Governor O'Malley Marks Opening of the New Camille Kendall Academic Center at the Universities at Shady Grove

Center is the University System's Newest "Green" Building

ROCKVILLE, Md. (November 9, 2007) - Governor Martin O'Malley and other dignitaries were on hand today for a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the Camille Kendall Academic Center at the (USG) in Rockville. The Kendall Center was recently recognized as a "Public Building of the Year" by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø for its leading-edge green design. Its opening triples the enrollment capacity of USG to 6,000 students and doubles its facility space to accommodate more programs and faculty to meet the region's expanding workforce education needs.

"The opening of the Camille Kendall Academic Center is a true milestone for the university system on two fronts," said William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø (ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø). "Through its green design, it marks the system's commitment to sustainable practices that help address the challenges of global climate change. It also testifies to the success of our regional higher education center concept that is bringing programs from our various universities to locations where they are critically needed and better serve our citizens."

"The Camille Kendall Academic Center is a wonderful achievement for the State of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø and for the University System," said Governor O'Malley. "This building is proof that we can accommodate a growing education system, and at the same time, create a building from materials that help improve and sustain our environment and the lives of generations to come."

Governor O'Malley and Chancellor Kirwan were joined at the ribbon cutting by James Mannarino, chair of the USG Board of Advisors; Chris Van Hollen, U. S. Representative, ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø 8th Congressional District; Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive; Stewart Edelstein, executive director of USG; John Arcilla, a graduate of the University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, College Park's Robert H. Smith School of Business Program at USG; and Clifford Kendall, chair of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Board of Regents, and his wife Camille, for whom the new academic center is named. The Kendalls have long been advocates for USG and recently donated $3 million through the auspices of their family fund to endow scholarships for USG students.

The 192,000-square-foot center adds 45 smart classrooms, 10 computer classrooms, two open computer labs, two distance learning classrooms, 81 faculty offices, and a 20,000-square-foot library and media center to the USG campus. It has received LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-level certification by incorporating green features such as roof gardens, an energy-conserving HVAC system, recycled building materials, and the use of sustainable materials such as wheat board, cork walls, bamboo flooring, and banana fiber tables.

"With the opening of the Camille Kendall Academic Center we plan to bring new degree programs to USG in healthcare, education, engineering, and technology-related fields among others that are critical to the region's continued economic growth," noted Edelstein.

The is an innovative model for expanding access to quality higher education in the Montgomery County region. USG is not one university-it is eight of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø's top public universities providing full- and part-time upper-division undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs at one central location. Participating ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø institutions include Bowie State University; Towson University; University of Baltimore; University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore; University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore County; University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, College Park; University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Eastern Shore; and University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø University College.

For directions to USG, visit: .

 

Contact: John Buettner
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: jbuettner@usmd.edu