Michigan State University hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 27 to showcase and formally celebrate the opening of the Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion at the Eli Broad College of Business.
Located on Shaw Lane adjacent to the Eppley Center, the state-of-the-art building features a glass-walled, open-air atrium with panoramic views of the Red Cedar River. It houses an entrepreneurship lab, flexible classrooms, team rooms, a media studio, and an expanded career center to serve students, recruiters and corporate partners.
“The Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion is a game-changer for the Broad College of Business – one that raises the bar for how we will prepare the business leaders of tomorrow,” said Sanjay Gupta, the Eli and Edythe L. Broad dean of the Broad College of Business. “This building reflects the culture of our college with its spaces designed around collaboration, teamwork and community. The Broad student experience will be forever changed and we are enthusiastic about the opportunities that the Broad College and MSU will have going forward.”
President Samuel L. Stanley Jr, M.D. echoed Gupta’s comments. “Since I came to MSU I have been inspired by the vision this university has for its future, and the way its community has invested in making that vision a reality,” Stanley said. “This facility will be a magnet for employers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, scholars, and those eager to follow in their footsteps and that will ensure MSU continues to make a difference in communities around the globe.”
The 100,000-square-foot facility – designed and built by LMN Architects, Clark Construction, and Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber – broke ground in September 2017. The architects designed the building with sustainability, community, engagement and learning in mind. The three-story pavilion is named after Edward J. Minskoff, an MSU alumnus and real estate developer, whose $30 million gift in 2018 was the largest single-donor gift in MSU’s history.
“From our first conversations on the project, Dean Gupta expressed a clear vision for the building: a place that would not only foster learning, collaboration and engagement with alumni and the business community, but also a facility that would weave the existing spaces to create a more cohesive ‘campus within a campus,’” said Rafael Viñoly-Menendez, design partner with LMN Architects.
With a fundraising goal of $62 million to cover the cost of the building, the Minskoff Pavilion was one of the highest priorities of the Empower Extraordinary capital campaign and received 100% private support from more than 1,700 donors since fundraising began in 2014.
“An education at Michigan State gave me the tools I needed to get my start in business, and it’s an honor to provide future generations of Spartans a place to prepare for their futures,” Minskoff said. “I am grateful to be a part of the school’s future and look forward to seeing the Broad College attract top students to its programs.”
Minskoff – joined by his wife Julie, son Justin, and Eli and Edythe Broad – attended the ceremony and spoke alongside MSU President Samuel L. Stanley to an audience of over 500 MSU alumni, faculty, staff and students.
The Broads kicked-off fundraising for the Minskoff Pavilion and Empower Extraordinary capital campaign with a $25 million challenge grant, bringing the couple’s total giving to MSU to nearly $100 million.
“I am thrilled seeing the Minskoff Pavilion come to fruition as it is a new home for Michigan State business students,” Broad said. “Having facilities and spaces like those in the Minskoff Pavilion will give our students the opportunity to hone critical business skills while learning to work with different kinds of people. I look forward to seeing the college continue on its trajectory as a top-ranked school with exceptional students, faculty and alumni.”
Construction on the Edward J. Minskoff Pavilion was completed in August, welcoming classes and career advising for both undergraduate and graduate students as the fall semester began. The facility has already hosted professional guest lecture series, career fairs and networking sessions and alumni events.
