Bowie State Readies for New Communication Arts & Humanities Building

Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford Attends Groundbreaking

 

MEDIA CONTACT: David Thompson, dlthompson@bowiestate.edu, 301-860-4311

(BOWIE, Md.) – Lieutenant Governor Boyd K. Rutherford joined BSU President Aminta Breaux, faculty, students and alumni for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Martin Luther King Jr. Communications Arts & Humanities Building on Bowie State University’s campus. The building is scheduled to open in fall 2024.

The building will house the Departments of Communications; Language, Literature, and Cultural Studies; History and Government and Military Science. Students in these programs and all other disciplines will use the new facilities to prepare for careers in media, communications, politics, law, education and other fields that will help them strive for a more equitable society.

“This moment represents the university’s exceptional growth and its dedication to making sure its students not only have the finest education, but also the most adequate facilities to match,” said Lt. Governor Rutherford. “The new building will embody the legacy of Dr. King and the memory of one of your own, Lt. Richard Collins III. My hope is that the legacies of each of these men will inspire each student that walks through the doors of the new building.”  

The new Communication Arts & Humanities Building is being constructed by Whiting-Turner at a cost of $129 million. Perkins & Will, the architectural firm that created the facility’s unique design, included materials on the exterior façade that invoke a waveform of Dr. King’s voice calling us to have the “Courage to Face the Uncertainties of the Future” and an image of Dr. King inscribed on panels on the first level entrance to the auditorium. There will also be a two-story image of Lt. Richard Collins III inscribed into the panels on the second floor as a memorial and celebration of his life.

“When I first met Dr. Breaux, she said she would be with me and partner with us going forward,” said Dawn Collins, the mother of the late Lt. Richard Collins III who was tragically killed in 2017 a few days before his graduation. “Thank you for honoring my son and keeping his memory alive on this campus.”

With 192,000 square feet, the new Martin Luther King Jr. Communication Arts & Humanities Building will have a 1,500 seat auditorium, two radio and television studios, an ROTC plaza, an amphitheater, and much more.

“Our new facility will have the space to accommodate all of our students’ and professors’ classroom needs,” said President Breaux. “What’s really exciting is that the building will also have do-it-yourself recording studios and a screening room that will serve as a catalyst for students to enhance their classroom learning by creating their own audio and visual products,” said Breaux.

Other guests who attended the groundbreaking include: Maryland Treasurer Dereck E. Davis; Maryland Senator Ron Watson, D-63; Ellen Herbst, vice chancellor, administration & finance, University System of Maryland; K.C. Haile, senior vice president of Whiting-Turner; and Anshia Crooms, a 2005 Bowie State alumna.

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About Bowie State University
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high-quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The university places special emphasis on the science, technology, cybersecurity, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit bowiestate.edu.