Ivy Tech Bloomington dedicates expansion, names it Cook Pavilion

Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus named its newly-constructed, 90,000 square-foot addition of the Connie and Steve Ferguson Academic Building, the Cook Pavilion. Campus officials dedicated the new wing on Tuesday, November 17 at 5:30 p.m.

“Ivy Tech Bloomington is grateful to name our new space the Cook Pavilion after one of our most treasured and tireless supporters and partners, Cook Group,” said Chancellor Jennie Vaughan. “The Cooks have long understood the need for our region to have an accessible educational institution where people can create opportunities for themselves, and that’s what this expansion is all about, supporting student success.”

At Ivy Tech Bloomington’s “Here We Grow Again” capital campaign kick-off event last September, Carl Cook, CEO of Cook Group, presented a $1 million check to campus leaders for the campaign.

To-date, “Here We Grown Again” fundraising has surpassed its original goal of $4 million, and totals more than $4.3 million.

Cook Group has supported Ivy Tech for more than 23 years with monetary and in-kind gifts including equipment for academic instruction. Additionally, gifts have supported students and initiatives through scholarship awards, O’Bannon Institute for Community Service, Cook Center for Entrepreneurship, Cook Institute for Entrepreneurship, Career Expo, and Ivy Arts for Kids, among others.

The Cook Pavilion is a 90,000 square-foot addition to the existing 145,000 square-foot main campus building and includes a 400-seat lecture hall, a new bookstore, student success center for tutoring, classrooms and state-of-the-art science, paramedic and automation labs, culinary and baking kitchens, an outdoor dining patio, and an expanded library, commons and Bloomingfoods Ivy Tech.

On Saturday, November 21, Ivy Tech Bloomington will host a Cook Pavilion community open house with tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. RSVP to Tina Phelps at tphelps@ivytech.edu or (812) 330-6001.