Centers and Facilities

Highlights Include:

Applied Sciences Laboratory

ASL transforms science into solutions by providing scientific expertise, state-of-the-art equipment, and capabilities for local, national, and global customers. Research is focused on problems related to energy, national security, and advanced materials and sensors, and can be customized to address specific to industry needs.

Aquatics Phenomics Research Center

Advanced technology in the Aquatics Phenomics Research Center enables rigorous tests of physiological, ecological, and evolutionary hypotheses with greatly enhanced realism and replication and provides critical data for understanding human health, the health of wildlife, and the generation of biodiversity in the natural world. The Center contributes to an array of innovative and important efforts, such as characterizing novel gene functions, expediting drug discovery, and predicting how various species will respond to natural and human-induced environmental change.

Biomolecular X-Ray Crystallography Center

Research focuses include damaged DNA and its repair; calsequestrin and its implications for calcium regulation; bioremediation, including PCP breakdown; biofuel production; and protein thermostability and redox chemistry. Equipment includes an FRE generator, robotic platesetter, 4-cycle diffractometer, 3D computer lab, perfusion chromotography, and more.

Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation

An interdisciplinary program and collaborative space for creating digital tools, projects, public programming, and educational opportunities with an emphasis on social justice and ethical frameworks. Faculty, staff, and students focus on meeting the unique digital challenges and needs of underserved populations, fostering inclusiveness, and empowering partnerships.

Center for Interdisciplinary Statistical Education and Research

Led by Department of Mathematics and Statistics faculty, CISER trains graduate students and faculty in statistical methods, improves the quality of statistical analysis in WSU publications, and serve as an informal clearinghouse for statistics-focused courses.

Conner Museum of Natural History

The largest public collection of birds and mammals in the Pacific Northwest, the Charles R. Conner Museum of Natural History regularly exhibits more than 700 mounts of birds and mammals and is host to a scientific research collection of more than 65,000 specimens.

Division of Governmental Studies and Services

DGSS is an applied social science research unit devoted to providing high quality and respected research, training, and technical assistance services to active federal, state, and local government agencies in Washington. Graduate and undergraduate students have the opportunity to work with faculty in applied research and gain valuable workforce experience.

Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service

The Thomas S. Foley Institute fosters civic education, public service, and public policy research in a nonpartisan, cross-disciplinary setting. It supports programs in the four substantive policy areas most relevant to Speaker Tom Foley’s long-term interests: agriculture policy, environment and natural resources, media and ethics, and government studies and public service.

Franceschi Microscopy and Imaging Center

The center is a research and educational facility for the imaging and ultrastructural study of biological and non-biological materials. F-MIC provides electron microscopy and light microscopy equipment for observation and analysis of a diverse array of specimens. Facilities include two transmission and two scanning electron microscopes, three confocal microscopes, a fluorescence microscope, and more.

GeoAnalytical Laboratory

The WSU GeoAnalytical Lab provides analyses of rocks and minerals to the worldwide geologic research community. Capabilities include bulk rock and mineral elemental analyses for approximately 50 elements and measurement of nearly any isotopic ratio. Facilities include a Finnigan Neptune and Element2, an automated X-ray fluorescence spectrometer and powder diffractometer, an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer, and more.

Institute for Materials Research

An interdisciplinary group of faculty who collaborate on cutting-edge research in materials science. Projects include processes for active sensors, radiation detection, positron annihilation, and solar cell technology. Facilities include specialized laboratories for laser materials, semiconductors and thermal fluids, a Class 1000 microfabrication cleanroom, and more.

Institute for Shock Physics

A leader in shock wave and high pressure research, the Institute for Shock Physics (ISP) conducts interdisciplinary research examining physical and chemical changes in solids and liquids under very rapid and large compressions. ISP’s world-class emphasis on materials research in extreme conditions spans the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, solid mechanics, planetary sciences, and applied mathematics.

Meyer’s Point Environmental Field Station

Working with local and regional stakeholders, WSU is developing a unique parcel of land bequeathed to the University into a leading research, education, and outreach center that will benefit the greater Puget Sound region, the state of Washington, and the nation.

Museum of Anthropology

In addition to hosting exhibits and special events, the museum rehabilitates and curates archaeological and ethnographic collections and is an official repository for archaeological collections generated by the work of federal, state, and county agencies in eastern Washington. The museum also houses a collection of objects representative of the culture of Native American tribes in the Inland Northwest since contact with Europeans.

Nuclear Science Center

The WSU Nuclear Science Center (NSC) provides a collaborative environment where WSU faculty, staff, students, and clients can succeed in their basic and applied nuclear science research goals.  The NSC prepares WSU students for successful entry into the scientific workforce, provides the pathway to discovery in novel research, and makes impactful contributions to science and to the people who work and study here. The Center is a multidisciplinary teaching, research, and service endeavor designed to make high-impact contributions to nuclear science, national and international security, nuclear non-proliferation, and emergency readiness.

Ownbey Herbarium

A collection of nearly 400,000 specimens of vascular and nonvascular plants and lichens, the Marion Ownbey Herbarium provides research and educational support, curates new collections and maintains an active specimen exchange program. The collection includes plants from around the world, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, and California.

Stable Isotope Core Laboratory

The lab provides stable isotope analyses to the WSU community, as well as other academic, government, and private agencies around the world, and hands-on training for graduate and undergraduate students.

Technical Services

The only facility of its kind in eastern Washington, CAS Technical Services provides custom electronics and instrumentation fabrication of all kinds for researchers, instructors, and creative activities across the University.