In October, students, staff and faculty gathered with legislators and community supporters to celebrate the opening of the new University of Washington Health Sciences Education Building (HSEB), a student hub that fosters interaction, collaboration and creativity.
Communities across our region are facing an urgent need for medical professionals, and the HSEB will improve pathways to healthcare degrees and jobs for students while also supporting continuing education for current providers.
Thanks to visionary investments from the Washington State Legislature and generous donors, students in the UW’s six health sciences schools — dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health and social work — will now share a technologically sophisticated building, with spaces and resources that promote active learning, interdisciplinary education and collaboration.
The nearly 100,000-square-foot building was designed with flexible spaces, modern technologies and a broad array of environments that can adapt to changing educational needs and enable active, team-based learning. It features a state-of-the-art anatomy lab, classrooms with interactive technology and a clinical skills lab suite. It also includes meeting and study areas for students, such as the Li Lu Library, a space that fosters small-group work, discussion and interaction.
This new approach will transform how the UW teaches students, helping them work together more effectively as teams of health professionals and ultimately preparing them to care for millions of people in our region and around the world.
“From distance technology that lets students work together across campuses, to wellness, to opportunities to interact with other health professions, the new building allows us to think about so many options for the future,” says Suzanne Allen, MD, MPH, vice dean for academic, rural and regional affairs. “I’m excited about how we’ll be training people in the 21st century.”
