The principal architect for the renovation ad expansion of the Africana Studies and Research Center is Ralph T. Jackson with the Boston-based firm of Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott. The firm has integrated suggestions from the Africana faculty, staff, and students to develop a building design that meets the Center’s programmatic needs and captures the essence of Africana cultures and aesthetics in its use of textures, colors, and artwork and in everything from wall color to carpeting to exterior brickwork. The design significantly improves the building’s appearance and provides a more distinctive identity and visible presence for the Africana Studies and Research Center on the Cornell campus.