Mar. 19, 2018
Lydig Construction Donates $250K to Name Planetarium and Support Students at CWU
The CWU Foundation is pleased to announce that Lydig Construction has donated $250,000 to Central Washington University.
The bulk of the donation, $200,000, will be for naming the planetarium in the new Science II building. The additional $50,000 will be added to the Lydig Endowment to support students in CWU's Construction Management and Safety and Health Management Programs.
“Central Washington University is proud of our long partnership with Lydig Construction,” said Sathyanarayanan (Sathy) Rajendran, associate professor, safety and health management program coordinator, and ETSC department chair. “The company’s expertise is beneficial to construction management students as they prepare for jobs in the industry. I want to thank Lydig for their generosity, which will help us continue to provide high quality and industry-ready construction management graduates.”
The Lydig Construction Planetarium, as it will be known, is a dynamic multi-media theatre space in the new Science II building that serves as a classroom for educating students as well as a popular venue for community events, special audio-visual shows, and other presentations.
“On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff of Central Washington University I extend heartfelt thanks for Lydig Construction’s generous donation to the CWU College of the Sciences,” said Tim Englund, Dean of the College of the Sciences. “This landmark naming gift is proof of the company’s commitment to Washington and will allow Central Washington University to further our mission to prepare students to lead enlightened, responsible, and productive lives.”
Lydig is a general contractor and construction management company headquartered in Washington State that conducts business throughout the United States. Founded and incorporated in 1956, Lydig Construction has grown from a four-person organization into a large construction service provider.
It has built several successful projects on the CWU campus, including, Black Hall, McIntyre Music Building, the Student Union and Recreation Center, Science II and the new Samuelson STEM Center, which is under construction.
The Construction Management Program graduates approximately 32 students each year. Lydig generally takes on one-to-two of those students as interns and often hires construction management students upon graduation.
“We could not be happier to continue our relationship with CWU and be a part of the CWU campus and community,” said Larry Swartz, CEO of Lydig Construction. “Having the opportunity to support Central and their students is an honor and we are glad to help provide educational facilities that prepare them for future success.”