After a 20-month renovation of its hardest-working campus building, PSU today officially announced that the newly-named Fariborz Maseeh Hall has opened its doors as a vibrant center for student success, interdisciplinary learning and cultural outreach.
“This remarkable new facility now stands at the heart of our campus and student success mission,” said PSU Interim President Stephen Percy. “It will help transform the student experience and serve as an important new connection point between PSU and the city we serve.”
Located between SW Broadway and the South Park Blocks, the 217,000 square foot building provides modern accommodations for the registrar’s office, career advising, financial aid, and a brand new Transfer + Returning Student Success Center. Opening these new spaces and resources reflects PSU’s deep commitment to support all students to graduation and into the workforce.
“The pathway to success runs directly through this building for all 27,000 PSU students,” said PSU Provost Susan Jeffords. “And every student’s success matters profoundly to our region.”
Maseeh Hall provides a home for key departments in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, including English, World Languages, School of Art and Design studio classrooms and the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics + Statistics. The reconfigured and expanded classrooms provide new resources to support academic excellence and interdisciplinary connections.
The building will also house the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU, a public art museum and creative learning laboratory set to open its doors on November 7, 2019.
Maseeh Hall was funded through a $60 million commitment in state bond funds leveraged by $10 million in matching philanthropic contributions. Key private funders include PSU alumnus Fariborz Maseeh, Sc.D., a pioneer in micro-technology, and Jordan Schnitzer, a business leader and arts philanthropist. Public and private investment in PSU offers a valuable return on investment for students and the state of Oregon.
“We are grateful for the public and private investors who have made this modern facility possible,” said Percy. “We are proud to partner with them to educate the next generation of thinkers, leaders and entrepreneurs for Oregon.”
The building’s new name was ceremonially revealed at the grand re-opening ceremony. Christening the facility in honor of Fariborz Maseeh reflects his lifetime relationship with Portland State.
The Iranian-born Maseeh’s connection with PSU spans four decades — as a student, alumnus and advocate. He has supported scholarships, fellowships, endowed professorships and other funds and awards at PSU, and made transformational philanthropic investments resulting in the creation of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics + Statistics. He is a former member of the PSU Board of Trustees and was honored in 2009 with PSU’s Simon Benson Award for Philanthropy.
“I believe PSU is one of Oregon’s most important institutions to educate and inspire leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs, especially in the arts and sciences,” said Maseeh.
“PSU is a place for transformational philanthropy,” said PSU Foundation President William Boldt. “Seeing this marvelous new space alive with students, faculty and community leaders reminds us what happens when we invest together in the common good.”
The 20-month renovation was designed by Hacker architects and built by Fortis Construction, with landscape design by Mayer Reed.