It’s back-to-school season! Although I’m way past my college days, I wouldn’t mind enrolling at Iowa State University (ISU) just to see what it’s like attending class in Troxel Hall (pictured, courtesy of Iowa State University), a new state-of-the-art teaching auditorium that will be dedicated this week. The building will be used for entry-level chemistry classes and is one of the most sustainable on campus (the roof of the building has growing vegetation). With swivel chairs, the latest education technology, and wireless portals, Troxel Hall is equipped to be a collaborative learning environment.
The new auditorium is named after Serena Software Founder and ISU Alumnus Doug Troxel. He heads up a family, non-profit organization, the Change Happens Foundation, which donated $5 million to ISU for the construction of Troxel Hall. This is so amazing and such a wonderful gift back to the community. I read these comments by Mr. Troxel on a LinkedIn user group:
“It is my way of giving back to those who helped me find my career. As a senior at ISU in 1966, I thought I was going to be a math or physics teacher. Then, my advisor suggested I might like this new-fangled technology called Fortran. He assisted me in crossing college boundaries to the Engineering Department where I took this very first class offered. We had to punch our own cards and stack them in trays for one submittal per day and live with whatever the compiler determined.
The industry has come a long way since then but I never forgot how much that one little decision to go outside my comfort zone counted.”
Wow, that’s inspiring, as will Troxel Hall be to all students who learn there. For more and photos of the building, read “Troxel Hall is moving toward opening day.”
