The freshly painted white walls set off the cardinal-and-gold balloons lining the hallway in the Town Engineering Building for a dedication ceremony for the Highway Design Classroom and Kiewit Student Study Center on Thursday.

Students, faculty, alumni and representatives from all major benefactors attended the ceremony on the south lawn of the Town Engineering Building.

The ceremony marks the end of a renovation project that began last fall. The total cost of the two projects was estimated at more than $245,000.

Major benefactors for the projects included Kiewit, the Howard R. Green Company and Snyder & Associates, in addition to Gerald and Audrey Olsen. The College of Engineering also sponsored the projects through differential tuition of engineering students.

James Alleman, professor and chairman of civil, construction and environmental engineering, began the ceremony by thanking the alumni, students, sponsors and representatives from major sponsors.

Daniel Frohardt, former president of Iowa State’s Associated General Contractors chapter and graduate student in CCEE, was especially thankful for the Kiewit Student Study Center, which will aid students working in groups on large projects.

The study center, Room 0194, has been used as a study center in the past and was in need of improvements. The room has special additions that were designed to best meet students’ needs.

“Our student chapter organizations submitted a design for the space. The room was remodeled based on the students’ design and input to best meet the needs of the students,” said Nancy Qvale, administrative specialist for CCEE. “The room has two conference rooms, several study tables, computer stations, a plan storage unit and a plasma screen for news and information.”

Some students are already taking advantage of this improved study space. Emily Holden, senior in civil engineering, plans to utilize the Kiewit Student Study Center this year.

“It’s really nice and quiet here. It’s also beneficial because when we studied for tests in the past we’d sometimes have to use classrooms,” she said.

Christian Sax, graduate student in CCEE, extended his gratitude to the donors who funded the Highway Design Classroom.

The Highway Design Classroom, Room 0196, was previously used as a storage space for surveying equipment. It will now be used for upper-level design courses in civil engineering.

The room is now equipped with computer stations, a conference table, maps and a multimedia unit for presentations.

“The lab will definitely help students that haven’t completed an internship understand the first concepts. It will help prepare everyone for the workplace. We used to have to share our space; now we have one all our own with our own workstations and new resources,” Sax said.

Jason Walker, graduate student in CCEE, came to the ceremony to support the remodeling of the classrooms and to show his thanks to the sponsors.

“I definitely think this will benefit the students, especially the Highway Design Classroom, with its use of software,” Walker said. “Various groups used to use the same software, and it would take double the time it should. This should cut it in half.”

Eric Fitzsimmons, graduate student in CCEE, agreed.

“We definitely needed the newer technology, and the lounge serves as an updated area to practice presentations, collaborate with other students and have a comfortable study area,” he said.

Jim Rowings, Kiewit representative, concluded the ceremony by summing up Kiewit’s reason for investing in the projects.

“We always want to bring in new talent. We think Iowa State is one of the best, if not the best, producer of talent in our organization. We find future employees at Iowa State in civil and construction engineering,” Rowings said.