Aug 21, 2007 -- After a summer of hammering and drilling, building, painting, and carpeting, Yeshiva University’s undergraduate and graduate campuses now boast many new high-quality facilities. The Office of Planning, Design and Construction oversaw the renovation and construction of about 40 projects, some of which will continue into the fall semester, said Jeffrey Rosengarten, vice president for administrative services. To see a gallery of photos of the new facilities, click here. “The lion’s share of what we’re doing at the moment will benefit academics and student life,” Mr. Rosengarten said. “It is a major step toward the modernization of all our campuses.” 245 Lexington Avenue The Lea and Leon Eisenberg Beit Midrash at Stern College for Women opens this semester on the seventh floor of 245 Lexington Avenue. The new, glass-enclosed room will seat up to 120 people and is three times larger than the previous beit midrash (study hall). It features a uniquely designed aron kodesh (holy ark) and many elegant architectural touches, and will be dedicated at an event in October. The front entrance way and first floor of 245 Lexington Avenue have been completely revamped. An elegant glass and steel façade rising from ground level to the third floor includes a covered portico where students can gather. Inside, the expanded lobby gives students and visitors more space to congregate. The space formerly occupied by the dean’s offices to the right of the lobby has been converted into two large adjoining classrooms, which also function as flexible meeting rooms that can be joined into one large space. The transparent glass walls looking onto the lobby can be electronically adjusted to become opaque when the rooms are being used for classes. Classroom Modernizations Multimedia systems have been installed in about 25 classrooms at the Beren Campus, matching work that was recently completed at the Wilf Campus, so that virtually every undergraduate classroom now has audio-visual capabilities. New Dormitory at Stern A new building has been added to the Beren Campus, reinforcing Stern College’s presence as a major educational institution in midtown Manhattan. About 130 students can be housed at the modern and luxurious dormitory at 150 East 35th Street. The facility features lounges and exercise facilities, and each unit includes a beautiful kitchen with marble countertops. Belfer Hall A little-known space in Belfer Hall, the concourse below the basement now hosts an extensive suite of state-of-the-art laboratories for psychology, physics, and computer research at Yeshiva College. The psychology department’s area includes an observation and subject lab with a one-way mirror, as well as a comfortable lounge and pantry for students’ and faculty use. The floor also features modern physics labs with a group work area, a suite of four advanced computer research labs with a dedicated server room, and two large computer teaching labs. Additionally, large biochemistry and microbiology labs, a dedicated student research facility, and a biology prep room on the 14th floor were scheduled for completion by the end of August. Furst Hall A welcoming new Office of Admissions will greet prospective and current students and their families on the first floor of Furst Hall this semster. The suite will include the office of Hillel Davis, PhD, vice president for university life. Underutilized areas in the Furst Hall lower level, previously a practice area for the fencing team, were renovated into about 40 work spaces to meet the growing need for staff offices. Fencing practice will now take place in Zysman Hall. Other staff offices in Furst Hall have been revamped including Communications and Public Affairs on the fourth floor and the Chancellor’s suite on the fifth floor. The Office of Institutional Advancement, which has grown rapidly over the past two years, will also occupy part of that floor when work is completed in the fall. Glueck Center Construction has begun on the Jacob and Dreizel Glueck Center for Jewish Study, the first building to be constructed on the Wilf Campus in over 20 years. Over the summer, the site was excavated and the foundation laid. Structural work will begin in the fall and the building is slated for completion in 2008. The center will house a two-story, 470-seat beit midrash—the largest at YU—two large lecture halls, 50 faculty offices, nine classrooms, and facilities for seminars and classrooms. Gottesman Library Scheduled for completion by year’s end, the former space occupied by the YU Museum on the library’s first floor will be converted into a multi-functional event space. Primarily a student lounge, it will also serve as an auditorium accommodating close to 400 people, and an elegant banquet/dining facility for special events. A series of split levels will define the different areas and allow for flexible use. A new entrance to the library, the Nagel Family Atrium, will be built on West 185th Street. Constructed of glass, it will complement the older brick structure of the library and echo the modern façade of the adjoining Glueck Center when it is finished.