FERGUSON
FRAMEWORK T NEW BUILDING TO BRING EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES
he smell of dust and green grass filled the air on a hot summer day as construction began on a new home for Oklahoma State University Agriculture. “The agricultural facility funded by the New Frontiers campaign will serve as a foundation for the future, present and past members of the Cowboy family as a place to commemorate their common passion of agriculture,” said Tom Coon, vice president and dean for OSU Agriculture. Sparked by this passion and drive for the new building, the idea for a state-of-the-art teaching, research and extension facility for faculty, staff and students was born, Coon said. Four years ago, the conversation of creating a new home for OSU Agriculture began with the struggles of repairing classrooms and the overall structural integrity of Agricultural Hall, said Randy Raper, OSU Agriculture assistant vice president for facilities. “Something the current building is lacking is the space for student involvement,” Raper said. When looking at the new building,
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visitors will feel more welcomed from the openness of the structure with various glass walls, Raper said. He hopes all guests will feel a part of the Ferguson Family as soon as they walk through the doors of the New Frontiers Agricultural Hall, he added. “If we were going to listen to somebody in terms of how this building was going to function and be put together, we really needed to ensure the faculty members were the ones to drive this process,” Raper said. Located on the northeast corner of Farm Road and Monroe Street, the new facility will feature several new additions, including group study and department huddle rooms, teaching labs, and other spaces for student involvement, Raper said. The installation of the research facilities has become one of the most prized components to the new building in addition to the student gathering spaces, said Tess Haddock, agricultural economics junior. During one of her class projects shadowing the New Frontiers campaign, Haddock worked with the OSU Foundation to give donors a tour of the
