Culver-Stockton College unveiled the newest educational building on campus on Monday, November 22, 2021 as the Johnson-Turner IDEA Center, formally announcing the official naming. The IDEA Center, an acronym for Innovation, Design, and Experiential Activities, has been named to honor two distinguished alumni and trustees Mr. Scott Johnson ‘71 and Mr. H.B. Turner ‘79 who, together, provided significant funding for the construction, build-out and furnishing of the new space along with endowment funding for ongoing activities.

IDEA Center Culver-Stockton College

The purpose of the Johnson – Turner IDEA Center is to provide a central place on campus for entrepreneurial, creative, solutions-driven collaborative activities for students, faculty, and the community. This dedicated space on campus, specifically tailored for experiential learning, is the next step in Culver-Stockton’s transformative growth. Much of the curriculum at C-SC is differentiated by hands-on learning. New facilities create excitement and students on “the Hill” will be provided with additional industry-perspective, outreach, and mentorship that will be cultivated within the Johnson-Turner IDEA Center.

C-SC President Douglas B. Palmer is excited about the additional opportunities that the new learning environment will provide, in addition to the current curriculum at Culver-Stockton College. “The ability to provide our students with real-world experiences before they enter the workforce is what has led to our #1 job placement rating,” Palmer said. “The Johnson-Turner IDEA Center creates a distinct home for collaborative learning, expert interaction, and problem-solving that will be pivotal to a student’s experiences as they prepare for their career.”

“At a time where solutions to our world’s biggest challenges are being solved by diverse teams with rich perspectives, it is significant that two entrepreneurial-minded businessmen joined together to promote a Center for interdisciplinary problem-solving, real-world collaborative learning and impact.” shares Leslie Payne, Vice President for Advancement at Culver-Stockton College.

Johnson currently serves as the CEO of Basic Brands, Inc., and is known as one of the early pioneers in the health and wellness supplement arena, an innovator in his field and the founder of Basic Brands. Turner served as  President & CEO to Heatron and since retirement has been the owner and Chairman of Peachtree Lighting, where both positions have earned him distinguished recognitions in his field. Both Johnson and Turner have achieved great success in their business and entrepreneurial enterprises. They have served C-SC as distinguished members of the Board of Trustees and the College is proud to have the innovative center bear their names.

In addition to the naming of the Johnson – Turner IDEA Center, Culver-Stockton College is proud to announce that the Center will also include interior namings.  With the help of United State Bank and alumnus Carolyn Peter, class of ‘66 and her husband, Ross, the breakout rooms will provide productive space for small group collaboration and problem-solving. A generous gift from alumnus Larry Thompson, class of ‘67, provided an executive conference room that includes high-tech global communications, allowing our students and faculty to develop worldwide relationships and engage with leaders on project ideas.

Contact the Marketing & Public Relations Office, at pr@culver.edu or 573-288-6000 ext. 6728 for more information.

NOTE: A number that appears immediately after a person’s name (i.e. Jane Doe ’18) is a reference to the year that person earned their bachelor’s degree from Culver-Stockton.

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