The University of Georgia is commemorating a significant achievement in its nationwide involvement this week: the 10th anniversary of Delta Hall, the university’s residential educational facility in Washington, D.C.

Since its inauguration in 2015, Delta Hall has emerged as a fundamental component of UGA’s hands-on learning initiatives, accommodating nearly 900 students and securing internships in 200 offices and organizations throughout the nation’s capital — from the White House and U.S. State Department to NBCUniversal and The UPS Foundation.

“Delta Hall has played a crucial role in equipping the upcoming generation of public servants and political figures to confront society’s major challenges,” stated UGA President Jere W. Morehead during the anniversary gathering on campus Thursday. “It serves as a venue for impactful instruction and learning, significant professional networking, and friendships that endure long after our students depart from their time in Washington.”

Situated mere blocks from the U.S. Capitol, Delta Hall was made possible by the generosity of The Delta Air Lines Foundation along with over 80 individual and corporate benefactors. A donation of $5 million from The Delta Air Lines Foundation was instrumental in acquiring and refurbishing the building and creating new internship and lecture opportunities for UGA students. In acknowledgment of that contribution, the facility was named Delta Hall.

“We’ve clearly witnessed the vision of Delta Hall materialize in an enormous way,” remarked Allison Ausband, executive vice president and chief people officer at Delta Air Lines. “It’s a privilege to have our name associated with Delta Hall in Washington and to represent UGA.”

The event on May 1 at the Tate Student Center united university leaders, alumni, students, and supporters to contemplate the facility’s influence over the past decade. The university extended special gratitude to Delta Air Lines executives Ed Bastian, Ausband, and Tad Hutcheson for their unwavering support, along with former UGA Foundation Chairman Bill Young, who played a vital role in securing the property.

“The benevolence of Delta Air Lines and The Delta Air Lines Foundation is evident in nearly every facet of our campus,” Morehead stated. “However, today we are here to celebrate the transformative effect they have had on UGA students interning in our nation’s capital.”

UGA’s presence in D.C. commenced in 1997 with the introduction of the Congressional Agricultural Fellowship program. In 2002, then-Honors Program Director Jere Morehead initiated the Honors in Washington summer internship program. That initiative was subsequently expanded to all undergraduates in 2008 with the formation of the Washington Semester Program, which combines full-time internships with academic courses led by UGA faculty.

As student involvement increased, so did the necessity for a dedicated facility. The university acquired a 20,000-square-foot Capitol Hill property in 2013 and officially inaugurated Delta Hall two years later.

Students who have resided and learned at Delta Hall describe it as a crucial aspect of their UGA journey.

“Living in Delta Hall as part of the Washington Semester Program significantly shaped my personal and professional development, and even a decade later, I still rely on the lessons I acquired during my stay,” said spring 2015 program participant Allison Plummer Snellings at the anniversary gathering. “The community that Delta Hall meticulously curates for each student is unparalleled.”

Now the senior manager of government affairs at NBCUniversal, she previously worked on U.S. Rep. Austin Scott’s team and served as director of public affairs for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

“Delta Hall wasn’t significant to me, or any of us, simply because we sought employment — it was vital because it allowed us to make a large city like D.C. seem more intimate,” remarked Roya Naghepour, a summer 2016 Grady in D.C. program participant and associate at Alston & Bird in Atlanta. “It afforded us a network of individuals who were all Bulldogs, yet hailed from entirely diverse backgrounds.”

The Delta Hall anniversary celebration also acknowledged key individuals who contributed to the program’s development, including Don DeMaria, director of the Washington Semester Program. DeMaria was honored for his guidance in broadening internship opportunities and nurturing a robust alumni-student mentoring network in D.C.

A new display celebrating the milestone anniversary and the donors who made Delta Hall possible was revealed after the event.

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