Infrastructure: How WSU’s New Buildings are Building WSU’s Future
Rendering of the College of Engineering’s new building
In-demand engineering degrees are at the heart of WSU’s investments
When it was built in 1949, WSU’s Technology Building - now Dana Hall - was a shining example of the future. It boasted 46 labs and 15 offices and provided state-of-the-art space for the students of what was then the Washington State Institute of Technology. In its first year, the building saw experiments and research in areas from agricultural engineering to early nuclear sciences. This history is the bedrock of WSU’s current engineering programs, which are helping students graduate with career-ready degrees for in-demand industries.
In fact, WSU’s engineering degrees are so popular, the school is having a hard time making space for much-needed changes and improvements necessary for this storied old building. That’s why Washington State University’s supporters have been working hard to ensure that the new engineering building, currently in development, will receive the state’s support to move ahead.
Washington State Institute of Technology Building [Dana Hall], 1948 via WSU Libraries
Modern Facilities for Modern Students
The nearly-80 year old Dana Hall has never been renovated and lacks many of the elements that today’s students need, including lab machinery and even basic, upgraded restrooms. It’s also not laid out for the kinds of work that The Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture students will be doing in the coming years.
On a fundamental level, Dana Hall is also not meeting WSU’s mission of providing accessible education - because it was built before the Americans with Disabilities Act, it isn’t useable by students with many mobility devices.
An outside view of the Technology Building (later Dana Hall) via WSU Libraries
Thanks to a huge investment from Edmund and Beatriz Schweitzer and the Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, WSU has already made great headway on its funding goal without asking the legislature. By leveraging state support with private fundraising, WSU is making it clear that this new building is essential for both our community and our future.
That future is coming faster every day. As the Spokesman Review noted in a story about this game changing plan,
“The Schweitzer endowment comes amid a high demand for engineers, computer scientists, construction managers and design graduates, as enrollment at the Voiland College has increased to just under 5,500 undergraduate students in 2021, up from 4,239 in 2012 and 5,159 in 2016, said Voiland College Dean Mary Rezac.”
The Schweitzer endowment is absolutely going to help WSU continue to meet its goals of providing students a state-of-the-art education — but without backing from the Washington State Legislature, it’ll be difficult to achieve these big goals and meet the needs of students.
But Washington has long understood the need to plan ahead and get behind WSU when it proposes important steps. They were there for the WSC Institute of Technology in 1948 and now, we’re optimistic that they’ll be there for the WSU engineering students of the future.
