Administration

Ribbon cutting held for Krause Innovation Studio in Chambers Building

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Gay and Bill Krause, whose $6.5 million gift is supporting the soon-to-open Krause Innovation Studio at Penn State, were on hand Oct. 28 for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony in Chambers Building on the University Park campus. The ribbon cutting signaled the establishment of the College of Education’s most advanced teaching and learning resource.

With their gift -- the largest in the history of the College of Education -- the Krauses are shaping the future of technology in education. The Krause Innovation Studio will be a haven for faculty who want to take advantage of powerful tools such as digital video, Web 2.0 tools, and mobile and ubiquitous computing to support their classes.

“We need to change the pedagogies in our schools,” Gay told the guests who attended the ribbon cutting. She said teachers must make full use of “technology as a tool.” Bill further noted that, “education of the next generation is critical -- not just here, but worldwide.”

The ceremony’s attendees included Penn State President Graham Spanier, as well as members of the Penn State Board of Trustees, the College of Education Alumni Society Board, and the Dean’s Development Council.

“It is often said that teaching is the profession that teaches all professions, and no one knows that better than the Krauses,” said Spanier. “This is a magnificent space we celebrate today and it will be vital to the education of our students. The Studio will be a focal point for cutting-edge research that will pay handsome long-term dividends for teaching and learning throughout the entire field of education.”

David H. Monk, dean of the College of Education, stated, “Technology is having a dramatic impact on all parts of our lives and is evolving at an exponential pace -- and the classroom is no exception. You don’t need to take more than a quick glance around campus to see how pervasive computing and telecommunication technologies have become.”

Monk added, “We’re all challenged today to keep pace with this ever-changing world as we work hard to enhance the competitive edge of our workforce, develop future leaders, and facilitate learning for a diverse and geographically dispersed student population. Thanks to the generosity and vision of Gay and Bill Krause, the college is now uniquely poised to meet and exceed these challenges.”

According to Director Scott McDonald, the studio will operate from the standpoint of a faculty member’s needs, rather than with the arsenal of equipment to be housed on-site. Educators will be encouraged to be innovative -- to think in new ways about what and how they want their students to learn, and then consider appropriate technologies to support their work.

Construction for the 4,000-square-foot Krause Innovation Studio began this past summer and should be completed near the end of the year. The doors are expected to officially open in time for the start of the spring 2012 semester.

Gay Krause, a former teacher and school administrator, received her bachelor’s degree in K-12 elementary and special education from Penn State. She is director of the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, Calif. Bill has been a Silicon Valley executive since the early 1970s. As president and CEO of 3Com, he guided the data networking company from a venture capital-funded start-up to a publicly traded, multinational enterprise with assets in excess of $1 billion when he retired. He now is president of the private investment firm LWK Ventures.

More information about the Krause Innovation Studio is available at www.ed.psu.edu/educ/innovation/innovate as well as at the studio’s blog, www.personal.psu.edu/sum16/blogs/innovation_studio/.

Gay and Bill Krause, whose $6.5 million gift is supporting the soon-to-open Krause Innovation Studio at Penn State. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated November 7, 2011

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