Artist rendition of Mihaylo Hall

Kresge Foundation Grant Bolsters CSUF Business Campaign

Funds Directed Toward Construction of Mihaylo Hall

October 23, 2007

by Pamela McLaren

Cal State Fullerton has been awarded a $500,000 Kresge Foundation grant to be used toward the construction of the future home of the university’s College of Business and Economics, Steven G. Mihaylo Hall.

The challenge grant is offered to assist in completing the College of Business and Economics’ capital campaign goal of $20 million. The campaign is currently within $2 million of its expanded target.

“For Cal State Fullerton to receive a national grant from a prestigious foundation like Kresge … signals that we have arrived at a higher level of philanthropic recognition,” said Pamela Hillman, vice president for university advancement. “It’s a very difficult grant to receive, but I’m confident that we will be able to meet the challenge.”

The College of Business and Economics campaign is helping to fund not only the construction of the five-story Mihaylo Hall, but also is creating endowments for student scholarships, academic programs and centers. The Kresge grant and its matching funds are earmarked for construction.

“We are pleased to support an institution that has been and continues to be a portal to higher education for many low-income and minority students in Southern California,” said Rip Rapson, president and CEO of the Michigan-based foundation dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations in education and health and human services sectors.

Mihaylo Hall is named in honor of the founder of Phoenix-based Inter-Tel, a publicly traded provider of communications hardware, software and services. The university alumnus has committed $4.5 million in pledges and contributions to the College of Business and Economics.

The new building will bring together the college’s academic and faculty offices into one location and feature technologically advanced classrooms that will “enable us to provide a world-class business education in an optimal learning environment for our students,” said Anil
Puri, dean of the college. It also will house computer labs, student support facilities and the college’s centers and institutes, as well as administrative and office space.

“The Kresge Foundation grant acknowledges the enormous impact of the College of Business and Economics on this region’s economy,” said Puri. “Our students, faculty, alumni and business friends will benefit from this generous grant, which provides the opportunity for all our constituents to join with us to meet the ‘challenge.’”

Under the terms of the grant, the university must raise an additional $1.69 million in matching funds.

Construction began in 2005 and is on schedule for completion in June 2008. “We’re two-thirds of the way through construction,” said Dave Fernandez, project manager.

The College of Business and Economics kicked off its capital campaign just prior to groundbreaking in 2005 with an original target of $15 million, then expanded when fundraising surpassed that original goal.