The process of building UC Davis’ new lecture hall has progressed like most other construction projects, but it will be unlike any other space on campus once it’s finished.

California Hall, as it’s now called, will include nearly 600 seats and a bevy of new technology when it opens in winter quarter. The $22 million building between Hutchison Hall and California Avenue is UC Davis’ first significant new classroom space in a decade, designed to help meet enrollment growth.

“We’re making this as forward-looking and flexible as possible,” said Debra Smith, a senior project manager with Design and Construction Management.

Three massive displays — each 15 feet tall and 25 feet wide — will allow instructors to write on a touch screen or capture documents and project information for all to see. And the displays aren’t traditional projector screens — they’re special tiles that reject light from other directions, allowing the projectors to be used while sunlight streams in through the large windows and skylights.

In fact, during the day the lights won’t even need to be switched on — thanks to the skylights (which can be shuttered to darken the room if needed). The skylights and other features will help designers toward seeing California Hall earn a LEED-gold designation under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

The lobby will include spaces for socializing, and a kiosk outside will serve food and coffee.

Even the furniture has special features. For every two seats, each table has both a 110-volt electrical outlet and a USB port for charging phones and other devices, and the seats can swivel in place to allow for small group discussions.

‘Pay It Forward’ for pizza and prizes

Staff Assembly is mounting a “Pay It Forward” campaign in support of the ASUCD’s “Pay It Forward” campaign that provides slices of pizza to students in need.

Starting this week and continuing through April 30, staff members who buy “Pay It Forward” pizza slices will have a chance to win prizes in a Staff Assembly drawing. The prizes that Staff Assembly is “paying forward” are from vendors who will be participating in the Thank Goodness for Staff picnic in May. See the prizes here.

“Pay It Forward” pizza slices are available year-round at Ciao! in the Coffee House. Donations pay for vouchers that are turned over to the ASUCD Pantry for distribution to student clients.

To participate in the Staff Assembly prize giveaway, be sure to get your “Pay It Forward” receipt or receipts. Then, take photos of your receipts (excluding your payment information) and send them by email to Darolyn Striley by May 1.

More information is available here.

Team Center going up at Schaal pool

UC Davis Athletics plans a groundbreaking ceremony this Saturday (April 21) for a new building at the Schaal Aquatic Center: a Team Center with meeting and conference rooms, as well as offices for coaches, who will move out of the Cowell Building.

The ceremony, open to the public, is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

The aquatic center, south of Aggie Stadium, already has a locker room building on the west side of the 65-meter pool, and now will have the 3,000-square-foot Team Center at the north end of the pool.

Daniel Leyson, the Child and Meisel Families Director of Men’s Water Polo, said having coaches’ offices on the pool deck “will make us more accessible to our student-athletes.” The building “will serve as our central meeting location and a place where we can watch film as a team, but also as a place where our student-athletes can come in and watch film on their own or to study.”

Athletics department officials said the multimillion Team Center is supported largely through the contributions of alumni and friends of UC Davis aquatic sports. The lead gift came from Cathy and Jack Raycraft, parents of a women’s water polo player, Christi Raycraft Warner ’09.

The project is expected to be completed this coming winter.

‘Incredible results’ in blood drive

BloodSource reported “incredible results” in last week’s campus blood drive: 1,143 people visited the bloodmobiles on the Quad, and the blood bank collected 875 pints (not everyone who comes out is able to complete the donation process).

“We had three wonderful days on campus and many lives saved,” said Felicia LaMothe, donor recruitment representative for BloodSource.

The blood drive also provided the opportunity to sign up for the Be the Match bone marrow registry, and 43 people did so.

The need for blood doesn’t take summers off, so here are the dates for summer drives on campus: Tuesday-Wednesday, June 26-27; and Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 22-23.

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