News and Events
[printer friendly version]posted on 9/28/09
Saint Joseph's College Dedicates Evans Arts and Science Building
RENSSELAER, Ind. – Saint Joseph's College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Evans Arts and Science Building on Friday, September 25. The building was named after Dr. Michael A. Evans, CEO of AIT Laboratories in Indianapolis and Saint Joseph's College alumnus from the class of 1967, who was on hand for the event.
"There couldn't be a greater honor," said Evans. "The sign says 'Evans Arts and Science Building,' but it should really say 'AIT Arts and Science Building' because all of the employees are the ones who have really done the hard work."
The building was named in Evans' honor after years of generous donations to his alma mater, including a pledge to SJC's 21st Century Campaign, which raised over $13.3 million for campus improvements and the College's endowment. In 2001, Evans started an exclusive partnership with Saint Joseph's College to create an internship program that has since placed 13 Saint Joseph's College students in internships, employing six alumni full-time, and employing others from Indiana colleges and universities. Employing Indiana graduates and keeping the highest achievers in the state, AIT has become known as one of the best Indiana employers.
"We rely on our alumni to give us support after they leave here," said SJC President F. Dennis Riegelnegg. "Dr. Evans has helped Saint Joseph's with his generosity and support of Saint Joseph's College students and graduates. He has shown what it truly means to be a Saint Joseph's College Puma."
In September 2008, Ernst & Young and Indiana Business Magazine named Evans their Entrepreneur of the Year for AIT's "turnaround" from nearly going out of business in 1996 to employing more than 200 people and serving more than 2,000 clients, with revenue more than $6 million from 2007 to 2008. AIT provides medical analysis for a variety of sources, from law enforcement to hospitals. In June of 2009, AIT was named one of the top 10 "Fastest-Growing Indianapolis-Area Private Companies" by Indianapolis Business Journal.
"It was wonderful to see firsthand one of the formative environments for so many of our people here at AIT and to get to know some of the deep and extended relationships that have formed over the years and even over generations," said Dr. Ron Thieme, Vice President and CIO of AIT. "It was also amazing to witness the re-dedication of a building that will now continue to serve SJC students and faculty for years to come."
The Evans Arts and Science Building was built in 1914. The building is the home of the Theatre and Robinson Memorial Library, as well the Music Department, computer and science laboratories, and classrooms.
Saint Joseph's College, named a "character-building college" by the Templeton Foundation and a "best Midwestern college" by the Princeton Review, is a four-year, Catholic, liberal arts college offering 75 major, minor and pre-professional programs. Founded and sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, SJC is located in Rensselaer, Ind., approximately 90 minutes from both Chicago and Indianapolis, on a park-like campus of 180 acres and has an enrollment of over 1,000 students.
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