Fort Schuyler Magazine - Spring 2022

CAMPUS NEWS

Maritime College Breaks Ground on the William Austen Marine Education and Seamanship Center and Reveals Two New Student Learning Facilities in Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting

Funding includes a generous $1 million donation, the largest individual gift to Maritime College, from William F. Austen '80

April 4 was a day of milestone events at Maritime College with the groundbreaking and two ribbon-cutting and ceremonies for three capital construction projects: the William Austen Marine Education and Seamanship Center, the newly constructed Student Learning Center, and the fully renovated Marine Engineering Systems Laboratory. The celebrations highlighted major construction projects totaling $24.8 million with support from the SUNY Construction

Fund, Empire State Development, the Marine Society, and a generous $1million donation fromWilliam Austen ’80, the largest individual gift to Maritime College. Officials from SUNY, New York State and New York City attended the events including SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Merryl Tisch, SUNY Board of Trustees Member Marcos Crespo, SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah Stanley, SUNY Construction Fund Deputy General Manager of Design & Construction Jeff Vandenburg, Empire State Development

Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate Hope Knight, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, and NYC Council Member Marjorie Velázquez. Festivities began at Olivet Pier, where distinguished guests, alumni, students, faculty, and staff gathered at the site of the future William Austen Marine Education and Seamanship Center. “What we will witness through these ceremonies is a significant investment in the future of Maritime College by the State of New York,

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