Dec 17, 2014 05:21 PM EST By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Marquette University in Wisconsin has announced Monday that the Diederich College of Communications has received a $3.5 million gift from the Bernice Shanke Greiveldinger Charitable Trust its oldest building on campus.

Johnston Hall, which has been the college's home for more than 100 years and is part of the school's historic core, has seen a number of renovations over the past couple of years, including work last summer that added bathrooms on each floor, The Marquette Wire reported.

"Significant renovations are needed to put the college on a pace to lead young journalists and media professionals for years to come," Geoffrey Greiveldinger, trustee of the Greiveldinger Charitable Trust, said in a statement.

As early examples, Greiveldinger cited a build-out of a "creative content" suite on the building's second level, as well as revamped space for participants in the college's prestigious O'Brien Fellowship program.

"Through this generous gift, we will redefine space within our historic home to provide advanced technology and a more collaborative environment so that we may deliver the best, most relevant communication education to our students across all disciplines," said Dr. Lori Bergen, dean of the Diederich College of Communication. "The Greiveldinger Trust has honored us with this opportunity, and on behalf of the entire college I want to thank Geoffrey and his family."

Bergen said phased renovations will start in January 2015 and run through August 2018.  she added that faculty, student and staff input will be important to shaping the vision for the new space.

The Greiveldinger Trust gift capitalizes on the college's significant philanthropic activity over the past decade, including J. William and Mary Diederich's $28 million legacy gift in 2005, and an $8.3 million donation in 2013 from Peter and Patricia Frechette to establish the Perry and Alicia O'Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism.

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