MACON — Mercer University will dedicate the Emily Parker Myers Admissions and Welcome Center on Friday at 11 a.m. The building is located at the corner of Winship Street and Montpelier Drive and serves as the welcome center for campus visitors, including prospective students. It is also is the University’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building.
The building is named in honor of Emily Parker Myers, who prior to retiring in 2008 served as senior vice president for university advancement and external affairs. She completed her career at Mercer as one of the longest serving administrators in the University’s history, and for years was Mercer’s highest-ranking female administrator. Myers began her tenure at Mercer in admissions, eventually leading the unit and later being appointed to head advancement and external affairs.
The new building houses the Office of University Admissions, which relocated from the Connell Student Center and the former Admissions House on Elm Street.
The Welcome Center incorporates one of Macon’s oldest homes – the R.J. Anderson House, which was constructed in the mid-1800s. The project involved remodeling the 2,700-square-foot historic home and adding 3,000 square feet of new, sustainable construction. The reuse of the historic home, combined with environmentally friendly additions and high-energy efficiency, helped the project qualify for LEED Gold Certification. LEED is an internationally recognized rating system that encourages and rewards environmentally sustainable construction projects for such factors as energy efficiency and sustainability of building materials used in construction. Using a points system, LEED certifications can range from bronze to platinum, based on the construction project.
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