A $2.5 million donation to the University of Kentucky will help renovate Pence Hall as the new headquarters of the school’s College of Communication and Information.
It comes from award-winning journalist and horsewoman Misdee Wrigley Miller. She currently owns film production companies Wrigley Media Group and LEX Studios.
Wrigley Miller says she hopes it will help students prepare for the profession's future.
“There's more connectivity than ever in the world, and the ability to communicate well in so many different ways on different platforms is becoming more important than ever,” Wrigley Miller said.
The building will include five classrooms, an auditorium, a seminar room, two computer labs and studios for photography and podcasting.
Wrigley Miller says she’d like to offer more internships to students alongside the monetary support.
“It just really brings home the importance of developing those skills and being able to put them to work in an actual setting,” Wrigley Miller said. “ I think what I'm most proud of is that some of those interns are now working in the industry, in Los Angeles, but I want them to come back to Kentucky.”
The renovation is expected to cost $32 million in total. The building is expected to reopen by 2025’s fall semester.
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