By Michael Wen
The reception area of the Mechanical Engineering Department will undergo an extensive renovation this winter, funded by a gift of $100,000 by Fred and Carol Seeman. Construction of the new lobby is expected to begin sometime this winter, and it is expected to be completed by the end of the spring term. According to Vice Dean Gerald Navratil, the offices that will be affected by the construction will relocate to other offices not currently occupied. As a result, the departmental functions are not expected to be affected greatly by the construction.
The construction will involve knocking down a few walls around the current reception area to create a larger space for the lobby. A library and study area will be placed in the new reception area. The ceiling will be made higher and will have banners on which the works of faculty and students in the department will be displayed. New windows will be installed to improve the lighting. The new lobby will be a place where students can relax and study. It can also serve as a place for conferences and other departmental functions.
The plan for the renovation was developed with extensive use of computer imaging techniques by the faculty and students at the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), along with faculty and students of Columbia's School of Architecture and Preservation. The schematics plans of the new lobby was made by Eden Muir and John Vegher, two members of the faculty of the School of Architecture. Vice Dean Gerald Navratil, in conjunction with faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department, will oversee the construction of the new lobby.
The new lobby will be dedicated to Mrs. Seeman's father, the late Charles Elkin Misch, who graduated in 1920 from SEAS with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Because the late Mr. Misch had many fond memories of his experience as a student, and later as an active alumni at Columbia, Mrs. Seeman wanted to contribute a substantial gift to the department. After a discussion with the faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department over a list of projects, Mrs. Seeman decided that the gift money should be spent on renovating the lobby.
The students and faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department welcome the renovations about to take place. Arun Malik, SEAS '95, said that the money is well spent on renovating the reception area because many students of the department will benefit from it.
From pg. 3+ of The Moment, 7 Dec. 1994