Renovation & Staffing Updates

Founded in 1971, the Nyumburu Cultural Center has long served as a vital space for social, cultural, and intellectual engagement. Our facilities are being enhanced through a phased renovation process designed to support Nyumburu’s continued service to the campus community. We are also hiring Nyumburu’s next permanent director and a program manager for facilities and operations. The search for Nyumburu’s permanent director will take place first, followed by recruitment of the program manager, ensuring the new director has a role in selecting and shaping the Center’s team. The Nyumburu Cultural Center will then undergo a program review, to support the new director in developing strategic priorities and initiatives.

This page is regularly updated to provide status updates related to our phased renovation plan, the searches for our next director and program manager for facilities, and our program review. Last updated: October 5, 2026.

Renovations

Phase 1

Summer 2024: External Pavers & Lighting

Status: Complete

Phase 2

Summer 2025 to Spring 2027: Multipurpose Room

Status: In Progress

Phase 3

Summer 2027: Interior Enhancements

Status: Fundraising

Ms. Anne Reese Carswell speaking at the mic in front of the stage in Nyumburu's Multipurpose Room — Multipurpose Room stage - part of Phase II renovations. Photo by Bethany Swain

Status: We are currently in Phase II. Renovations and design decisions have been guided by Nyumburu Cultural Center staff and student ambassadors with the aim of better serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and visitors. Materials and furniture have been ordered and the renovations to the multipurpose room are slated to begin in late November 2026 and finish by mid-February 2027. Any delays or updates to the timeline will be shared on this page.

Community and programmatic continuity during the renovations: Nyumburu will remain active throughout the renovation period. As work affects availability of the multipurpose room, the Center is working with student organizations, recurring program partners, and campus colleagues to identify alternative spaces and preserve continuity for Nyumburu programs, traditions, meetings and community activities.

Scope
Phase II is a full renovation of the multipurpose room. This will include a new stage with an ADA-accessible ramp, upgraded acoustic panels and dimmable lighting, new furniture, and fresh paint and flooring throughout. An additional component is the 50th anniversary Ambassadors and Friends Wall. During Fall 2026, outreach is being made to donors whose anniversary gifts to the Nyumburu Cultural Center meet the threshold for inclusion on the wall.

Timeline:

Summer 2025: Starting with Dr. Ronald Zeigler, planning for the Phase II renovations began.
Spring - Summer 2026: Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson and Nyumburu student ambassadors selected furniture, paint colors, patterns for the acoustic panels, and flooring material for the stage. All materials were finalized by late July.
November 2026: Phase II renovations and installations are slated to begin as early as November 2026. Nyumburu will remain active throughout the renovation period. The Center is working to identify alternative spaces for groups and events while construction work takes place.
February 2027: Phase II renovations and installations are slated to be completed in mid-February 2027. This target date is dependent on materials, contractor availability and final delivery timelines. Updates will be shared here as they are available.
Spring 2027: Installation of Ambassadors and Friends Wall

Staffing Updates

Director, Nyumburu Cultural Center

Nyumburu Cultural Center interim director Dr. Stephen B. Thomas. Photo courtesy of the School of Public Health.

Professor Stephen B. Thomas, Ph.D., began serving as interim director of Nyumburu Cultural Center on August 24, 2026, supporting the Center’s students, staff, programs and operations during this period of transition. Read Dr. Stephanie H. Chang’s message to university leadership sharing this news and other updates.

A nationwide search for Nyumburu’s next permanent director has been launched. The position was posted on August 6, 2026, with a best consideration date of September 5, 2026. Dr. Thomas is also serving as chair of the search committee for Nyumburu’s next permanent director and, as such, is not eligible to be a candidate for the position.

The search committee includes: Dr. Thomas as chair, a staff member from the Nyumburu Cultural Center, an undergraduate student representative from Nyumburu student ambassadors, a graduate student representative from Graduate Student Government, a staff member from Belonging & Community, a staff member from Government Relations, and a staff member from the Division of Student Affairs.

Next Steps: The search committee will collect and review applications and identify candidates for further consideration. Selected finalists will engage with students, staff, faculty, and other members of the campus community.

Program Manager, Facilities and Operations

Nyumburu hosts a wide range of programs in the Center that require complex audio-visual (AV) and technical support. The program manager, facilities and operations will help the Center to meet their programmatic and access goals for the many meetings, events, and activities that take place in the building. The role will also be responsible for managing revenue generating possibilities in the newly renovated multipurpose room. The position will be posted after the new director is hired and onboarded, to give the new director an opportunity to build their team.

Nyumburu Program Review

Following the arrival of Nyumburu’s next permanent director, interim director Dr. Stephen B. Thomas will transition from interim director to chair a comprehensive program review of the Center. The review will provide continuity through the leadership transition while creating an opportunity for Nyumburu staff and community members to reflect on the Center’s programs, services and operations; consider available data, experiences and community input; and identify opportunities to strengthen its work for contemporary and future generations of students. Periodic program reviews are an important part of ensuring that centers remain responsive to their communities, build on their strengths and continue evolving in ways that advance their enduring missions.

Header photo at top by Bethany Swain