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With the generosity of donors who have already committed more than $29 million, Denison University has begun construction of a visionary center of learning that will further cement the college’s reputation as an innovator in the liberal arts and data sciences.

The sweeping renovation and expansion of Doane Hall, one of the most prominent and historic buildings on campus, positions Denison to be the first liberal arts college with a state-of-the-art campus hub devoted to integrating data across the curriculum.

The new center for data sciences will house the computer science and data analytics departments and host courses such as applied mathematics, digital humanities, financial economics, and data for political research.

“This is a game-changer for the college,” President Adam Weinberg said at a formal groundbreaking for the project on Friday, Jan. 31.

Weinberg said the center will propel Denison graduates into successful lives and careers increasingly driven by data. The new center underscores Denison’s visionary and longstanding commitment to integrating the data sciences across all disciplines.

“Every single profession that our students will go into in the future is going to depend upon technology, data, large data sets, and artificial intelligence, and students who don’t have that proficiency are going to be irrelevant,” he said.

“Data has to be interpreted by liberal arts graduates who know how to ask the right questions, tell stories that others can understand and engage with, and ensure that our work has an ethical core,” Weinberg said. “The liberal arts, from my perspective, is what gives the data sciences its heart, its soul, and its greatness.”

Weinberg added that equipping Denison students with the skills they need and providing a top-shelf facility that the college’s expert faculty deserve are educational imperatives.

The new center, expected to be completed in August 2026, will open doors for students that few colleges nationwide are similarly positioned to do.

Weinberg and Lee Sachs ’85, chair of Denison’s Board of Trustees, said the $29 million already raised by donors once again highlights Denison’s deep and devoted network of alumni and friends.

“This structure will stand as a testament to the dedication, commitment, leadership, and philanthropy of some of the individuals gathered here today,” Sachs said. “And we are still not done. This is just the first milestone in our fundraising efforts.”

These transformative gifts include:

• A $15 million commitment from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, which supports a variety of higher education initiatives. The foundation has a history of generosity toward Denison, including a $10 million grant toward global programs and career preparation. Denisonians Wally Burke ’71 (also a Denison life trustee) and President Emeritus Dale Knobel are esteemed leaders of the foundation.
• A $5 million commitment from Bob King and Emmy Hauser King ’63, for whom the new wing anchoring the data science center will be named. The Kings have been passionate champions of Denison’s innovative career services initiatives. They see this project as “a natural evolution of the groundbreaking work Denison has done to blend the liberal arts with career preparation.” Bob King has built several successful businesses that apply technology to education, including Collegis Education, Deltak, and Rasmussen College. Emmy and Bob have dedicated themselves to opening doors to education.
• A $5 million commitment from Arthur ’80 and Carrie Steinmetz, who are inspired by their belief that “data science skills in a liberal arts context give students powerful tools that set them up well for career success.” Art, a former chairman, CEO, and president of OppenheimerFunds, is a Denison trustee with a bachelor of arts in Russian language and Slavic studies.
• A $3 million gift from Lisa Wolff Brickman ’83 and Daniel Brickman ’80. With careers in marketing and finance, the Brickmans understand the importance of equipping graduates with both a broad grounding in the liberal arts and leading-edge training in fields like data science. Dan, also a university trustee, has seen firsthand the transformative impact of this combination in the professional world.
• A $1 million contribution from Lisa Katz Mathias ’85 and Robert Mathias ’86, who were inspired by Denison’s commitment to a rigorous and relevant curriculum. Rob, a double major in economics and English, credits his Denison experience with helping him build a successful career in investment management. The Mathias’ gift reflects their belief in the power of combining scientific inquiry with creative thinking, a hallmark of Denison’s innovative approach.
• A generous leadership gift from Ashley Edwards Bradley ’93 and Thomas Bradley ’91. As a Denison trustee and successful entrepreneur, Ashley embodies the versatility a liberal arts education provides. She and her husband, Tom, an executive in private equity, recognize the value of building a purpose-driven facility for data science that will equip Denison students to navigate a complex world.
• A $250,000 gift was made by the Trumbull family. The Trumbull family has deep roots ����������, including Scott ’70, his wife Margy, and their three children, Matthew ’99 and his wife Heather, Benjamin ’03 and his wife Katherine, and Will ’05 and his wife Dana ‘04. Scott served on Denison’s Board of Trustees for 26 years, and the family has provided philanthropic support for many of Denison’s strategic priorities, including financial aid and the development of the Trumbull Aquatics Center.
• Corrine Brenner Dimitruk ’01 and Michael Dimitruk ’00 contributed $100,000 to the project. From the Bay Area, they are proud alums and passionate supporters. Michael, a second-generation Denisonian, is also a member of Denison’s Board of Advisors. Michael and Corrine’s generous contribution underscores their commitment to innovation in the liberal arts and reflects their deep connection to the university that shaped their journeys.

The project will include a significant renovation of the existing, 21,250-square-foot Doane and a 17,700-square-foot addition. Weinberg said students and faculty from all academic departments will have access to the specialized learning spaces and cutting-edge technology housed within the center.

“This building is a catalyst for everything that is going to go on across the college,” Weinberg said. “Every student will pass through this building in different ways.”

The center will include office and research space, and multi-purpose classrooms with modern technology, including the first classrooms on campus specially designed for teaching coding and programming. There will be presentation spaces, conference rooms, and a host of labs serving robotics, virtual reality, and data visualization.

“These purpose-built facilities aim to enhance learning, foster transformative experiences, and adapt to future technological advancements,” Provost Kim Coplin said.

Weinberg said Denison has long seen the value in technology, having featured computer science coursework as early as the 1970s. In 2016, Denison became one of the first liberal arts colleges in the nation to launch a data analytics major.

It was a strategic response to a world teeming with data and a limited number of professionals who knew how to make meaningful sense of it. Today, data analytics and computer science are among Denison’s fastest-growing majors, and graduates of the programs are finding themselves in high demand.

The center will also foster connections within the booming technology corridor emerging in central Ohio, where companies such as Intel and Microsoft invest millions in new facilities.

The renovation also will restore an arrival point at the top of Presidents’ Drive based on the original 19th-century design, an approach to campus lost in the mid-1960s.

The addition will extend to the northeast at an angle from the existing building, and a grand exterior staircase to the Academic Quad that once filled much of what is now a sloping lawn will be rebuilt to the north of the addition.

“I love that this building will be the first thing prospective students and families see when arriving on campus,” Weinberg said. “They’re going to come up Presidents’ Drive, and they’re going to be hit by a beautiful building, and they’re going to say, ‘What is that?’

“And when they find out what it is, it will send a message about a liberal arts college that is leaning into data sciences and career exploration,” he said.