Portland State celebrates grand opening of Vernier Science Center

The first floor of the Vernier Science Center features artwork created by Indigenous artists and walls painted green and purple - a nod to camas lilies. The color scheme of each floor is rooted in the ecology of the Pacific Northwest. (Jeremy Chun Sajqui)

Portland State celebrated the grand opening of the Vernier Science Center, a dramatic transformation of its undergraduate science building.

The event on Friday began with drumming and a blessing from a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs - an acknowledgement of the building's vision to uplift Indigenous science alongside Western approaches.

"We wanted to have a building that could flip the script and help us directly address who gets to fully see themselves in the future of science and STEM in Oregon," said Todd Rosenstiel, dean of PSU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of biology. "And we wanted to deliver a science building that PSU students today and for years to come would experience as a supportive home of teaching, learning and discovery that's clearly rooted in this place and that can be an ever-present reminder of whose land we stand upon."

The six-story building is home to state-of-the-art teaching labs, classrooms and learning spaces that support collaboration, exploratory learning and authentic research experiences; easily accessible student supports; and culturally affirming spaces where students can feel a sense of belonging.

Student voices were centered throughout the building's visioning and design phases - and it shows, from the addition of student lounges on every floor and warm colors and materials to smaller details like frosted glass on the doors for added privacy.

A 13-member student advisory board made up of Black, Indigenous and students of color offered their unique perspectives during a year's worth of meetings with Bora Architects, campus planners and facilities management. They also helped facilitate dialogue sessions with more than two dozen BIPOC faculty, staff, alumni and community members about how they experience spaces on campus and what would make them feel safe in a new building.

"Part of what makes it such a powerful space is it's literally built upon and informed by the stories and lived experiences of our most marginalized students, faculty and staff," Rosenstiel said.

The building's design draws inspiration from and uplifts Indigenous ways of knowing and being, thanks in no small part to the vision and commitment of now-retired Indigenous Nations Studies Professor Judy BlueHorse Skelton and Athena Rilatos '20 M.Arch '24, who was also part of the student group.

The building's wayfinding - the color scheme of each floor and the directional signage - is rooted in the ecology of the Pacific Northwest, and dedicated space on the second floor supports the expansion of Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge, or ITECK, including a First Foods kitchen classroom, an Indigenous library and a community gathering room.

"We have students from over 250 different tribes in the United States and many students who identify as Indigenous from around the world that come to PSU and they are saying, 'This is what we've been looking for,'" BlueHorse Skelton said. "There are many students here and from the past who were part of this vision and said, 'This is what we need to be welcomed. This is what we need to feel we belong. This is where we need to come together and recognize that our culture is here. We can be our culture. We can practice our culture.'"

The $82 million renovation was made possible from state and philanthropic support. Long-time PSU advocates Christine and David Vernier - founders of Vernier Software & Technology, a landmark Oregon company providing scientific hardware and software for education - contributed $4.5 million to the project.

"Supporting this project has been a tremendous honor, and we couldn't be more pleased to see it come to fruition," said Christine Vernier. "What's important to us is what's going to happen in this building."

"It's been clear to me for a long time that this country needs a more diverse pool of scientists, engineers and especially science teachers," added Dave Vernier, who started his career as a science teacher. "I hope that this building can play a big role in helping with that."