Maloney Hall Officially Opened to the Public

By Emily Prendergast

The Board of Visitors of the Busch School of Business, the Board of Trustees for Catholic University, and other generous friends and donors of the university were invited to explore the newly completed renovations in Maloney Hall on Monday. The event was set to celebrate the completion of the building while helping visitors understand the historic background, design process, and educational impact of Maloney.

During this gala, faculty, staff, and students were able to celebrate the dedication of the chapel in the new building to St. Michael. The altar was consecrated before the celebration by Most Rev. Michael F. Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. The chapel is purposely placed in the center of the building to represent the “heart” of the business school and to remind students of the importance of faith, even in the business world, according to Assistant Dean Philip Brach.

Maloney Hall has been open to students for the past month, as business classes relocated to the new building in early March. Renovations and final touches to the building were not completed until spring break. The building is meant to celebrate the old architecture of Maloney with respect for the original style while showcasing modern design on the interior, representative of the Busch School’s motto for the building, “Ivy League on the outside and Google on the inside.”

The lobby of the school, referred to as the pavilion, hosted the esteemed guests with a catered dinner and an open bar. Visitors enjoyed live music that softly echoed through the building while reminiscing on their time at Catholic U and taking in the new features of the highly-anticipated building.

President John Garvey and Tim and Steph Busch, along with other notable faculty members, were in attendance to welcome guests to the new school. The pavilion was previously an open space that was converted in the 1970’s into separate rooms, favoring efficiency over architectural beauty. In the newly renovated building, the pavilion has been opened up again as the main foyer to create a communal area for students and faculty as a gathering place.

Over spring break, Bloomberg Terminals were installed in the Florenza Finance Lab. This room, equipped with several terminals, is meant to connect Busch School students to the world of business; this unique resource is a new addition to the school that only a select number of campuses have.

“It was an honor to be one of the students to attend the opening event for the Busch School,” said senior marketing major Gabriel Haddad. “It was incredible to meet the people who made our new business school possible, as well as to see how the new building can be set up for so many types of events.”

Approximately 15 students of the Busch School were chosen to volunteer at the event as tour guides. Students expressed their excitement with the new building which features team rooms for classwork and a cafe in the morning provided by Call Your Mother Deli, based in Washington, D.C. The building is set to be open 24 hours a day for students once security is set up to secure the first and fourth floor, which is home to administrative offices.

“Maloney Hall has given us the resources needed to succeed,” said sophomore Chelsea Meyer. “From collaborating with other students in the team rooms, to the high-tech software used in classes, I am so excited to see what the future holds for Maloney as the new home of the Busch School.”

Catholic University’s Business School honors Martin Maloney, a Catholic entrepreneur, while aiming to educate future business men and women with the skills and resources that are needed to succeed. The lively opening event marks the completion of the new building and its beginning as a place for students to form a communion of faith and tradition with innovation and contemporary technology.