Published: January 19, 2008 10:02 pm         

MSU building named for longtime supporter

Mountain State University held a ceremony Saturday morning to name the university’s new health sciences building Wiseman Hall in honor of longtime MSU Board of Trustees member Mona Wiseman.

The 28,000-square-foot building has three nursing classrooms, six scientific labs and two major lecture rooms. It is home to many of MSU’s health science programs. The building opened in the fall, and university administrators announced in October it would be named Wiseman Hall.

At the time, Wiseman had no idea the building would be named after her, although other trustees had been planning the dedication for more than a year.

“I still don’t know how they kept it a secret for so long,” Wiseman said at Saturday’s ceremony.

Wiseman’s involvement with MSU began more than two decades ago when she assisted with the institution’s health care curriculum. In 1989, she became a member of the board of trustees and was elected to the board in 1995.

“This institution means so much, not only to me, but to this town, this region and this state,” Wiseman said.

MSU President Charles Polk thanked Wiseman for her many years of support for the growing institution.

“Mona has always focused on supporting what needed to be done to make MSU what it is today,” he said.

MSU trustee Max Beard said, “This (dedication) is an attempt by the board of trustees to acknowledge the contributions made by Mona Wiseman to this institution, city and community as a whole. She has been tireless in her efforts to develop this school, back to the days when it was Beckley College.”

Megan Constantino, MSU’s coordinator of media and public relations, said Wiseman has “committed her entire life” to improving the opportunities of others through higher education.

The board of trustees, Wiseman’s family and a small gathering of school administrators were on hand for Saturday’s ceremony.

Polk said university administrators decided to keep the ceremony small due to the threat of inclement weather, and that a larger dedication would be held for Wiseman Hall in the spring.

In the meantime, hundreds of students will continue to use the new facility each day. The building houses a comprehensive testing center and faculty offices. Each of the building’s two lecture rooms holds 100 students. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art health and information technology and wireless Internet services.

— E-mail: bbilleter @register-herald.com