Renovations to Campbell Hall, an iconic building of the College of Education and Human Ecology, included modernizing classrooms and collaborative spaces, existing offices, research and computer labs and a teaching kitchen.
Photo credit: Robb McKormick Photography
For Dawn Gindlesberger Shrimplin, the newly renovated Campbell Hall at The Ohio State University represents more than a modern academic building. It’s a hub that sparks collaboration, discovery and leadership development.
“Brilliant ideas don’t grow in isolation; they need room to breathe,” says Gindlesberger Shrimplin, a doctoral student in the higher education and student affairs program. “They need spaces that foster creativity, connection and community. Campbell Hall gives us exactly that.”
Campbell Hall’s revitalization is one example of how donors help create the facilities and learning environments that support student success across Ohio State. While the physical changes are easy to see, the greatest value of philanthropy can be found in what happens within and beyond the walls.
In the College of Engineering, students aren’t just studying innovation, they are practicing it. The previously called Biomedical and Materials Engineering Phase Two project transformed Ohio State’s engineering district, creating the Engineering Research and Education Laboratories (EREL).
The complex brings together students, faculty and industry leaders who are partnering through hands-on, interdisciplinary learning and research. Support for makerspaces and experiential learning environments allows all first-year students to gain experience using professional-grade equipment like 3D printers, woodworking tools, soldering irons and more. As a result, the next generation of engineers and innovators are better prepared to tackle real-world challenges that benefit communities throughout Ohio and around the world.
"By bringing capstone projects, advanced research and engineering-service student organizations together under one roof, the space creates an infectious collaborative energy that fills me with pride.”
“The Impact Engineering Lab allows students to bring their ideas and solutions to life as we collaborate with local and global community partners to address sustainability challenges,” says Patrick Sours, PhD ’23, MS ’19, assistant professor.
When students learn together, they are better prepared to care for patients together. Thanks to donor support, the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center (IHSC) is making that possible by bringing medicine, nursing, pharmacy and health sciences students into shared learning and research environments.
By thoughtfully integrating historic Hamilton Hall with contemporary academic space, the facility fosters the teamwork that modern healthcare demands. The collaborative spaces for interprofessional education foster more coordinated care, stronger healthcare teams and better outcomes for patients and communities.
For first-year medical student Emily Buczynski, that experience has already made a difference. “It’s a chance to interact with students across various professional programs that I otherwise likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to meet,” she says. “The new classroom spaces are amazing resources, and we enjoy always having these spaces to study and collaborate.”
Decades after a landmark gift helped bring Ohio State to Lima, donors continue to breathe new life into the heart of campus for the next generation of students. Galvin Hall is now a hive of activity for academic and student life, where students learn, study, connect and access essential services.
“The renovated areas of Galvin Hall have improved the campus experience by providing more comfortable and useful spaces to study, collaborate with peers or just take a break between classes,” says Makinley Jarrett, second-year zoology student. “The new meeting rooms and open areas allow students and faculty to connect outside of the classroom as well as support involvement with events, organizations and clubs.”
The Comfort Zone — a classroom converted into a dedicated student-wellness lounge — created a space that fosters a sense of belonging where students can step away from the demands of the day. Students don’t need a reason or an appointment, they can just drop in.
“Any engagement with wellness resources benefits students, and the Comfort Zone does that by encouraging self-care in a low-pressure way,” says Samantha Haudenschield, PsyD, coordinator of Ohio State’s Lima Counseling and Consultation Services. “For a lot of students, it’s become an oasis — a place to step away from the stress of college.”
Whether creating modern teaching environments or connecting students with experiential learning, you are creating spaces that help Ohio State deliver lasting impact for individuals across Ohio and around the world.
“Your generosity has given us more than just a space with physical walls — you have given us a home for our aspirations,” says Gindlesberger Shrimplin, who spoke at Campbell Hall’s unveiling in August.