BGSU announces first named space in new Engineering and Innovation Center

A study lounge will be named for Donna M. ‘51 and Fredrik R. Barnes 

Bowling Green State University has announced the first named space in its new Engineering and Innovation Center, which opened for classes earlier this year.

The study lounge, a spacious and inviting area where students can gather between classes, will honor Donna M. ‘51 and Fredrik R. Barnes, pending BGSU Board of Trustees approval on May 1.

Their generous estate gift will further support the University’s commitment to preparing students for in-demand careers in Ohio and beyond through hands-on experience in the region’s most modern university engineering lab.

“Donna was a trailblazer for women in corporate America, getting her start in the steno pool and rising through the ranks to become the first female executive at Boeing – an unprecedented trajectory at the time,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “We are so grateful that Donna always remained connected to her alma mater, and we are deeply appreciative of her and her husband, Fredrik Barnes, for their generosity in supporting our students through this gift.

“Donna exemplified the power of the Bowling Green experience, earning a business degree in 1951 and launching a great career and great life, forging a path for generations who follow in her footsteps. We will forever honor her legacy through this named space in our Engineering and Innovation Center.”  

The state-of-the-art Engineering and Innovation Center includes seven specialty labs, totaling about 24,000 square feet for training in semiconductors, robotics, advanced manufacturing, augmented reality and more.

The labs are designed to replicate workplace engineering environments, a key focus of Bowling Green’s engineering programs, with 80% of courses including a lab component.

“Donna and Fredrik Barnes have created a space where students can connect and focus,” said Tina Hennessey, vice president for University Advancement and president and CEO of the BGSU Foundation, Inc. “This study lounge will support the kind of hands-on learning experience that defines Bowling Green’s engineering programs, and we are grateful for their generosity.”

After graduating from BGSU in 1951 with a degree in business education, Donna Barnes built a successful career at Boeing in Seattle, including becoming the company’s first female executive.

She held the title of director of industrial relations at the Fortune 500 company and became the first woman elected to the board of directors of the Boeing Employee Credit Union.

As a student, Donna Barnes was active in the Delta Gamma sorority and Mortar Board and remained engaged in her alma mater for years after graduation. 

She served on several homecoming reunion committees and was recognized as an accomplished graduate of the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business in 2011. 

Fredrik Barnes was a retired engineer whose career included working at Boeing.

Additional naming opportunities in the Engineering and Innovation Center are available. To learn more, contact University Advancement at 419-372-7772.