On September 9, the impressive lobby of The Grove filled with students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and Quinnipiac leaders to officially usher in a new era for the aspirational, environmentally forward building, which is part of the new south quad on the Mount Carmel Campus.

Named in honor of the Pine Grove, The Grove supports an interdisciplinary living-learning community of students. The Grove’s intentional living and gathering spaces are focused on environmental sustainability, community engagement, equity and inclusion and health and education.

Supported by resident advisors, a residence hall director, and the university’s first faculty fellow in residence, Tan Gürpinar, assistant professor of business analytics and information systems at the School of Business, over 300 first-year students and nearly 100 upper-class student mentors populate The Grove. Led by faculty and student mentors, first-year residents of The Grove will co-create impactful projects to benefit the Quinnipiac community and the greater Hamden community over the course of the academic year, explained Quinnipiac Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellet.

“Each first-year student is co-enrolled in a first-year leadership course focused on completing the group projects, and we can’t wait for what they develop here over the next year,” Ellet said. “We’re really looking forward to what this community will develop, and the traditions long-term you will help to form here in this community.”

Quinnipiac President Judy Olian said it is fitting that The Grove, which celebrates nature, also emphasizes sustainability in the design and materials that have been incorporated to support this new living-learning model.

“We’ve intentionally blurred the lines between living and learning to advance what we’re preoccupied with every day, and that is to advance students’ professional growth and also personal development as whole people,” said Olian.

Olian said the many innovative concepts built into The Grove and crafted into its meaningful learning opportunities will change the living-learning experience for student residents. She noted The Grove prompts a unique sense of community with design that entices residents to be social, to engage with others, share and collaborate. Working on a “grand societal challenge” for the year will advance professional growth for first-year students, Olian said, while personal growth will be enabled as they live side-by-side with upper-class students mentoring them in their projects and in transitioning from home to school, enriching their academic and personal lives.

“When we design spaces, we don’t design architectural monuments,” Olian said. “We design spaces that will prompt the kind of learning and behaviors that fit our values; and that is around communities that have critical conversations across differences, that create connections that endure for life, that create learning around differences in lived experiences.”

Distinguished alumnus Dan LaTerra ’08, Vice President of Engineering and Streaming Technology at CBS Sports, thanked Olian for the opportunity to address those gathered at the event.

“It’s an honor for me to be a part of this ribbon cutting, and to speak to staff, faculty, and the next generation of Quinnipiac graduates,” said LaTerra. “I graduated in 2008 from the School of Communications, and all that I can say is I continue to be amazed by the amount of continued growth in this university. The footprint of not only the facilities continues to expand, but also the programs that are offered for all of the students.”

LaTerra reflected on the many career and networking opportunities he gained while living on campus and studying at Quinnipiac, many of which continue to help him to navigate his career.

“I was given opportunities to meet and expand my network just by being a part of this prestigious university,” said LaTerra. “There is a very important aspect that I think should not be overlooked when I think about Quinnipiac, and that is the culture that is here on this campus. Being a part of the university is not solely about the academics, although they are very important. It is the importance of living on campus and the experiences that you gain from that opportunity.”

As evidenced by The Grove and other new facilities on campus, LaTerra said it’s clear Quinnipiac understands technology and innovation.

“It’s embodied in The Grove, and all the new areas that we see being built around us,” said LaTerra. “Judy and the team, from my point of view, continue to focus very heavily on emergent technologies all over this campus, and that continues to excite me. There is also a focus on sustainability and ensuring that what is being built today is ready for tomorrow.”

Olian thanked the many collaborative members of the Quinnipiac team for their part in the design and development of The Grove. Olian also recognized the key support provided by the university’s Board of Trustees to invest in the future of Quinnipiac.

In addition to The Grove, the south quad will include two new academic buildings under construction: the new, state-of-the-art School of Business, and The SITE, named for its interdisciplinary collaborative spaces supporting Science, Innovation, Technology and Exploration.

“Our board made a very gutsy move during Covid to not just build the Recreation and Wellness Center, but also to build this glorious south quad,” said Olian. “This board thought about the future and investing in the future for this university, and made that bold investment decision to build this, and much more, and invest in our future.”

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Chuck Saia ’91, MBA ’94, spoke on behalf of the Trustees. Saia said it was a proud day.

“Judy said it takes a village, but most importantly, it took someone like Judy and the team to have courageous leadership. We would not have The Grove, the Wellness Center, the other buildings, without your courageous leadership,” said Saia.

Saia said he remembers feeling supported by Quinnipiac from his first day as an undergraduate student living on campus.

“I remember immediately how I felt that Quinnipiac was treating me like family, and I immediately felt Quinnipiac started to make investments in me to create a foundation for a successful life,” said Saia. “That’s really the difference at Quinnipiac. We invest in you and we’re here for you.”