UH Breaks Ground on Michael J. Cemo Hall

Earlier this month, the University of Houston celebrated the groundbreaking for yet another new addition to campus, Michael J. Cemo Hall. The 33,000 square-foot facility will house Bauer College’s rapidly growing Global Business Minor program and the Rockwell Career Center. The two-story building will have classrooms, a lecture hall and auditorium.

Construction of the building “should be very special to us all and something we should all feel proud of,” said UH President Renu Khator. “Not only because we’ve reached another milestone in our journey toward top tier national status, but because, similar to the Calhoun Lofts, this project provides visual evidence that we are truly ‘building our future’ at the University of Houston.”

Cemo, a former regent, was instrumental in connecting his one-time boss, the late Ted Bauer, to the Business College that took his name after Bauer’s remarkable $40 million donation in 2000. He also played a key role in launching the AIM Center for Investment Management, home to a student-managed private investment fund now worth around $8 million and some of the world’s best fund managers.

Cemo spoke to the window of opportunity that exists now for other alumni to pledge their financial and political support. “Great universities are judged by the greatness and support of their alumni,” he said.

Board of Regents Chair Welcome Wilson, who also spoke at the groundbreaking, told Cemo and others gathered that “You have set a wonderful standard for us as UH alumni and regents. I have tremendous respect and admiration for the generous gift you’ve made to our institution. Our students and faculty will be the beneficiaries for many years to come.”

UH Hilton College to Receive $12 Million Hotel Renovation

The Hilton University of Houston Hotel and Conference Center is getting a facelift. A $12 million facelift! Through a consulting services agreement with Hilton Hotels, the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management is redeveloping the existing hotel property into a state-of-the-art hotel and conference center that, upon completion, will provide hospitality students studying at the top-ranked College with a new training facility and enhanced experiential learning program that is second to none.

In addition to the development of six prototype rooms in the College’s South Wing that will be used to test hotel room designs, the project also includes a multi-year pro bono consulting and services agreement with an affiliate of Hilton Hotels under which the University will be provided assistance in managing the hotel. The project, which will significantly upgrade the property, will not only create a new showcase for Hilton Hotels, but with its location at the campus’ main entrance, the hotel will become a jewel in the University of Houston’s 20-year master plan.

Sparked by a $6.5 million gift from the Conrad N. Hilton Fund—an affiliate of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation—$2.9 million from the University and $2.6 million from hotel capital reserves, the renovated facility will provide students with the experience of operating a state-of-the-art hotel and conference facility. Through this consulting relationship, students will have access to the latest technology and operating concepts. This consulting agreement also ensures that the management of the hotel is consistent with what students are learning in the classroom and that the hotel services delivered will meet the expectations of guests.

“Since Conrad Hilton wrote the College’s $1.5 million founding check in 1969, his Foundation and the affiliated Fund have contributed over $60 million,” says John Bowen, dean of the Conrad N. Hilton College. “This unwavering support has allowed us to reach the level of international preeminence we enjoy today. The Hilton Fund’s latest gift is yet another act of generosity that will allow us to take the Hilton College to the next level, and we are grateful.”

The new Hilton Hotels consulting agreement was effective June 1. Renovation is slated to begin in late fall with completion targeted for December 2009.

UH Wind Power Testing Site Gets Green Light

The University of Houston has completed an agreement with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to design, construct and operate a state-of-the-art wind turbine blade testing facility at Ingleside, Texas.

UH will receive technical and operational assistance from NREL as well as $2 million in equipment for the Gulf Coast testing site. Construction is expected to be completed in 2010. The Texas-NREL Large Blade Research and Test Facility (LBR&TF) will be able to perform full-scale testing of turbine blades up to 70 meters in length.

UH is the general manager of the Lone Star Wind Alliance (LSWA), a public/private partnership of universities, government agencies and corporate partners formed to support the economic development of renewable wind energy throughout Texas and the nation. The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between UH and NREL was announced on June 3, at the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Wind Power conference in Houston.

“As the nation’s top wind energy producer, Texas is proud to welcome this crucial blade-testing center,” said Gov. Rick Perry, who served as keynote speaker at the AWEA conference. “The construction of this facility is more tangible proof of our state’s ongoing commitment to renewable energy and its growing role in our increasingly diverse energy portfolio. Texas is proud to be a global leader in this rapidly expanding field.” more

For the latest news from UH, visit www.uh.edu/news-events/.