Robin Roberts, a Southeastern alumna and the host of ABC’s Good Morning America, joined Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, and Southeastern Louisiana University officials as they performed the honorary groundbreaking for the renovation of D Vickers Hall, which includes a newly constructed broadcast media center.
Roberts made a significant gift to create the state-of-the-art media center as part of the state-funded $40 million renovation of D Vickers Hall. The Robin Roberts Broadcast Media Center will add an additional 33,000 square feet to the 80,000 square foot academic building and will include three broadcast media studios – a newsroom, a film studio and a multimedia studio.
The finished 113,000 square foot facility will continue to serve its existing academic programs in English, theatre, foreign language, and communication.
However, the Communication and Media Studies department will include a major expansion of the curriculum for the cutting-edge broadcast/media facility. The new addition will feature not only film and TV studios, but also radio studios, audio studios and their associated control, support, and edit rooms.
In addition to the three broadcast media studios and upon completion of the renovation and construction, D Vickers will include 104 offices, 27 classrooms, two 100-seat lecture rooms, five computer labs, and four English/language labs.
Another major component of the renovation is a makeover of Vonnie Borden Theatre. The renovated theatre will seat 498 people and include scene and costume shops, a green room, and male and female dressing rooms.
The architect for the project is Holly and Smith of Hammond.
