The University of Washington Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) will celebrate the grand opening of the newly renovated Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center with a pair of events Jan. 10-11.
An invitation-only reception will be held Thur., Jan. 10, to commemorate the naming of the new center with the family of Dr. Kelly. On Fri., Jan. 11, the campus and local community is invited to join OMA&D for the “Light Up the Night” celebration from 5-8 p.m.
“Light Up the Night” will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from UW leadership beginning at 5 p.m. Food and beverages will be provided. Activities will include building tours, student performances and historical video viewings. Featured speakers will be UW President Michael K. Young and Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Sheila Edwards Lange. The event is free, but R.S.V.P.s are requested.
The building, which originated in 1972, underwent an extensive 1.5-year renovation at its location on the corner of Brooklyn Ave NE and NE 40th Street. In January 2012, the UW Board of Regents approved naming the new center in honor of the late Dr. Samuel E. Kelly, the founding vice president for minority affairs at the UW.
Is the first UW building to be named for an African American.
Contains 25,000 square feet and is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certified.
Was architecturally designed by former UW students Alex Rolluda, ’89, and Sam Cameron, ’75, of Rolluda and Associates.
Has 22 of the historical murals from the original building.
Naming the new center in honor of Dr. Kelly pays tribute to his legacy as a pioneer for diversity at the UW. He was the first African American senior administrator at the UW.
The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center serves nearly 90 student organizations and has been a “home away from home” for students of color at the UW since its inception.
For more information, contact Herrera at mherrer@uw.edu/206-543-4635.