“The goal was for it to be timeless and fresh, so we used the signage to kind of bring a little bit of more of that color. That’s why we went with lime green here, whereas if you look at the PAZ, it’s black and green,” Korompis said.
(Katie Campbell)
Panels of soft, layered felt form a mural of lush greens. A vibrant palette of forest, lime and teal against the gray tones of concrete walls reflect the creativity the performing arts bring to Stevenson University.
Designers Bin Le and Priscilla Korompis collaborated with Stevenson to bring their vision for the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Performing Arts Center (BPAC) to life.
“Your internal graphic design team always contributes great ideas. That’s how that wall came to be,” Korompis said. “They had this idea when you guys would take tours, bringing prospective students to be able to show them all of the different disciplines or art programs that would be hosted in this building.”
As a 2019 Stevenson alumnus, Le felt a personal connection with the center seeing his work displayed.
“It’s an honor working at the school I went to,” Le said. “I’m part of it to help the school grow bigger and bigger.”
The 3D felt mural now decorates the lobby of the BPAC, which was officially dedicated on Tuesday, March 31.
Members of Stevenson University’s Board of Trustees and the center’s namesakes, Sandra R. Berman (known to many as Sandy) and her late husband, Malcolm Berman, were dedicated to furthering students’ education in any field. The Nursing Program at Stevenson is officially called the Sandra R. Berman School of Nursing and Health Professions.
“Ms. Sandy and Mr. Malcolm, I wanted to come and support them,” 2015 Stevenson alum Melonie Owusu said. “It’s nice to see how they’re giving back. To know that they’re so multifaceted, so it’s not just nursing, but they’re giving back to the arts, they’re giving back to so many different schools. I think it just speaks to who they are as a people.”
During her undergraduate years, the Bermans presented Owusu with a scholarship to support her studies in nursing school.
“As I went forward, literally, every step of my nursing career, I told them my first job, I told them I got into the NP school, I told them literally everything. They’ve been there,” Owusu said.
The dedication was attended by not only students and faculty, but other members of the Stevenson community, such as Evan Padousis, father of John Padousis, a fourth-year catcher for the men’s baseball team.
“Having a son who’s dedicated so much to what brings him joy… I’m really excited to see young people have that same opportunity to showcase their talents and the gifts that they were given,” Padousis said.
The BPAC opens doors of accessibility, convenience and opportunity for students interested in the performing arts.
The building was blueprinted with students’ best interests in mind, benefitting performers like first-year Emeralds dancer, Soraya Manilla Medina, who was forced to practice on Greenspring’s hard gym flooring before the BPAC opened.
“The concert hall has [a] floor that is good for dancing,” Manilla Medina said. “It’s not pure concrete, so it’s so much better for our feet.”
Faculty members who have been involved in the center’s development from the beginning, such as Director of Music and Band Mark Lortz, are especially excited to see it open.
“I’m incredibly grateful. I came here 15 years ago, and we’ve been talking about this for 15 years,” Lortz said. “I teared up several times. “It never came to fruition until now.”
One of the newest additions to the facility is its spacious auditorium, which will be used for musical performances by band, orchestra, and the University Singers.
“It’s twice the size of what we have at Greenspring,” Lortz said. “In the past, down at Greenspring campus, we couldn’t fit everybody on stage. Sometimes, we had to do concerts in the gym because we couldn’t fit on the stage.”
Officially opening for the 2026 fall semester, the BPAC stands as a testament to the university’s growth, along with its students.
“It’s really nice to come back and meet other students who have been here and are really getting to enjoy the things that we dreamed about while we were students here,” Owusu said.
