ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University's Southern Campus in Ironton hosted a formal dedication ceremony for its new Bill W. Dingus Technology Center today.

The two-story, 41,500-square-feet building will house programs in computer science, business management, human resources, accounting, equine studies and travel and tourism. It also will serve as the future home of the school's associate degree program in nursing, which is scheduled to admit its first students next fall and conduct its first courses during fall 2003.

The $6 million facility includes a 75-seat lecture hall, eight multi-purpose classrooms, two art labs, teaching and executive computer labs and office space for staff, faculty and administration. It also features a two-story atrium that connects it to the campus' Academic Center.

The building was named in honor of Dingus, who retired in fall 2000 after 24 years as dean. Under his guidance, campus enrollment increased from less than 270 to more than 2,500. He also was instrumental in the opening of Southern's satellite campus in Proctorville, Ohio, as well as the 180-acre, nine-facility Ohio Horse Park in Franklin Furnace, Ohio. The park serves as a state-of-the-art learning facility for the campus' equine studies program.

"To have a building named in your honor is very humbling," Dingus said. "I was smart enough to hire great people to work for me and they made it all possible. This school has come a long way since I began as dean in 1976 and I'm just grateful for the support the campus has received since that time."