University of Southern Indiana

On a mission to upgrade and expand their ever-growing College of Nursing and Health Professions, the University of Southern Indiana asked Hafer to design a renovation for the lower level and a section of the 3rd floor of the Health Professions Center. This project is part of a multiphase renovation for the 29-year-old building. When complete, the renovation will impart a fresh interior design and utilize state-of-the-art technology to better the university’s dental assisting and dental hygiene, nursing, radiology, and food and nutrition programs.

One of the most notable changes on the lower level will be the transformation of a multi-tiered lecture hall into a radiology suite, complete with new imaging machines and a large classroom. A new nursing simulation lab with high-fidelity and low-fidelity simulation will replicate an intensive care unit (ICU), emergency room, exam room, and post-acute care center. These simulation spaces will allow students to learn with hands-on experiences, getting as close to real scenarios as possible to better prepare them for their licensure examinations and future careers. For the food and nutrition programs, a new teaching kitchen and food science lab will be created to meet accreditation guidelines for students to learn the physical and chemical properties of food. The USI Dental Clinic will receive a larger waiting room for patients, modern dental equipment, and additional lab space. The renovation will also include flexible classroom spaces and space for virtual reality education to accommodate today’s many forms of learning.

The renovation is currently underway, while students are enjoying summer break.