FIELD NOTES

Priorities for Facility Improvements

I enjoyed seeing old friends and making some new ones at a recent Friends of UOBS leadership gathering at the Biological Station.  I had the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about the future our biological station, and lay out some more immediate priorities, as well as some longer-term goals.  Here, I will focus only on priorities for enhancing our facilities, and the financial resources for accomplishing these goals.  Updating and enhancing our facilities is critical because the condition of our facilities impacts everything we do and everything we want to become.

We at UOBS intend to focus on in the coming months and years on enhancement of the quality, functionality, and aesthetics of our facilities.  The station will be devoting substantial resources to these goals, including added personnel and funds from our operating budget.  We will also rely on the kind generosity of our donors to make these enhancements possible.

The remarkable generosity of members of the Friends group has had a large, positive impact at our Biological Station.  The total of endowed funds devoted strictly to scholarships for UOBS summer courses has risen to $363,000, and this endowment has allowed us to provide scholarships to all qualified applicants for the past two years.  Foundation funds available for activities other than scholarships are more limited.  The Norman and Mildred Brillhart Biological Station Enrichment Fund may be used for infrastructure improvement and many other purposes, and currently has an endowment of $33,600.  The Biological Station fund is an expendable account (no endowment) that may be used for facilities improvement and many other purposes, and currently totals $34,800.

A major goal over the next several years is to modernize and upgrade the facilities of our station.  I believe these enhancements will transform the station, will both elevate the “station experience” for all our users for years to come, and open new opportunities for us.  To fund these enhancements we will rely on a mixture of non-scholarship foundation funds and funds from our operating budget.  We are also formulating strategies for obtaining funds from other entities within the university, and feel that the successes and accomplishments we are actively pursuing now will create demonstrable momentum that will help us in efforts to obtain additional resources.

Immediate facilities priorities

1. Brillhart Hall.  Our first major facilities project is renovation of the lobby and first-floor hallways of Brillhart Hall (“main building”).   Brillhart Hall, and especially the lobby outside the cafeteria, is the most important social gathering space at the biological station, and is currently badly in need of improvement.  Our renovation plan includes new ceramic or stone flooring throughout the lobby and hallways, new furniture in OU’s mission style, new paint, wall hangings that highlight the station’s history and current vitality, and addition of a lighted display case that will feature an exhibit on the station’s history and personalities, such as Carl Riggs, Charles Carpenter, George Miksch Sutton, and others.  This project has begun, and we anticipate it will be completed in the spring of 2013, in time for all the summer activities.
2. Covered dining porch.  A second, and related project is to cover the outdoor dining porch that adjoins the cafeteria.  We will cover the porch with an attractive wood structure, and are currently considering an appropriate design.  Adding a covering for shade is essential for the porch, and once covered, we are certain that this space will be among the most popular gathering and dining spaces at the station.  We consider this project to be a second phase of the current work in Brillhart Hall because these spaces are in close proximity, and we will “connect” them by adding easy access between the porch and lobby of Brillhart Hall. 
3. Walking path.  Another project that is very much in the works as I write these words is construction of a walking path from housing buildings B and C (dorms) across the lawn to Brillhart Hall and the cafeteria.  The walking path, made of compacted stone chips, will be a practical and aesthetically beneficial addition to our station.

We have initiated projects 1 and 3, above, both of which will utilize existing foundation and operating budget funds, as well as our own personnel when possible.  Project 2 (covering dining porch) is in the planning stage, and we will keep you apprised of its progress.

Critical, but longer-term priorities
In addition to the immediate priorities listed above, we require other critical facilities improvements, but will need to secure additional funds before we can turn these goals into reality.  I feel that the most likely avenue for funds will be some combination of commitments from the university, donations and fundraising, and the Biological Station operating budget (especially in augmenting labor costs through use of our personnel).   These critical priorities are:

1. Classrooms.  Our classrooms are central to our education and outreach missions, but are in need of updating and renovation to allow versatility in configuration of the space, and flexibility in the size and type of courses that can be accommodated.  We do not envision a large-scale renovation; rather we need to replace the current bulky, fixed desk and bench space with modern flexible furniture (portable desks, chairs, and tables that allow multiple configurations), and additionally need to consider some air conditioning modifications.
2. Library / Conference Center.  Our library is used by virtually every group that visits the Biological Station, and functions more as a conference center than library.  It is a vitally important space for the station, and we need to be certain that it represents us well and provides a level of versatility and functionality that opens opportunities for the future.  We envision a two-phase plan for enhancing and renovating the library/conference center.  The first phase, which may be within reach with current financial resources, is installation of new flooring, interior painting, opening the space by removing much of the perimeter furnishings, and adding station-appropriate wall treatments.  This change alone will make a substantial difference in the appearance and functionality of the space.  A second phase, which would require fairly substantial funding, will involve new furniture, additional window space on the south wall to add light and take advantage of lake views, addition of restroom facilities to the west end of the building, and consideration of new entrances on the north and south sides.
3. Dorm Rooms.   Housing for station visitors requires substantial improvement, especially in Brillhart Hall where problems are most acute.  Much progress can be made with relatively modest investment, and we hope to work with the university to find ways to renovate rooms by combining resources.  It is important for the future of your station to provide quality housing that is on par with many other biological stations, and reflects well on the station and university.

Collectively, the enhancements described here will have a substantial and lasting impact on our station, and set us on a positive trajectory for the future.  These improvements will lift everything that we do at the station today and enhance opportunities for everything we want to become.

Gary Wellborn, Director, UOBS

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