In 2016, the Scripps leadership team began to envision a physical space to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research and creation of innovative programs. Thanks to a lot of support and teamwork along the way, the Scripps Gerontology Center Collaboratory was completed in December of 2018. This creative and versatile space has become the preferred setting for all kinds of meetings and work sessions.

The design phase began with a Miami University senior interior design studio, taught by Katherine Setser. The student teams took on the challenge of transforming a former office into a multipurpose area for working creatively with one another and our many partners. They gathered information about the organization’s needs, then developed and presented their proposals for layout, color, finishes, furniture and technology. A proposal was selected by the Scripps leadership team and construction began in spring of 2018.

Marilyn Scripps, the great-granddaughter of E.W. Scripps (who founded in 1922 the Scripps Gerontology Center’s forerunner, the Scripps Foundation for Research in Population Problems) was instrumental in making the Collaboratory a reality. In addition to generous financial support, the entrepreneur and philanthropist facilitated a connection with Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati (which she owns) that resulted in the visual centerpiece of the Collaboratory space: a Rookwood tile installation designed to inspire creativity. The room also includes furnishings to support various group sizes and types of interaction, a write-on wall, and a touchscreen platform. The Scripps Collaboratory is in high demand as a work space for research project teams, strategic planning workgroups, and Scripps collaborations that include local, state, and national partners.