New academic building and student housing open for fall

By Bryan Hay

William E. Simon Center for Economics and Business

The inside out transformation of the former Kunkel Hall into the new home for the Economics Department and Policy Studies Program is complete, and the bright, sunlit facility has begun welcoming faculty and students.

Students and visitors enter the new four-story William E. Simon Center for Economics and Business through a tall glass foyer highlighted by matte-finished Champagne colored metal framework. The building, filled with natural light, features new dynamic academic spaces—a Data Lab, eight smart classrooms, a lab with 12 Bloomberg terminals to monitor real-time financial data, 23 offices for the Economics Department on the second and third floors, and three Policy Studies offices on the first floor.

Photos by Adam Atkinson

Noting that 20% of Lafayette students study economics, David Stifel, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics and department head, says the new Simon Center on Sullivan Road reflects a steady interest in the major and has high-tech equipment to help students succeed. Their work will be supported by the Bloomberg data lab, which provides real-time global financial data and news and an opportunity for students to become Bloomberg certified before entering the job market.

Construction and renovations started in fall 2022 to transform Kunkel Hall, after the Biology Department in 2019 moved into its new home in the Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center. With its bird-friendly fritted glass, steel and brick-faced design, the new Simon Center completes a complimentary trio of academic facilities with the neighboring Hugel Science Center and Rockwell Integrated Sciences Center. Stifel worked directly with Audra Kahr, executive vice president, Finance and Administration, and the planning team, on the design elements and furnishings, right down to the trophy case to exhibit the department’s awards and achievements.

Videos by Olivia Giralico and Alfred Greenbaum

Of all the classrooms, room 300, named in honor of Rose Marie Bukics, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Emeritus Professor of Economics, is particularly stunning, with its panoramic view of the campus, College Hill rooftops, and a look beyond into south Easton.

The new Simon Center also offers collaborative spaces for students, with easy access to faculty offices on the perimeter of each floor, LED lighting, a central staircase with stainless steel cable handrails, gray linoleum floors made from recycled material, lighted powder blue alcoves with quiet sitting areas, and an outdoor area for studying and relaxing surrounding by native plants.

The building is anticipated to receive LEED silver certification for its sustainability features. The original Simon Center for Economics and Business was dedicated in 1986 and named for U.S. Treasury Secretary William E. Simon ’52. The new Simon Center will be formally rededicated on Oct. 4.

McCartney II

Seniors returning to campus have been occupying the newly finished McCartney Street Housing, Phase II, facility, the second of the new residential units for College housing.

“We are pleased that the addition of McCartney II increases the number of apartment-style housing options. McCartney II was designed to offer students a more independent living experience while remaining connected to the Lafayette residential community through thoughtfully designed common spaces both inside and outside the building,” says Grace Reynolds, director of Residence Life.

“It is clear that our seniors are excited for this type of housing option as all apartments in the 166-person building were selected during the senior-only housing lottery last spring,” she says. “The students who have already moved in have been overwhelmingly excited to settle into their new campus home.”

Situated immediately next to McCartney North/South, which opened in August 2020, and bounded by McCartney and Marquis streets and March Street and Clinton Terrace, the three-story complex features 166 new beds, including 34 four-bedroom suites, two three-bedroom suites, seven two-bedroom suites, and 10 singles. All of the units have a full kitchen with a microwave, a combination stove/oven, and a full-size refrigerator.

There are laundry rooms and student lounges/study areas on each floor and a game room with ping pong, air hockey, and foosball tables on the second floor. The facility has two elevators and three stair towers, with LED lighting throughout.

Mural by Isabel Sorrells ’23

Lafayette imagery is everywhere, from the maroon and gray tile to the vintage black and white photos of campus life through the years adorning the lounge walls. Maroon canopies with the College seal cover the windows, and a brick courtyard facing McCartney Street has Adirondack chairs, a ubiquitous symbol of the campus. Students had a hand in choosing the furniture. In the first-floor lounge, Isabel Sorrells ’23 (fine and studio arts) painted a colorful wall mural depicting a pair of leopards in a rainforest setting.

Other enhancements

New and returning students, staff, and campus guests will take notice of new signage to help get around the campus community.

Wayfinding and signage

In the first phase of wayfinding updates now under way to make campus easier to traverse for both visitors and the campus community, the following building signs have been installed or are slated for installation:

• William E. Simon Center for Economics and Business (formerly Kunkel Hall)
• Jenks Hall
• McCartney II
• Additionally, signage for the following areas will be moved to more visible locations:
• Farinon College Center
• Hogg Hall
• Leopard Parking Deck (the Sullivan Road parking deck was recently enhanced with maroon paint and College branding)

The Leopard Deck has a fresh coat of maroon paint and College branding.

LCAT shuttle QR codes

To help students using campus shuttles, new signage will be added under existing LCAT shuttle signs that include a QR code to the LCAT shuttle schedule, so students can easily learn when the next shuttle is due to arrive.

Maps

Nine new campus maps were added throughout campus this summer to make navigation easier for students, employees, and visitors. Maps are now available in the following locations:

• Arts Campus: Near Escarpment Trail
• Sullivan Road: Near Leopard Parking Deck
• Quad: Near Farinon College Center
• Near Oechsle Center for Global Education
• Near Schwartz-Schoor Plaza
• Near Markle Hall
• In Fisher Stadium
• At the Bushkill Lot, near Bushkill Drive and Dietrich Drive
• Near Marquis Hall

Each map will have a QR code that links to an online map for related updates (e.g., new buildings added or updated names of campus spaces).