This fall, PSU opened the Vernier Science Center, a dramatic transformation of its undergraduate science building. If you were ever unfortunate enough to have a class in what was then Science Building 1, you know how much of an upgrade the new building is.
VSC — as we call it in typical PSU acronym fashion — is home to state-of-the-art teaching labs, classrooms and learning spaces; easily accessible student supports; and culturally affirming spaces. Students — in particular, Black, Indigenous and students of color — were deeply involved in the building’s visioning and design phases, and it was their hope that you’d find it to be a place where you feel a sense of belonging.
Major upgrades
Natural light and warm colors? Check and check.
New classrooms with cutting-edge tech? Check.
Student lounges on every floor? Check.
Plus, there’s some really amazing new spaces, including a First Foods kitchen classroom and a new hub to get plugged into internship, mentorship and research opportunities.
Here’s a peek inside, but we encourage you to check it out for yourself. You might just find your new favorite study or hangout spot, like the basement’s atrium.
The first floor is home to a large flexible classroom, study and collaboration spaces, an open computer lab and a reception area with a lending library and free locker rentals.
The large classroom (VSC 105) can be arranged in rows or a round, and images can be projected on all four walls. The showstopper is the circular wooden ceiling representative of a traditional medicine wheel, a culturally significant symbol for many Indigenous peoples. Much of the building’s design draws inspiration from and uplifts Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Putting the Art in STEAM
The artwork throughout the first floor was created by Indigenous artists.
The three-panel carving shares a story of Owl bringing fire to the region and reminds us of the Indigenous use of fire to maintain the oak savanna prairies of the Willamette Valley and to protect from devastating fires — a practice that’s returning.
The multimedia wall installation from PSU alum Sara Siestreem features a mix of painting with photographs of her traditional woven basketry.
Finding Your Way
The building’s wayfinding — the colors and directional signage on each floor — is rooted in the ecology of the Pacific Northwest. From the basement to the fifth floor, the ecoregions are coastal wetland, oak savanna, Willamette riparian, coastal rainforest, high desert and the Cascades.
The signage for each floor features animal and plant relatives, and you can scan the QR code on the large sign on the first floor to hear Indigenous speakers sharing the words for each relative.
Family Spaces
There are spaces for student parents and their kiddos, including a family study space and family restroom on the first floor. Private lactation rooms are also available on the basement and third floors. Connect with Students for Services with Children for the universal access code.
Restrooms
There are all-gender restrooms on the first through fifth floors, women’s restrooms on the basement, second and fourth floors, and men’s restrooms on the basement, third and fifth floors. Restrooms with wudu stations for Muslim students are on the basement floor.
Student Support Programs
If you’re interested in undergraduate research, internship or career-building opportunities, look no further than the Center for Internships, Mentoring and Research (CIMR) on the second floor. Programs they may connect you with include:
- McNair Scholars Program for first-gen and low-income or underrepresented students with their sights set on graduate school. You complete a research project under the supervision of a faculty mentor, present the research at conferences and publish the research paper.
- LSAMP for BIPOC STEM undergrads. Get connected with mentorship, activities, events, internship and research opportunities.
- URISE for undergrads interested in biomedical, behavioral, social, clinical or translational research. Through the two-year program, you’re provided with a long-term research internship at OHSU, faculty mentoring, research skills workshops, professional development seminars and funding.
- Ignite for pre-health students looking for support and community. Current students serve as mentors for incoming students to help them navigate clinical healthcare career pathways.
Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) Spaces
Dedicated space on the second floor supports the teaching and practice of Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge, or ITECK.
A First Foods classroom features a medicine-making area with plant drying racks, a demonstration kitchen and classroom technology that will connect PSU classes to Indigenous communities around the world. This fall, Prof. Hailey Maria Salazar is teaching NAS 399 Teosinte to Today, exploring the history of corn in the new food lab.
There is also an Indigenous library and community gathering room.
Labs and Classrooms
Whatever your major, you may find yourself with a class in VSC. In addition to general classroom spaces, there are computer classrooms for GIS and other computational science courses, an advanced physics lab for hands-on physics and chemistry courses, active-learning lab classrooms for biology, environmental science and Honors courses, and other lab spaces.
What’s your favorite feature? Let us know in the comments!