Constructing The Future
Story: Michael Andreola
Taking our founder’s advice to heart, Saint Vincent College is moving “always forward” on multiple fronts concurrently. With new and expanded academic programs and a mission-focused and promising enrollment strategy, the College has embarked on two major construction projects, with a third soon to follow. Saint Vincent is wasting no time in preparing our campus infrastructure for a future of growth.
A Saint Vincent education encompasses the total formation of the human person: intellectual growth, spiritual development, and physical health. As Pope St. John Paul, II, said, sport is a school of virtue “that involves more than the movement of the body; it demands the use of intelligence and the disciplining of the will.” Given the importance of athletics and recreational activities for all students, construction of the new Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center at Saint Vincent is nearing completion, and the campus community is eagerly anticipating enjoying the multiple benefits this facility will provide.
Named in memory of Anna and Edward Dunlap through the generosity of the Dunlap Family, this new 76,000 square-foot facility will house a wide variety of programs and activities of interest to the entire Saint Vincent community. Amenities include a sixty-yard turf field to accommodate indoor practices for football, soccer, and lacrosse and a playing field for intramural and club sports, including soccer, flag football, rugby, and ultimate Frisbee. A recreational track for running and walking surrounds multipurpose courts for basketball, tennis, and other games. A cardio room features a variety of exercise equipment. There are locker rooms and shower facilities and a healthy café that will feature grab-and-go items and smoothies.
Slated to open in the summer of 2026, the Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center will be a boon to the entire student body, varsity and non-varsity students alike. As the facility’s utilization unfolds over time, Saint Vincent plans to invite members of the wider community to enjoy the facilities as well. “The Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center will serve as an incredible resource and addition to our campus community overall,” says Dr. Jeff Mallory,
executive vice president of Saint Vincent College. “When we think about the critical elements of health and wellbeing, this center puts the needs of our SVC community, surrounding external communities, and those we serve at the forefront.”
Father Paul Taylor, O.S.B., president of the College, expresses the community’s gratitude for this transformational facility. “This center will engage every student for health and wellness. Critical thinking and engaged learning are best done with a healthy body and mind.”
Grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and Benedictine monasticism, Saint Vincent places great emphasis on the pursuit of truth and the preservation of the beautiful. In that spirit, the renovation of the former “Sauerkraut Tower” was born. The iconic and run-down silo-like structure behind the Dale P. Latimer Library had come into disuse over the years, but a visionary plan is underway to renovate the tower into a meaningful space and an extension of the Library’s holdings. To be named, appropriately, Latimer Library Tower, the renewed facility will include two floors and a balcony level, joined by a new elevator. The first level will serve as a public gallery to showcase artwork and historical artifacts, the second will include dedicated study space with access to special collections, and the balcony will feature a reading room and book storage.
The Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center is set to open in the summer of 2026 with Donahue Hall to follow in January 2027. The renovated Library Tower could be unveiled sometime later next year.
Saint Vincent is grateful for the outpouring of generosity from the leading benefactors and so many others for all three building projects, but fundraising is not yet completed, and additional gifts are needed to reach the goal. Any alumni, parents, and friends of Saint Vincent who want to learn more and become a part of these permanent improvements to campus are encouraged to contact the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations.
Grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and Benedictine monasticism, Saint Vincent places great emphasis on the pursuit of truth and the preservation of the beautiful. In that spirit, the renovation of the former “Sauerkraut Tower” was born. The iconic and run-down silo-like structure behind the Dale P. Latimer Library had come into disuse over the years, but a visionary plan is underway to renovate the tower into a meaningful space and an extension of the Library’s holdings. To be named, appropriately, Latimer Library Tower, the renewed facility will include two floors and a balcony level, joined by a new elevator. The first level will serve as a public gallery to showcase artwork and historical artifacts, the second will include dedicated study space with access to special collections, and the balcony will feature a reading room and book storage.
The Dunlap Family Athletic and Recreation Center is set to open in the summer of 2026 with Donahue Hall to follow in January 2027. The renovated Library Tower could be unveiled sometime later next year.
Saint Vincent is grateful for the outpouring of generosity from the leading benefactors and so many others for all three building projects, but fundraising is not yet completed, and additional gifts are needed to reach the goal. Any alumni, parents, and friends of Saint Vincent who want to learn more and become a part of these permanent improvements to campus are encouraged to contact the Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations.
As the final touches are being completed on the Dunlap Center, earth has been moving for the foundation of the new Rhodora and John Donahue Hall, which will be constructed adjacent to the Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, home of the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computing. Saint Vincent has responded to the critical need for additional nurses in the healthcare system with the ramping up of a baccalaureate program in nursing, along with enhanced graduate offerings. This state-of-the-art nursing education facility will allow for a robust enrollment of new students seeking careers in nursing. In addition to classrooms, laboratories, offices, and conference rooms, Donahue Hall will include a full suite of advanced nursing simulation labs, including interactive mannequins and the related technology and equipment to provide real-time health scenarios for the training of nursing students in a clinical setting.
Additional highlights in the new building include the David Scaife Family Center for Excellence and Innovation in Nursing and the Dunlap Family Institute for Teaching and Learning, both of which will support evidence-based education, interdisciplinary collaboration, faculty development, and ongoing advancements in nursing education.
Saint Vincent College appointed Helen Burns, PhD, RN, as the Rev. Owen Roth, O.S.B., Inaugural Chair of the Department of Nursing in 2023. Dr. Burns has played a central role in shaping the vision for Donahue Hall and the future of the program. “This facility represents far more than bricks and mortar,” Dr. Burns says. “It is a promise—to our students, to our community, and to the patients they will one day serve. Donahue Hall will give our future nurses the knowledge, tools, confidence, and hands-on experience they need to excel in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment.”