51�� Foundation Board of Trustees recommends sale of Russ Research Center

The 51�� Foundation Board of Trustees is recommending to the Russ Research Center (RRC) LLC board that the Russ Research Center at Beavercreek, Ohio, be made available for sale, allowing for the capacity of the facility to be maximized through commercial development. Proceeds from a sale of the industrial property would benefit The 51�� Foundation and the endowment that supports the Russ College.

Following a collaborative, deliberate decision-making process, a working group — comprising members of The Foundation Board, the Russ College Board of Visitors, and 51�� and Russ College leadership — advanced the recommendation to The Foundation Board during its meeting on Nov. 5.

In June, 51�� President Hugh Sherman and Chair of The 51�� Foundation Board of Trustees Perry Sook appointed the working group to review the property holdings as well as academic and research activity in Beavercreek.

The RRC was donated to The 51�� Foundation in 2008 by the estate of Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ for the purposes of benefiting the Russ College of Engineering and Technology at 51��. It is an industrial park of buildings built between 1955 and 1970 and has been managed as commercial real estate.

The working group’s recommendation came after 10 meetings over 12 weeks and included countless hours of research, as well as a detailed analysis of its findings. The working group was managed in two parts, an Academic Working Group chaired by Vice President of Research and Creative Activity Joseph Shields and a Real Estate Working Group chaired by Foundation Trustee Mark Arnold.

The Academic Working Group is committed to continuing to grow and enhance 51��’s partnerships and presence in the Dayton region — particularly for educational partnerships, workforce development, and digital engineering. These efforts will continue to be centered on a Digital Design Studio, which could be implemented in a space leased at the current RRC site or at an alternative location in the Dayton region.

“A Digital Design Studio will be the nucleus of our continued partnerships in the Dayton area designed to accelerate transformation with advanced technology and talent,” Vice President Shields said. “With a focus on digital engineering and access to cutting-edge design tools, this studio will be unique in the region, providing leadership in enabling businesses and their employees to leverage forefront digital methodologies, creating experiential learning opportunities for our students, and growing collaborations between our faculty and technology companies in the region.”

The Russ Research Center LLC board will convene in the coming weeks to review the Foundation’s recommendation and take appropriate action.

“I’m grateful to Vice President Shields and Trustee Arnold for their leadership and stewardship of this process. The working groups contributed considerable talent and expertise as well as countless hours of time to carefully review the property holdings in Beavercreek, Ohio, and have made a thoughtful and informed recommendation,” President Sherman said. “The University will continue to honor the Russ family’s legacy of support for engineering education by enhancing the Russ Vision endowment and by remaining true to our core mission — providing the very best in experiential learning opportunities for our students.”

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