No Department history would be complete without mentioning office space! Some graduate students in the first 25 years of the Department lived through office allocations above a bagel shop, followed by space in a series of condemned buildings. Later, a number of graduate students had good office space in buildings such as Journalism, Brown Hall (demolished in 2009), and the Math Building, but the space was scattered and space in Cockins Hall was very limited. All the chairs of the Department over the years worked extremely hard to try to bring all graduate students under the same roof. As the Department turned 25, Geodetic Science moved out of the fourth floor of Cockins Hall and the Department was able to move upstairs to the second, third, and fourth floors, leaving the first floor for the MSLC (Mathematics and Statistics Learning Center). Gradually more space became available on the second and third floors. In 2006, the Department received two former classrooms which were converted to graduate student office space. Finally, in 2008, with some space on the fourth floor of the Mathematics Building, all Statistics graduate students were provided with office space in Cockins Hall or the adjoining Mathematics building.
Cockins Hall has had many physical problems over the years! Leaks were common as radiators burst, the air conditioner hose leaked over the ceilings, and the roof leaked. Work on replacing the failed roof at Cockins Hall formally got underway in 2007 and was completed in 2008. However, Christmas 2022 saw temperatures drop below zero degrees F with high winds. Pipes again burst throughout the building and Cockins Hall saw extensive damage on all floors. Repairs and renovations continued throughout 2023 and were not completed until early 2024.
As the Department and its programs have grown, the need for office staff has increased and, with it, the need for space to house staff. Renovations of space on the fourth floor have provided a suite of offices for staff, as well as the establishment of the Koch Conference/Reading Room. Many thanks to Gary and Caroline Koch and the many other donors to the Cockins Hall Renovation and Improvement Fund for making these renovations possible.