Under the Purple Hard Hat

Let me guess, you thought I went missing? Nope still here and sill kicking. With all the prep that has gone on these past few weeks for both commencement and reunion life has been a bit crazy. Now we have Summer registration 1 coming up this weekend. so the work never ends.

The Elmira College Board of Trustees announced today at the cornerstone-laying ceremony that the College’s new dorm will be named for Dr. Thomas Keith Meier, the Twelfth President of Elmira College. Meier Hall is slated to open the autumn of 2010.

Dr. Meier, the second-longest serving President of Elmira College, has been a College President for twenty-nine years and is in his twenty-second year as President of Elmira College.

“It is particularly fitting that a student-centered building is named for Tom Meier. His first priority is to provide the best collegiate experience to every Elmira College student,” said Robert Morris, Chairman of the Elmira College Board of Trustees. “I am very happy that we could honor Tom in this way. He and his wife Mila have dedicated themselves to serving the students of Elmira College.”

He earned the Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. When he was in college at the University of Texas, he was an intercollegiate athlete and honor student, having been elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

In addition to six dozen scholarly articles and book reviews, Dr. Meier has published a book on Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe.

He, along with his wife, Dr. Mila Meier, is very active and visible on the Elmira College campus and in the greater community. They can be seen at virtually all of the performing arts events, athletic contests, and other student activities on campus. He encourages administrators to volunteer as advisors to student clubs, and he leads by example as Co-Advisor of the College Ski Club. Previously, the Elmira College Alumni Association awarded him the Medal of Merit and the Board of Trustees honored him with the title of Simeon Benjamin Professor of English Literature.

It is that time of year again when we must say good bye and best wishes to another class. I would like to offer my best wishes to all members of the Class of 2009.
 
An update on the construction site.
The exterior masonry is almost done and the roof is going on. I have been taking photos of the new dorm for a little over a year now and am in awe of the incridible strides that have been made. The sheer size of the project continues to keep me interested. When ever anyone asks about it I am always willing to tell. 

Keep an eye out to the blog tomorrow I am going to be placing a video of the new dorm up showing the interior as well as exterior. I might even throw in an interview or two. Who knows!

If you have ever been on campus you will see these little guys. I think he needs a hard hat.

Yesterday was the topping off ceremony. The final piece of steel was put in place and flags were raised over the new dorm. I am going to find out some facts from the guys but right now i do know it is somewhere in the realm of 3000 square feet of cement has been poured. I am going to see how much steel has been erected. Now the interior masonry and structural walls need to be finished and soon the exterior masonry will be going up. It will be nice to see the dorm have some red brick on it. Photos are up of the flag ceremony and from this past week.