The Associated General Contractors honored Mulvane Hall’s transformation Jan. 18 at the Kansas State Building Awards Program’s annual convention. The facility, now known as the Boyd Center, was recognized in the $8-10 million renovation category.

Susan Lindahl, executive vice president for administrative services chief operating officer, attended the ceremony.

“I was so excited to see our president go up and accept the award,” Lindahl said. “It was a wonderful moment when our name was called.”

Accompanying Lindahl at the ceremony was University President Pat Long, Vice President for University Advancement Lyn Lakin and Director of Physical Plant Jeremy Portlock. For Lindahl, her favorite part of the ceremony was seeing the picture of Boyd Center appear on the PowerPoint.

“Everybody got to see what an impeccable project it was,” Lindahl said. “It was a wonderful day for Baker.”

The transformation is Baker’s largest capital project in 155 years and took less than a year to complete. Lindahl was thrilled to have the project designed and delivered at the level it was and in the little time it took.

“I think the beauty is internal and external,” Lindahl said. “There’s state of the art classrooms designed in a way faculty can deliver to the students.“

Before the renovations, students and faculty experienced difficulties dealing with the conditions of the building.

“[Mulvane] was absolutely a horrible building. Experiments got contaminated, there was no space and students were at a disadvantage,” Professor of Biology Darcy Russell said. “It was hard to recruit students and faculty to a building that was hard to work in.”

Russell has noticed that since the renovations that faculty members are happier in their environment and the students have a place with enough room to conduct experiments and practice science without a fear of contamination.

“Although a lot is renovated, it doesn’t feel renovated,” Russell said. “It feels brand new. I love coming here. I’m a much happier camper.”

Junior Lindsay Hill, a pre-engineering major, has had multiple classes in the Boyd Center.

“One of the big things I like is that each floor is geared toward each of the sciences,” Hill said.

Mulvane’s renovations were donor driven, and the external value of the project received an award of excellence. As for the internal value, Lindahl found it was within the new energy throughout the building.

“It’s a wonderful learning environment,” Lindahl said. “It’s a remarkable, remarkable educational center for students.”