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Trustees approve naming of John R. Muslin University Center at Pitt Johnstown after $2.2 million gift
Summary
The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved a resolution to name 500 Schoolhouse Road in Johnstown the John R. Muslin University Center after a $2,200,000 gift from alumnus John R. Muslin; trustees heard that the funds are in the university’s custody and that the property was purchased by the campus prior to the donation.
The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees on a voice vote approved a resolution to name 500 Schoolhouse Road in Johnstown the John R. Muslin University Center following a $2,200,000 gift from alumnus John R. Muslin.
The naming was recommended by the Mission and Academic Experience Committee and approved by the full board after trustees heard details about the property purchase and the donor's intent. The campus acquired the 74-acre parcel adjacent to the Johnstown campus; the site includes a 178,000-square-foot, four-story furnished office building and about 500 parking spaces.
President Jen Spector of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown told trustees the gift is already in the university’s custody. “The funding — the funding is in hand and, in fact, has been — it's in our custody,” Spector said during the meeting.
Spector and trustees described the acquisition and gift as a strategic opportunity for the Johnstown campus to address enrollment and facilities challenges without the expense of new construction. Spector said the building would allow expansion of academic programs—citing biomedical and environmental engineering and health and wellness programs—and provide a consolidated footprint for Pitt Johnstown athletics, avoiding significant deferred-maintenance challenges at the current sports center.
Trustee Robbie Locksbacher asked how the building would be used and about the cost of adapting an older structure. Spector replied that reusing the existing building would be substantially less expensive than new construction and would support workforce-readiness programs and athletics. Trustee Jack Tuck noted the move aligns with the campus strategy the trustees previously reviewed and confirmed that Muslin’s contribution was a financial gift; the property acquisition had been negotiated independently by the university.
On the record, the board heard that the donor and his late wife have a long-standing philanthropic relationship with the Johnstown campus and view the gift as positioning the campus for the institution’s upcoming centennial.
The motion to approve the naming was moved on behalf of the Mission and Academic Experience Committee and seconded; the board approved the resolution with no recorded opposition or abstentions. The trustees extended their gratitude to John R. Muslin for his support.
The meeting then adjourned.
