On Nov. 5, 2025, Heersink School of Medicine faculty, staff, and alumni gathered to celebrate the completion of the new Volker Hall Atrium. The open house was made possible with help from the UAB Medical Alumni Association.
The newly constructed atrium is the first street-level entrance for Volker Hall in recent history, providing convenient access from the corner of 16th St S and University Boulevard. The completion of this project also marks a major milestone in efforts to update the learning facilities and environments for current and future Heersink School of Medicine students.
Anupam Agarwal, M.D., vice president of Medicine and dean, welcomed attendees and spoke of the impact the renovation will have in the coming years. “This renovation has truly transformed Volker Hall into a space that inspires connection, innovation, and pride, but most importantly, it enhances the experience of our students. We are profoundly grateful to Dr. Marnix and Mary Heersink, as well as the Heersink Family Foundation, for their transformative support of our school and the future of physician training at UAB.”
Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education, thanked the Heersinks for their vision throughout this project. The new atrium represents a space where students can congregate, socialize, and study between classes and labs. “We’re truly grateful to all of our alumni and community partners who share our passion for medical education and our school’s charge to generate a physician workforce for the state of Alabama,” he said. “Scholarships are a significant issue for us, and our alumni and our supporters have stepped up.”
Made possible in part by a gift from the Heersink Family Foundation, the new atrium connects the rich history of Volker Hall with the vision of the future of medical education at Heersink School of Medicine. Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., spoke to the importance of connections and unity in medical education. “This atrium isn’t just a passageway: it’s a gathering place,” he said, “a place for the accidental chat that sparks a discovery, a place where a student meets a mentor, or where a surgeon and a scientist enjoy an interesting conversation over a cup of coffee. If walls divide and create barriers, then this space opens and unites. That to me is the real architecture of education: connection.”
Agarwal concluded the ceremony by presenting Marnix and Mary Heersink with a watercolor portrait of the Volker Hall Atrium, commemorating the space they helped bring to life. Additionally, the Heersinks were presented with a gift box holding nearly 100 handwritten letters from medical students who wanted to share their appreciation.
A group of medical students were in attendance to tour faculty, staff, and alumni around recent Volker Hall renovations, including the Active Learning Center, Clinical Skills practice spaces, student relaxation spaces, and group study spaces.
Read more about the atrium renovation and view photos from the ceremony.