On Friday, May 2nd, Pennsylvania State University leadership, faculty, students, and special guests gathered to mark the opening of the Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building. Project team members from Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Turner Construction joined the gathering, which included remarks from Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, and Gene and Roz Chaiken, one of the College’s most generous benefactors. Following the ceremony, guests gathered in the building’s lobby to explore new installations and visit the Matson Museum of Anthropology, which held its opening the night before.

The 144,350 square-foot, LEED v4-certified building, currently targeting LEED Silver, co-locates the departments of Anthropology, Sociology/Criminology, and Political Science, as well as the School of Public Policy, the Population Research Center, and the Social Science Research Institute. Named in honor of PSU’s former dean, Susan Welch, who led the college from 1991 to 2019, the Liberal Arts Building is an innovative research hub where various disciplines come together to learn and collaborate.

Later this month, the Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building will open its doors to SCUP Mid-Atlantic Conference attendees for a joint session and tour, where Penn State and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson team members will share the planning process for a forward-thinking model of social science teaching, research, and outreach that unites previously-dispersed disciplines. Attendees will then have the opportunity to visit key points of interest within the building, from the Matson Museum of Anthropology to innovative spaces for research and collaboration. Learn more and register for the session and tour at the link below.