Zurn Hall Prepares for 21st Century
Goal: $2,000,000
"Since Mercyhurst aspires to go to the next tier of top liberal arts colleges in the country, we must improve all aspects of the college. This includes investing in buildings, equipment, and scholarships."
-- Dr. James Adovasio, executive director of Mercyhurst College archaeological institute and professor in the anthropology/archaeology and geology departments.
Zurn Hall was dedicated in the spring of 1968 and has never undergone a major renovation. Since that time society has made great strides in the equipment used in the sciences. Today, Zurn is the home of the arts and science departments as well as the Gifted Education Center of the Erie School District.
Once described as a state-of-the-art educational facility, the building houses sciences in the west wing and arts in the east wing. The most recognizable feature of Zurn is its Baltus Observatory that is named after Sister Mary Matthew Baltus '45, founding director of the college's earth space science department.
One of the goals of the campaign is to provide Zurn Hall with an upgraded and more efficient heating and cooling system. Most importantly, Mercyhurst must keep pace with the scientific advances of today. Classrooms need to be rejuvenated to meet the needs of a growing student population. The laboratories have to remain in synch with the research needs of an increasingly sophisticated scientific world if Mercyhurst is to maintain its outstanding academic reputation.