A new space, designed as a physical hub for many of the student innovation and entrepreneurship activities taking place across campus, is set to open to students, faculty and staff on the third floor of the Ohio University Libraries in late September.
Starting Sept. 25, students, faculty and staff can engage in the collaborative learning environment between the hours of 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday each week and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Fridays.
“We are so excited to unveil the new space to the University community,” said program manager Matthew Thomson. “We are looking forward to providing a venue that will bring people together through creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship on our campus.”
Initially created as C-Suite, the space, which was approved by the Ohio University Board of Trustees in January 2017, will serve as a central hub that unites students from all backgrounds and embeds innovation and entrepreneurship into their lives. OHIO is thankful to Board of Trustees member David Pidwell and Winston Breeden (BS '93) for their generous donations, totaling $400,000, which made CoLab a reality.
Laura Burns, a library support specialist with Ohio University Libraries, coined the name CoLab for the space through a University wide naming. Burns will receive $250 and is invited to the space’s ceremonial ribbon cutting event in October.
“Fostering and furthering student thinking, creativity and innovation has been at the core of Ohio University’s academic mission for more than 200 years,” said President Dr. M. Duane Nellis. “CoLab will serve as a nucleus that supports campus-wide student innovation, creativity and social and public innovation efforts. It will truly allow for a focused area to support not only collaboration but also innovative ventures created by the OHIO community.”
By facilitating cross-disciplinary collaborations and serving as OHIO's hub for access to anything and everything creative, innovative, or entrepreneurial, CoLab will be able to enable and empower students to make their own aspirations tangible.
CoLab, a collaborative effort between OHIO students, the Office of the President, The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, University Libraries, the Center for Entrepreneurship, the College of Business, the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, the Scripps College of Communication, the Office of Instructional Innovation, the Research Division, and the Stanford University Epicenter Innovation Fellows, will be housed on the third floor of Alden Library within the heart of OHIO’s campus.
For more information about CoLab, email CoLab@ohio.edu or call 740-566-0146.