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Sacred Heart University In Fairfield Jumps In Status With New Building

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- When Sacred Heart University opened the Martire Business and Communications Center in March, the Fairfield college did more than just cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art structure with much needed learning space.

Frank Martire speaks at the opening of the new  Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University. His wife, Marisa, is to Martire's right.

Frank Martire speaks at the opening of the new Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University. His wife, Marisa, is to Martire's right.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
One of the new television sets at the

One of the new television sets at the

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
An exterior view of the Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University.

An exterior view of the Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
Frank Martire and his wife Marisa get applause from Sacred Heart University students.

Frank Martire and his wife Marisa get applause from Sacred Heart University students.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
Sacred Heart athletic director Bobby Valentine, right, and trustee Linda McMahon talk with guests at the ribbon cutting for the new building.

Sacred Heart athletic director Bobby Valentine, right, and trustee Linda McMahon talk with guests at the ribbon cutting for the new building.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
A look at some of the business classrooms at the new Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University.

A look at some of the business classrooms at the new Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
A view from the outside of the building.

A view from the outside of the building.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek
A look at a television studio at the new Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University.

A look at a television studio at the new Martire Business & Communications Center on the campus of Sacred Heart University.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sacred Heart University/Tracy Deer-Mirek

The new Center also adds to the prestige of the University, and helps elevate it in stature. The building will house the University’s John F. Welch College of Business (WCOB) and rapidly growing Department of Communications and Media Studies. The school hierarchy believes with its faculty and facilities, Sacred Heart is now among the best schools in the region, if not the country, for students studying business or communications.

“For the 15 years I’ve been at Sacred Heart we’ve had a tremendous faculty,’’ said Dr. Andrew Miller, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication and Media Studies. “We had our location, in proximity to New York, Boston and Hartford. This means our facility is on par with anywhere in the country. There are a lot of great schools, but we think this moves to us to a destination. It’s one of the first places people will look to go for students interested in communication media and business.”

The new Center is named after 1969 SHU graduate Frank Martire, whose multi-million dollar philanthropic commitment helped make the building a reality. Martire is Chairman and CEO of Financial Information Systems.

The building offers state-of-the-art facilities that include an active trading floor; dedicated conference rooms for business meetings and internships; screening venues; “smart” classrooms with multimedia technology; satellite equipment and movable furniture for various learning configurations; a multi-media forum for leadership institutes, lectures and screenings; interactive labs, including a motion capture lab for motion picture animation and video game design; two large television studios for TV, video and film production; and a radio station.

“The space is designed for active learning,’’ said John Chalykoff, Dean of the Jack Welch College of Business. “We put learning into action. Everybody is learning together. Now we have these active learning spaces with connectivity that can beam students to anywhere in the world. They can hit the ground running and be job ready when they graduate. Employers want workers who can think broadly, and from the first day can be productive.”

Business students will now work on an active trading floor, which includes 30 workstations; 13 Bloomberg terminals; eight 42 inch LCD screens and eight LCD wallboard ticker tapes displaying market information, news headlines and real-time data from the NASDAQ and the NYSE.

“Students will view us differently,’’ Chalykoff said. “They will feel like they’re going to the best business school in Connecticut. We don’t compete with Yale. The faculty and staff here are dedicated to the students. There’s a sense of community here that I have not seen anywhere else.”

Miller is similarly enthusiastic about all of the updates available for students of communication. Many student groups -- such as its newspaper, magazine, video news magazine and television programs -- were spread throughout campus. “They were almost in closet and they were all over the university,’’ Miller said. “Now they’re next to each other with more room. It’s going to help them work together in interesting and productive ways.”

Both educators believe the new building will foster collaboration on many levels. Students will be able to work more effectively with each other, and professors and students will see each other more frequently. The close relationship between business and communications will lead to dialogue between the two departments.

“It’s important in the current climate to have a modern communications center,’’ Chalykoff said. “We’re not just going to be talking about it. We’re actually going to be doing it. We’re thrilled to be working alongside the Department of Communications. There is so much synergy between us. We plan to work with them very closely.”

Click here for more about the Welch College of Business. Click here for more about the Department of Communications and Media Studies.

 

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