The University officially dedicated its newest building, Wilsdorf Hall, at a ceremony Friday afternoon. Wilsdorf Hall is a $43 million facility that will be used for interdisciplinary engineering research and education in the various areas of engineering.
In his speech at the dedication, President John T. Casteen, III commented on the uniqueness of the project.
"One of the distinctive aspects of this occasion is that we have come here to celebrate the gift of a private philanthropist on behalf of faculty members," Casteen said.
Much of the funding for the facility was donated by Gregory Olsen, a 1971 engineering graduate, who opted to name the project after two influential faculty members, the late Heinz Wilsdorf and his wife Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf. Wilsdorf was the first chair of the materials science department, and Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf was the first female to be named a full professor at the University outside the fields of medicine and nursing. Wilsdorf died in 2000, and Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf is currently a professor emeritus of materials science.
Olsen credited the Wilsdorfs with influencing his academic and professional career.
"Their hard work and dedication enabled many students, like myself, to build foundations in materials and go on to very rewarding careers," Olsen said.
In addition to Olsen, the family of the late University physicist John W. Matthews also provided a large amount of funding for the project. Members of the Matthews family were also recognized at the ceremony.
Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf thanked the group on behalf of herself and her late husband.
"I think he is watching from above and is greatly rejoicing," Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf said.
Engineering Dean James Aylor spoke at the dedication about the major impact he hopes Wilsdorf Hall will have both on the School of Engineering and on the University as a whole.
"This new building is a major step in providing the School of Engineering with the tools to take advantage of the opportunity before us," Aylor said.
Aylor said he believes the new facility will help attract world-class students and faculty by making the University a major center of research in nanotechnology and materials science.
"U.Va. and the School of Engineering must be a major player in this area," Aylor said. "This facility will make us even more competitive than we already are."
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