A NEW ERA

Grissom Hall, home of industrial engineering at Purdue, was recently renovated and reopened this year for students and faculty after a year of reconstruction. The renovations of Grissom Hall are part of the College of Engineering Strategic Growth Initiative project which is working towards increasing the number of students in the College of Engineering while also expanding opportunities and technology resources. The new renovations now allow for student collaboration, workspace, and a multitude of new technologies and resources available to the students and faculty. Although the total renovation time was short, less than a year, the new changes will leave an impact on students and the way they learn for many years.

Alyssa Zielinski is a fifth-year senior from Arlington Heights, IL studying Industrial Engineering. We asked her a few questions about the renovations of Grissom Hall.

Alyssa sitting outside of Grissom Hall

What are some major changes that you noticed about Grissom Hall after the renovation?

Overall, the building is more open. There aren’t any little offices around anymore; it’s now an open and collaborative learning space. People can interact with each other and that is something I’ve definitely noticed. You don’t have to wander through the hallways to get around rooms and classrooms.

What do you think is the most important change to Grissom Hall? What is your favorite change?

 The most important changes in the building are the updates. Before, Grissom Hall felt closed, cramped, and felt clustered – it didn’t feel like you could work with each other very well. Now there is a more interactive space for people to work with each other. My favorite change is probably the collaborative space studios. They can be used for interviews, small study groups, and group projects. The renovations allow for Industrial Engineers to have a space for themselves.

The newly renovated inside of Grissom Hall

How has the atmosphere of Grissom Hall changed?

They are trying to focus on this new era of education where things are interactive and open and people are focusing on working with each other. The renovations to Grissom Hall make this a possibility.

Do you plan on spending more time in Grissom Hall now that it is renovated?

Oh, absolutely! Before, I never felt like Industrial Engineers had a space for themselves. Now Industrial Engineers have a designated study space for themselves where they can feel at home and feel like this is their space. So I definitely plan on spending more time here.

How will this renovation change the way you study Industrial Engineering?

The renovations are going to help me study Industrial Engineering better because it gives us a space for ourselves and I can wonder around and find another Industrial Engineer that is in the same boat as me. I have a designated place I can go to study or work with others.