HAMILTON, N.Y. – Students arriving at Colgate University this week were greeted by the opening of Peter’s Glen, a striking 2.5-acre landscape corridor designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates and made possible by the philanthropy of alumnus Peter L. Kellner, who fully funded the work to create the new campus landmark.
Far beyond another campus beautification effort, Peter’s Glen is a case study in how bold design investments can simultaneously solve infrastructure challenges, strengthen community, improve campus navigation and advance sustainability goals.
In the years before the creation of Peter’s Glen, stormwater flowed from multiple pipes out of the hillside above the Dana Arts Center and Bernstein Hall and flooded the undersized storm system at the bottom of the hill.
Increasing the piped drainage system and managing the flow of water will now alleviate flood events on Lally Lane and along Taylor Lake and improve the conditions of Payne Creek. The stormwater channel carries runoff from rain and snowmelt through terraced bluestone pools and cascades. At times it runs dry, but it is both functional infrastructure and a defining, ephemeral site feature.
The large vehicle traffic circle by Frank Dining Hall has now been converted into a new upper plaza for improved pedestrian safety, ease of access, and a greater natural connection with the surrounding landscape.
The plaza features stone pavers, boulder seat walls, new site lighting, and tree and understory plantings. A new lower plaza at the south side of Ryan Studio connects the project’s main stairway and pathways to Colgate’s new Bernstein Hall. These plazas provide new campus locations for gathering and studying.
“Years of planning, design, and construction have culminated in this final month of work,” project manager Katy Jacobs said in a news release. “This sees us achieving final completion ahead of schedule and on budget.”
Peter’s Glen is just the latest example of Peter Kellner’s extraordinary generosity, which has included the funding of the Peter L. Kellner Third Century Chair in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and the Peter L. and Maria T. Kellner Endowed Chair in Arts, Creativity, and Innovation. He has also supported financial aid by funding the Peter L. Kellner Family Endowed Scholarship Fund, among other campus projects.
During Reunion 2025, Colgate announced the launch of the West Campus Initiative, made possible in part through a new $60 million gift from Kellner — the largest single gift in Colgate history. That support has helped bring total fundraising in The Campaign for the Third Century to more than $745 million.
Kellner is a financier, philanthropist and former managing director at Morgan Stanley, an investment banking and financial planning firm.
