The University of Richmond dedicated the new Queally Center, which integrates the offices of admission, financial aid and employer development on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016.
The dedication ceremony featured remarks from Paul Queally, a Board of Trustees member and alumnus, and President Ronald Crutcher, with a keynote address from Kathy Giusti, founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF).
“The idea was to create a landmark facility to attract the most promising students and position them for success,” Pat Roland, a Board of Trustees member, said. Completing the 56,000-square-foot facility was one of four major goals of the 2011 Campus Master Plan, with construction beginning in January 2015 and concluding this summer.
The $26.5 million building was made possible by a lead gift from Paul and Anne-Marie Queally, both 1986 graduates of the University of Richmond. Over 45 other donors also made significant contributions to the center, and many of them were present at the dedication ceremony.
“This building is an extension of our values of generosity, practical and relevant career advice and sustainability,” Crutcher said.
The LEED-certified facility includes a social media wall with live feeds of the University’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, a banquet kitchen, spacious courtyard and interactive panels, among other features.
During his speech, Paul Queally reflected on his grandfather, who worked as a janitor at a public school in New York.
“I wonder what he would think about his grandson who now has two buildings named after him at an elite institution,” he said. “This is truly the American dream.”
In the keynote address, Kathy Giusti, a close friend of the Queallys, talked about her fight to overcome cancer and her dedication to improving the research process. She founded MMRF which is driven by results and modeled after a Fortune 500 company. Today, the foundation has funded over 500 grants to scientists around the world, and the average lifespan of a Myeloma patient has tripled from three years to nine years.
“Vision without action is merely a dream, but vision with action can change the world,” Giusti said.
Giusti gave three pieces of advice to audience members: be bold, be decisive and be grateful.
“If you don’t have funding or support you’ll never be able to get your project off the ground,” she said. “You have all been given the most amazing gift. With this gift from the Queallys, the impact of the University of Richmond will continue to grow and flourish.”
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Following the speeches, the crowd of donors, students, faculty, alumni and community members enjoyed a reception in the center's Breed Pavilion and received tours of the building.
“I look forward to the difference the Queally Center will make today and in the future,” Roland said.
Contact reporter Claire Mendelson at claire.mendelson@richmond.edu
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