Transformed leadership center at Ursuline sets a high bar

By Christine Bordelon
Clarion Herald

The library at Ursuline Academy has undergone a $1.2 million transformation this year to bring it into the 21st century with a robotics station, SmartLabs for the elementary school, middle school and high school, and a media center.

“Our hope is that this new center motivates, engages and inspires our girls,” said Dr. Tracy Bonday, head of high school, in her remarks at the dedication and blessing of the center on Nov. 9. 

The new STEM opportunities at the center will offer real-world integration into academics through hands-on experiences, student inquiry and a problem-based perspective. Students will work on projects in pairs or small teams.

Close to 5,000 square feet

Architects Mac Ball and Paul Gamard, with Waggoner & Ball, worked with Ursuline to create the new center to reflect the school’s commitment to academic excellence, progressive education and collaboration as well as science and technology. The architects previously had worked with the school to turn its old gym into a fitness center.

Gamard said it looked like the former library had been last renovated in the 1970s, so the interior was gutted and the carpeting replaced. The black and blue colors of the school were subtly incorporated. 

Key design ideas incorporated into the new space were to foster leadership, critical thinking, design skills and collaborative learning.

“What we did was transform the space in a way that brings it into the 21st century,” Gamard said. “We wanted it to look contemporary, fresh and clean. We were trying to strike a balance of modern, contemporary, forward-looking design with the historic background, which is so beautiful.”

Gamard said the interior of the space is divided by a glass partition to delineate the media center from the elementary and high school SmartLabs. A separate area has been set aside for robotics, complete with a black practice rug to simulate robotics competitions. Even with the partition, the center retains a sense of flow and transparency.

“We wanted it to look like a big laboratory space that is fresh and encourages communication, creativity and a sense of learning,” Ball said. “This idea of sharing knowledge, sharing your findings is so important. It’s important to be able to think on your feet and explain things … to become a valuable player in business.”

The center is equipped with Apple computers for art, publishing and editorial projects and PCs for science and engineering programs. 

An area for the entrepreneur class that creates a product and brings it all the way to market also has been created. There’s also a fully functioning media lab that enables students to do podcasts, understand how radio and programming works, a green screen with a Teleprompter and editing capabilities for the school’s internal TV station.

The design work on the project began in February, with much of the construction work completed in the summer. Waggoner & Ball also renovated three main bathrooms simultaneously with the library. Gamard said they were able to salvage the original marble partitions and wood stall doors.

Generous alumnae

The revamped space is named the Jane Gisevius Leadership Center. It was made possible by generous donations from alumnae Jane Gisevius, class of ’61, a founding member of the Laurel Legacy Guild at the school who died in 2018; Linda Teijelo Smith, class of ’59; and Phyllis Bunol Jones, class of ’37. 

Gisevius’ twin, Joan Gisevius Johnson, sister Carol Gisevius Waguespack, class of ’59 who is on Ursuline’s board of directors, and Joan’s daughter Jennifer Johnson Molina, class of ’85, were in attendance.

“All of us just love Ursuline,” Joan Johnson said. “It’s wonderful that you think we are helping the place thrive for so long. It’s so special for women.”

“Jane would be so excited to see children advancing,” said Waguespack. “When I heard later in life that people felt women couldn’t do things, I never felt that here at Ursuline. I felt empowered to do whatever was brought before us, and we were taught to be ready to serve.” 

Archbishop Gregory Aymond blessed the new center, saying they were honoring true Ursuline education tradition that began in 1727 when the first Ursuline nuns brought Catholic education to New Orleans. He said the Ursuline Sisters have continued to build important history, and the STEM and media arts center will help the school continue to be trailblazers in the world. 

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