September 12, 2019

An end to Roman holidays…

Thanks for checking in with us! September and the promise of fall weather brings renewed energy to the construction process.

In July, workers were diverted to tackle some emergency repairs on the roof. August holidays meant that we took a break from construction work for a few weeks. Our team of workers is now back from vacation, rested and ready to go! 

Despite the brief setback with the roof, we have made some good progress. The demolition phase of the project is done, and the electrical and HVAC projects are also complete. To get ready for the next phase of construction, the UWRC team has further adjusted the classroom, office and common spaces currently being used by visiting students and faculty so that construction workers have the access they need to begin their next projects. Renovations have begun in the common areas, including replacement of the skylight in the main staircase. 

We wanted to share some photos here from the Foster Rome program to give you a taste 😉 of what some of our UW students were up to on summer faculty-led study abroad programs.

As usual, the students spent much of their time engaging with the city of Rome and beyond, including a visit to a local olive oil factory (you may have sampled their delicious produce if you buy your EVOO at Costco!). Through this visit, students gained deeper understanding of global supply chain logistics. In other words, what does it take to get products from field to factory to your local store?

The students did not escape classroom time altogether, though. Lectures and group work back at the UWRC helped put their observations into context. 

If you’d like to learn more about the UWRC renovation, we hope you can make it to the first-ever UW Rome Center Distinguished Lecture on Friday, November 15th in Kane Hall on the UW campus in Seattle. It’s going to be a fantastic evening, hosted by Seattle chef and UWRC alumna Renee Erickson.

Professor Alain Gowing will give his fascinating history talk, Ghosts of the Palazzo Pio, with tons of fun history on our historic home. Afterwards, Professor Steve Muench – who is in Rome right now leading his amazing faculty-led program – will give an update on the renovations.