Providence College Breaks Ground on New School of Business Building

SMMA Rendering of Providence College School of Business

Providence College recently took a firm step forward in its mission to educate and inspire the economic and business leaders of tomorrow, breaking ground on the Arthur F. & Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies. The facility marks the latest collaboration between the College and designer SMMA, and will serve as the new home of PC’s nationally recognized School of Business.

Named in honor of Arthur Ryan ’63, H’90 and his wife, Patricia, whose generous donation of $5 million will help the project transform from a concept to a reality, the new building will house the College’s accounting, marketing, management, finance, and graduate MBA programs. The groundbreaking coincided with PC’s annual St. Dominic Weekend, a campus-wide expression of gratitude to the College’s financial benefactors, alumni, and corporate partners that recalls the mission of the founding Dominican Friars.

“The Arthur & Patricia Ryan Center will be the first new building to unite the eastern and western campus hemispheres, and will have a significant welcoming presence,” said John Scott, project director and principal at SMMA. “The new atrium space will actively greet all scholars, faculty, and alumni—not just business students.”

 

SMMA’s design responds to the College’s desire to create a “community of innovation and impact.” The Center—scheduled for occupancy beginning in Spring 2017—will comprise three levels, defining an environment supportive of the rich and complex network of relationships that foster the development of leadership skills essential to business innovation and ethical social action. It will marry the history and tradition of the Dominicans with emerging and leading-edge technologies to create an atmosphere of dynamic learning and knowledge-sharing.

The relationship between Providence College and SMMA extends nearly two decades and has resulted in successful project outcomes for numerous campus landmarks, including Schneider Hockey Arena, Ray Treacy Track on Hendricken Field, Concannon Fitness Center, Suites Hall, and Slavin Center, to name a few. “We have been fortunate to develop and maintain a solid partnership with Providence College—one built on trust, integrity, and respect,” said Scott. The Arthur & Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies marks a high point in that partnership, and provides an environment commensurate with the educational aspirations of the thriving PCSB.