New business building at USU to honor Kem and Carolyn Gardner

A new building on the Logan campus of Utah State University will honor prominent business leaders and philanthropists Kem and Carolyn Gardner. The building, to be named the Kem and Carolyn Gardner Learning and Leadership Building, will house much of the experiential learning programs of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. It will join the Jon M. Huntsman Hall (primarily a classroom building) and the George S. Eccles Business Building (primarily an office building) in the business school complex.

“I have been privileged to know Kem and Carolyn Gardner and their family for more than 50 years,” said Douglas D. Anderson, dean of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. “I know of no couple who has done more to build our community than Kem and Carolyn. They have helped lift our entire state through their support of education, the arts, and a host of civic activities, as well as through their great company, the Gardner Group. Their entrepreneurial spirit, deep love for our community, and leadership in ensuring a prosperous future for our state align perfectly with the values we want to imbue in the graduates of the Huntsman School. We hope our students will emulate their example, build relationships, and invest in sustainable practices as they do. We are so honored to be able to recognize their many contributions.”

The building, funded largely through private philanthropic support, is part of a campaign to provide experiential learning opportunities for all Huntsman School students.

“Over the past decade, the Huntsman School has become a premier hands-on learning center, with the ongoing development of its extracurricular and experiential learning offerings. This emphasis on learning by doing is why the Huntsman School plans to break ground on the Gardner Learning and Leadership Building,” the school said in a release. The 45,000-square-foot, $30 million building will house Huntsman’s expanding experiential learning programs and create room for new hands-on learning initiatives. It will also include professional coworking space for student use for remote internships or other needs.

“Utah State University is a gem in our community,” Kem Gardner said. “Carolyn and I are so pleased to join many others in supporting USU so that generations of Aggies may benefit from world-class education in Logan and find ways to contribute and build our community.”

Utah State University President Noelle E. Cockett noted that experiential learning has always been one of her priorities.

“As someone who has been in higher education for the last 33 years, I understand, embrace, and endorse the value of hands-on education,” Cockett said. “Under the leadership of Doug Anderson, the Huntsman School has created many amazing experiential experiences available to all USU students. I am so grateful to Kem and Carolyn for their support of this new building, which will greatly enhance the experiential learning delivered through the Huntsman School.”