Marriott family helps dedicate new student learning center

When J.W. "Bill" Marriott Jr. was a student at the University of Utah, the closest thing he had to a computer was a manual typewriter. "Things have changed remarkably," he noted while on campus Oct. 26 for the dedication of the Marriott Student Learning Center (MSLC) at the School of Hotel Administration (SHA).

MSLC was designed to meet the many needs of today's students, he added. Inspired by recent design trends for hotel lobbies and airport business lounges, the center includes a variety of spaces: quiet areas for individual study; computer workstations where students can access digital resources; areas for team meetings, practice presentations and group study; and social areas for relaxing between classes and meeting friends.

The center, which opened in August, was funded by a lead gift from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

Marriott noted that MSLC's greatest asset is the way it brings people together and fosters collaboration: "The most important thing in the hospitality industry is communication -- talking to people, listening to people, getting their ideas, interacting, serving people. That's what this center helps do: bring people together to communicate and work together."

Three generations of the Marriott family attended the dedication ceremony. Bill Marriott was joined by his daughter Debbie Marriott Harrison, senior vice president for government affairs at Marriott International; son-in-law Ron Harrison, global officer for architecture and construction at Marriott International; grandson Matthew Harrison; and granddaughter-in-law Kourtney Harrison.

"We were fortunate to have the Marriott family here last fall, when Bill Marriott gave the Dean's Distinguished Lecture and we announced their gift to build the Marriott Student Learning Center," said Michael Johnson, dean and E.M. Statler Professor at SHA. "It has been a delight to welcome them back to see the results of their generosity and drive to create an innovative space for our students."

The dedication celebration began with a panel discussion on MSLC, featuring Jan deRoos, HVS Professor of Hotel Finance and Real Estate; Ron Harrison; Jeffrey Holmes '87, the architect who designed the space; and SHA student Michael Pearlman '14. Harrison applauded Johnson and the SHA community for creating a space that is "an intersection of how students learn and the best of what we're doing in the hotel industry." A ribbon-cutting and tours of the MSLC followed.

In addition to the Marriott Foundation, major donors to the project were Kirk Kinsell, MPS '80, Navin Dimond, the Tsai family and the Rodriguez family.

MLSC is located on the ground floor of Statler Hall and includes the World Atrium, the Nestlé Hospitality Library and the George B. Mallory '54 Student Lounge.

Ashlee McGandy is a staff writer at the School of Hotel Administration.

 

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