Ribbon Cutting Commemorates Reopening of Lyday Gardens
A&M-Commerce welcomed alumni Gary and Sandra Fernandes to campus on Oct. 21 to cut the ribbon and officially reopen Lyday Gardens. The Fernandes family originally sponsored the construction of the gardens in 2001, and another generous gift from them made recent renovations possible. The redesigned gardens will serve as a living lab for learning and research where students will apply classroom knowledge to hands-on horticulture projects.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, A&M-Commerce President Mark Rudin said the Fernandes' gift will transform students’ lives. He described Lyday Gardens as a “crown jewel” of the A&M-Commerce campus. The gardens are located on the east side of campus, between Heritage House and the Alumni Center.
The ceremony also recognized the Fernandes’ 30 years of philanthropic impact at A&M-Commerce. Speakers included Dr. Zaki Malik, department head and associate professor of Marketing and Business Analytics at A&M-Commerce. Malik, who is the recipient of the Fernandes Professorship in Business Analytics, expressed gratitude for the Fernandes’ dedication and support of students in the College of Business.
Jerrod Knight, General Manager of KETR (88.9 FM) on the A&M-Commerce campus, also thanked Gary and Sandra for their generous support of the station’s radio programming.
Read more about the Fernandes’ gift and the garden redesign.