’s enrollment has grown by 58% to 2,100 students in fall 2021 as both graduate and undergraduate programs have grown in popularity. Yet classroom and administrative space has remained limited at Anderson and the second floor of Olmstead Hall, providing 23,800 square feet.

“They never had a lot of space to begin with and then they’ve grown significantly so now they’re really pressed for space,” said Melissa Garrety, project planner with Planning, Design and Construction.

Anderson, one of the oldest buildings on campus, only has one 80-seat classroom, a 32-seat computer lab, and a 36-seat classroom. As a result, many classes are held in other general assignment classroom spaces on and off campus, including a movie theater at University Village. As of July 1, the campus no longer has use of the movie theater.

The new building will have 38,500 square feet of assignable space within 63,400 in total gross square feet.

Its features include two 80-seat classrooms; a 350-seat auditorium; a computer lab; a studio to record podcasts, lectures, videos, and other media; study areas; a student lounge; 20 faculty offices; 59 administrative offices including one for the dean; a faculty and staff lounge; an executive meeting room, and group meeting rooms.

The facility will include state-of-the-art technology for hybrid learning where lecturers can deliver multi-media lectures that can be recorded and streamed.

An artist rendering of a classroom in the new School of Business building.

A variety of outdoor spaces for student and faculty use as well as school events have also been incorporated into the design, campus architect Jacqueline Norman said.

“This design really makes creative use of the topography to create outdoor spaces at different levels that give the school a lot of flexibility in how they use them,” she said.

The new building will centralize School of Business classes and activities.

“We were motivated to create through design a home base for the school and to activate this area of campus, making a place where people will want to come and spend time and hang out,” Garrety said.

Outdoor features, such as seating areas, will help create connections to Anderson so it feels like one precinct, Norman said. It will set the tone for the south campus area that is expected to see future growth in the coming years, she said.

“We really wanted to set a precedent with ensuring that the building and the pedestrian connections in and around the building allow for easy movement to what will be future buildings to the east and west,” Norman said.

The campus faced challenges with the project budget over the past year with dramatically rising construction costs due to the pandemic, inflation, and supply chain issues. It was originally budgeted at $55 million and is now budgeted at $87 million. Projects over $70 million require approval from the Regents, which led to last week’s vote. The project is paid for with campus funds, including School of Business resources, and bond financing.

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