April 14, 2023

Northwest community celebrates completion of Martindale Hall third floor remodel, looks to future renovation

The Northwest Missouri State University community cut a ribbon Thursday to commemorate the completed renovation of Martindale Hall’s third floor – the first phase in a longer-term goal of enhancing the entire facility to strengthen partnerships and programs emanating within the School of Health Science and Wellness.

The $1.3 million remodel of Martindale Hall’s 4,260-square-foot third floor includes academic laboratory spaces to support nursing, human services and school counseling programs. It also includes offices that will bring together faculty currently housed in four different buildings on the Northwest campus.  

“Our mission at Northwest is focusing on student success – every student, every day,” Northwest Interim President Dr. Clarence Green said. “To help us accomplish this mission, each area of study tries to implement profession-based learning opportunities, and with this new space the School of Health Science and Wellness is going to be able to make this happen. This space will assist our students to stand out amongst their peers in the state and make them marketable applicants in the world of health science and wellness.”

Thursday’s celebration was the culmination of conversations that began with interested donors in December 2021 and the University’s Board of Regents subsequently green-lighting the project in March 2022.

Major gifts from Mosaic Life Care and from Goppert Foundation were instrumental in enabling the completion of the third-floor remodel. Additional funding for the Martindale Hall renovation project, thus far, has come from gifts provided by Ardel Brink, Dr. Gary and LuAnn Tunell, and Seann and Christi O’Riley.

Student Senate President Elizabeth Motazedi expressed gratitude to the donors who contributed to the third-floor renovation as well as those who have pledged support to the future remodeling of the building. Those donors also include John Moore, a 1978 Northwest alumnus and the chair of the Board of Regents, who recently provided $25,000 toward the project. His gift in honor of Northwest’s Student Senate, which also is providing $25,000 to the renovation project, will allow for the naming of a second-floor student lounge in the remodeled facility.

“This building is the result of countless hours of hard work, dedication and investment in higher education,” Motazedi said. “This has been a vision for many, and I am delighted that it is now a reality.”

Corey Strider, a 1996 Northwest alumnus and member of the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors, also thanked donors and encouraged others to contribute. As vice president of The Goppert Foundation, which provided a $200,000 gift, Strider said the completion of Martindale Hall’s third floor is a great start, but emphasized there is more work to be done.

“The Goppert Foundation has been a longtime supporter of Northwest Missouri State University and for good reason,” Strider said. “Northwest has proven to be a good steward of the gifts it receives, whether it be for this project, scholarships, the Agricultural Learning Center and so many other areas that have been supported by generous donors.”

He added, “The Goppert Foundation supports Northwest because we see that graduates possess the knowledge and work ethic to create success. Financial support provided to Northwest and its students is a difference maker – not just for the University and its current students but also for all of the communities where Northwest alumni migrate to following graduation. They’re prepared to be contributing members of their communities, and I’m proud to say that's the culture that Northwest has established for its graduates.”

Dawson Parks is one example of the impact the School of Health Science and Wellness is having on its students. As a senior applied health sciences major with an exercise sciences emphasis, he plans to attend chiropractic school after completing his education at Northwest and highlighted the opportunities a remodeled Martindale Hall will afford.

“This project will enhance opportunities for Northwest students to use profession-based experiences to allow them to grow in their learning,” Parks said. “The importance of this is allowing Bearcats to be prepared for the future ahead of them after Northwest as well as getting that professional experience before even getting that degree.”

In providing his gratitude to supporters of the project, Dr. Terry Long, the director of Northwest’s School of Health Science and Wellness, thanked donors as well as design and construction partners, including Herner Construction Inc. and RTM Engineering Consultants, among others, for their commitment to the project.  

“It is just amazing that this project was done so quickly with very little to no disruption other than maybe a fence outside,” Long said. “All of those folks deserve some credit, and I’m going to thank you now, and I’m going to thank you for the work you’re going do for us in the future.”

When complete, the renovation of Martindale Hall, which opened in 1926 and was last remodeled in the 1970s, will help Northwest and the School of Health Science and Wellness better align academic programs with industry needs and workforce demands. Additionally, Northwest expects to enhance its competitive edge in recruiting quality students interested in careers in the health care field while strengthening regional partnerships related to health science and wellness.

The Missouri General Assembly approved $8.5 million toward the $17 million total project cost with the requirement that Northwest raise the additional $8.5 million by December 2024.

To make a gift to support Northwest, including Martindale Hall, contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or visit www.nwmissouri.edu/GiveOnline.