Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
June 05, 2003
New classroom complex, scholarships named in Rozanski’s honour
The University of Guelph’s new state-of-the-art classroom complex will be named Rozanski Hall in honour of Mordechai Rozanski, the University’s longest serving president, it was announced today.
In addition, two doctoral scholarships worth $45,000 have been established in the name of Bonnie and Mordechai Rozanski in recognition of their contributions and dedication to U of G. The scholarships are being funded by current and past chairs of the University’s Board of Governors and Chancellor Lincoln Alexander.
The announcements were made during a campus-wide tribute and farewell to Rozanski, who is leaving July 13 after serving as president for 10 years. Hundreds of current and former faculty, administrators, students and staff attended the event, along with board members, government ministers, elected officials, and members of the community. “It is very fitting that the classroom complex is being named after Dr. Rozanski,” said Provost Alastair Summerlee, vice-president (academic) and incoming president, who made the announcement. “He has overseen the design of every corner, every brick and every stone in the building. But more importantly, he is a passionate advocate of the power and importance of education. A classroom complex that will be the heart of teaching and learning for students on this campus should carry his name.”
In announcing the Bonnie and Mordechai Rozanski Doctoral Scholarships, Michael Walsh, chair of the University’s Board of Governors, said he and three former Board chairs – Simon Cooper, Bill Brock and Doug Dodds – along with Chancellor Alexander wanted to recognize Rozanski “in a special way.” “These scholarships will remain a symbol of Mort’s dedication to students and to higher education, and to the many contributions he and Bonnie have made to this University and to the city of Guelph,” Walsh said.
Rozanski said he was “overwhelmed and humbled by these overly-generous tributes.” “These have been the best 10 years of my academic career...any successes that may be attributed to me are in fact the cumulative product of the wise counsel, the initiative and the actions of outstanding colleagues with whom I have worked this past decade.”
Rozanski Hall will open this fall and feature leading edge facilities that will accommodate 1,530 students. It will house lecture halls ranging in size from 30 to 600 seats and modern classrooms with computer-based multimedia equipment allowing for the delivery of technology-assisted courses. The facility also recognizes the historical importance and architectural heritage of surrounding buildings, and includes materials salvaged from the dairy barn that once stood on the site. Rozanski Hall is the first phase in one of the biggest construction projects in the University’s history. It, along with the new science complex, will add some 400,000 square feet of new facilities to campus.
Rozanski will become president of Rider University, a 138-year-old independent university in New Jersey, in August. Located one hour from Manhattan, Rider has 5,504 students and some 335 faculty and 1,054 staff on two campuses, in Lawrenceville and Princeton, New Jersey.
A graduate of McGill University with a BA in history, Rozanski received his PhD in modern Chinese history in 1974 from the University of Pennsylvania, where he began his teaching career as a lecturer in American-East Asian relations. He studied Chinese at New Asia College in Hong Kong and was a Lily Fellow at Stanford and an American-East Asian Relations Fellow at Columbia University.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rachelle Cooper, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982.
