NDMU Celebrates $4M Transformation of Historic Fourier Hall into 21st Century Learning Hub

New and Renovated Spaces Enhance Hands-on Learning for Students in Business, Art Therapy, and Art

BALTIMORE, Md. — A $4 million renovation has transformed Fourier Hall, one of Notre Dame of Maryland University’s historic academic buildings, into a modern learning environment designed to support hands-on education in business, art therapy and art.

NDMU President Abagail Van Vlerah joined Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA) President Matthew Power, Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway (District 4), and NDMU President Emerita Marylou Yam to celebrate the renovation with a ribbon cutting ceremony today.

The Fourier Hall renovation brings new and renovated classrooms, specialized labs, and collaborative spaces, giving students access to professional-quality environments where they can put what they learn in the classroom into practice. The project includes a Wall Street-style Finance Lab, professional boardroom, Art Therapy Simulation Lab, upgraded photography rooms, and an expanded Gormley Gallery. The historic Fourier Library is also being refreshed to create additional space for large meetings and events, with updated lighting and technology for multimedia presentations.

The new Finance Lab features a Wall Street-style ticker and real-time market data, creating an immersive environment that mirrors the technology and experience of professional financial firms. The space will allow business students to develop practical skills, analyze real-time information, and gain experience that can prepare them for internships and careers.

The renovated Fourier Hall also expands opportunities for students studying art therapy. The new Art Therapy Simulation Lab provides a dedicated clinical practice space where students can participate in simulated therapy sessions, role-play clinical interactions, conduct assessments, and receive faculty feedback and reflection. The lab allows students and faculty to more closely observe therapeutic communication, art-making processes, group dynamics, and other developing professional skills. It also provides a controlled environment that can support faculty and student research involving observation, recording, arts-based inquiry, and other forms of data collection.

The transformation extends beyond the academic labs and classrooms. An expanded Gormley Gallery will provide additional space for large-scale professional and student exhibitions, while the refreshed Fourier Library will offer a modern venue for meetings, presentations and events for the NDMU community and the public.

Together, the renovations preserve the character and history of Fourier Hall while creating spaces equipped for the way students learn today. From analyzing real-time financial markets to practicing clinical skills and exhibiting artwork, the transformed Fourier Hall will give NDMU students more opportunities to learn by doing — connecting their academic experiences to the professional and creative worlds they will enter after graduation.

Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best “Regional Universities North” by U.S. News & World Report.