Support builds for Elon’s new Inman Admissions Welcome Center

Elon parents Jamey Nugent and Tracey Walser ’84 Nugent pledge generous gift to the project.

Jamey and Tracey Nugent of Naples, Fla., have made a major gift toward the construction of a new building that will transform the university’s admissions and campus visit operations.

The Inman Admissions Welcome Center will become the first stop on campus for thousands of prospective students and visitors who tour the university each year, replacing the current welcome center on the first floor of the Moseley Center. A two-story lobby and atrium, named in honor of the Nugents’ generosity, will serve as the building’s main gathering space and feature informational displays, guest seating and a staffed information desk.

Once complete, the facility will house all university admissions, financial planning and campus visit staff, who are currently located in three different university buildings.

“We feel honored to be part of such an important project,” says Tracey Nugent, a former member of the Elon Alumni Board. “This new building will make a wonderful first impression on anyone who visits Elon, and we are glad to support a university that means so much to our family.”

Construction on the project is slated to begin during the 2013-14 academic year, and the building’s location north of Belk Library will put visitors in the midst of university life while highlighting the beauty of main campus. The facility’s proposed site is a new quadrangle that will replace the Moseley Center parking lot on N. O’Kelly Avenue, with construction plans calling for an additional parking lot to be built on the north side of the building.  

“The Inman Admissions Welcome Center will serve as a beautiful and welcoming gateway to Elon for thousands of future prospective students, and it would not be possible without Tracey and Jamey’s support,” says Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement. “We are truly fortunate to count the Nugent family among Elon’s supporters.”

Jamey and Tracey Nugent have been loyal Elon donors, contributing to the university’s annual fund as well as the Phoenix Club. They are also current members of the Elon Parents Council, and have two sons. Their oldest son, James, lives in Boulder, Colo., and Andrew is a rising Elon junior.   

The Inman Admissions Welcome Center is named for Elon trustee Bill Inman and wife Pat, also Elon parents, who provided the lead gift for the building. Their support launched the university’s efforts to raise $4 million in private gifts for the project.