Washington, D.C. – Pockets of snow dotted Delta Hall’s front lawn on Thursday, Feb. 26, as the University of Georgia dedicated its new permanent residential learning facility in the heart of Capitol Hill.

The three-story building, purchased in 2013 by the UGA Foundation, currently houses 29 UGA students who are living and interning for various legislators and organizations in the nation’s capital.

“As you look around the building, one point will become immediately clear: Delta Hall is a premier facility, providing students with all of the amenities they need to live and learn in Washington, D.C.,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “The true value of this facility, however, lies not in its design, but in the life-changing learning experiences it will facilitate for UGA students.”

UGA first established a presence in Washington, D.C., in 1997 with the start of the Congressional Agricultural Fellowship program. The university’s footprint expanded in 2002 with the introduction of the Honors in Washington program. Several other schools and colleges followed with their own academic and internship programs, and in 2008, UGA made internship opportunities in the city available to all undergraduate students through the Washington Semester Program.

The opening of Delta Hall marks the first time UGA students have been able to live, study and take classes under the same roof while interning in the nation’s capital. The building was named in honor of a $5 million grant from the Delta Air Lines Foundation in support of UGA in Washington.

“One of the tenets of giving back at Delta, one of our pillars, is the importance of education,” said Tad Hutcheson, vice president of community affairs for Delta Air Lines. “We believe in giving back to education, and there is nothing better than contributing to this facility.”

The grant also funds a lecture series and creates additional internships for UGA students.

The purchase and renovation of Delta Hall was a $12 million project funded by private gifts to the UGA Foundation and without a single state dollar, Morehead said. The facility enables UGA to enhance the quality of the student experience while providing significant cost efficiencies. Once a commercial office building, the 20,000-square-foot space is now capable of housing 32 students and additional faculty and staff.

The building includes classroom and study space, common living areas, conference rooms, kitchens and suite-style rooms. Students are steps away from Stanton Park, minutes from the U.S. Capitol and six blocks from Union Station.

“As I walk through this incredible facility, I am grateful that I live and study here,” said Torie Ness of Gastonia, North Carolina, a senior political science major and Washington Semester Program participant. “I have a 10-minute walk to the greatest deliberative body in the world.”

Ness is one of five students interning in the office of Sen. Johnny Isakson, who also spoke during the ceremony. A UGA alumnus who graduated in 1966 and served 17 years in the Georgia Legislature before being elected to three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, he now is in his second term in the Senate.

“As I have gone along through my career in the Senate, time and again I find myself going back to Athens or going to the phone to call Athens or dealing with interns in my office who are from Athens,” Isakson said.

“The University of Georgia has made a meaningful difference in my life and my career, and I owe it a debt that I can never repay.”

Delta Hall was built in 1931 and originally housed a church society and club. Before UGA’s renovations, it was home to the American Society of Interior Designers. The 29 students currently living between its walls represent the largest group in the history of UGA’s Washington Semester Program, which is in its seventh year.

The students, representing 17 majors in five UGA colleges, are interning at various sites throughout D.C., including Congress, museums, law enforcement, think tanks, public relations firms and media groups. They are also taking courses in the facility’s two classrooms.

Funding UGA in Washington—the overarching name for UGA’s presence in the capital—has been a priority for Morehead and the UGA Foundation board of trustees as they seek to elevate the university to greater national stature.

“This dedication marks another strategic milestone in the growth of the University of Georgia in Washington, D.C.,” Morehead said.

Facts about UGA in Washington and Delta Hall:

Facility:
• Purchased in 2013 by the University of Georgia Foundation.
• Named Delta Hall in recognition of a $5 million grant from the Delta Air Lines Foundation.
• Houses up to 32 students and additional faculty and staff.
• Includes classrooms, study space, living areas, conference rooms, kitchens, suite-style rooms.
• Three-story, 20,000-square-foot permanent residential facility.

Grant from Delta Air Lines Foundation:
• $5 million grant to support UGA in Washington.
• Establishes a lecture series and five internships.
• Funding UGA in Washington has been a priority for UGA President Jere W. Morehead and the UGA Foundation board of trustees as they seek to elevate the University of Georgia to greater national stature.
• Quote from Tad Hutcheson, vice president of community affairs for Delta: “The Delta Air Lines Foundation is proud to support the University of Georgia as it expands its reach and provides educational tools and resources to its global student population. Through the new facility in Washington, D.C., we aim to increase exposure for UGA and create a place where students can prosper.”

Building history:
• Constructed in 1931 as a church society and club.
• Was previously home to the American Society of Interior Designers.

Location:
• Located at 608 Massachusetts Avenue NE near Stanton Park in the heart of Capitol Hill.
• 10-minute walk from the U.S. Capitol.
• Six blocks from Union Station.
• For a map of the location, see https://goo.gl/maps/OQnjz.

Current students:
• 29 students are living in Delta Hall for spring semester 2015, representing the largest group in the history of UGA’s Washington Semester Program, which is in its seventh year.
• Students represent 17 majors in five UGA colleges.
• They are interning in various offices throughout D.C., including Congress, museums, law enforcement, think tanks, public relations firms and media groups.
• They are taking courses taught by Paul Kurtz, J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law and Associate Dean Emeritus, and Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center.
• Quote from Nylah Oliver, a junior from Atlanta majoring in digital and broadcast journalism and interning with Voice of America: “The exposure and experience I’ve gained from my internship thus far have been nothing short of amazing. Interning in D.C. has opened up many more doors of endless opportunities. The Washington Semester Program is molding me into a stronger leader and puts me in a place to gain the best experience in my field and to be ahead of the game and more prepared in my major.”

 

UGA in Washington:
• UGA has a long history of promoting and sponsoring internships in Washington, D.C. The Washington Semester Program and the Honors in Washington Program, along with several schools and colleges, have offered opportunities for students to intern and study in the nation’s capital for more than a decade.
• The Washington Semester Program was introduced in 2008 to expose more students to the career opportunities available in Washington, D.C., and over time build up a presence in the nation’s capital. It is the only University of Georgia program in Washington, D.C., that combines coursework, internships and a residential living environment during the fall or spring semester where students have the opportunity to gain real-world work experience in the U.S. while receiving full-time course credit.
• 262 students have participated in the Washington Semester Program.
• Students receive a minimum $500 scholarship each term provided by the UGA Foundation, designated to offset the increased cost of living and to reward selection into the program.
• For more on the Washington Semester Program, see http://dcsemester.uga.edu/.