Campus, community, state look ahead to transformative impact

Campus, community, state look ahead to transformative impact

A massive upgrade to UWL's campus, years in the making, will soon become a reality.

The Wisconsin Legislature in July approved funding for the completion of the Prairie Springs Science Center, a facility that will transform science education and workforce development at UW-La Crosse. It will replace the outdated Cowley Hall with 30 new labs, classrooms and specialized learning spaces designed to prepare future generations of STEM professionals.

The first half of Prairie Springs opened in 2018, adjacent to Cowley Hall.

Construction of the second half of the building will begin in spring 2026 and is set to be completed in fall 2028.

"Seeing this project come to fruition is a major milestone not just for UWL, but for the La Crosse community and the entire state of Wisconsin," Chancellor James Beeby says. "Our state needs more highly skilled scientists, healthcare workers, researchers and innovators. This project positions us to help meet that demand, while setting students up for successful lives and impactful careers."

Approval of the project comes after years of planning and advocacy by the campus community, alumni, friends, and business and community partners.

"We are grateful to have had so much support from people on campus and in the community," Beeby says. "Their efforts made a huge difference, and we cannot thank them enough."

The completion of Prairie Springs comes at a critical time in the war for talent. Wisconsin is facing significant competition in attracting and retaining skilled workers, particularly in fields such as healthcare and technology.

With even more skilled graduates coming out of UWL - graduates who will go on to careers in La Crosse and throughout the state - Wisconsin will reap the benefits of a stronger workforce, better health outcomes and a higher quality of life.

The numbers back it up.

Approximately 87% of graduates from UWL's College of Science & Health continue to live and work in Wisconsin. And 99% of all UWL graduates are employed or pursuing further education after earning their degree.

Enrollment trends further underscore UWL's reputation as a school of choice and its standing as a strong candidate for investment.

At a time when many universities are experiencing declining enrollment, UWL's enrollment remains strong and stable, evidenced by the largest first-year class in school history in fall 2024.

Prairie Springs' impact on workforce development and quality of life throughout the state is a major reason why the project was championed by local legislators, including state Rep. Jill Billings, who represents the 95th Assembly District that includes the UWL campus.

"I am thrilled that after years of advocacy and hard work from a bipartisan group of leaders in business, academia, government and healthcare, (the completion of) Prairie Springs has been included in the bipartisan budget deal," Billings says. "Prairie Springs will meet the needs of a growing student body as they prepare to join Wisconsin's workforce. The ripple effects of this new science center will benefit our economy and improve the lives of scientific and medical professionals and patients in our region for years to come."

Cowley Hall had outlived its usefulness

Cowley Hall, completed in 1965, has outlived its useful purpose as an academic building. And studies showed that attempting to update and retrofit the building would be more costly than starting from scratch.

In recent years, Cowley has suffered from a range of mechanical and safety issues, including leaks and flooding on rainy days and a lack of fire suppression infrastructure. The building also falls short of many of today's ADA accessibility standards. These and other factors made Cowley Hall the most expensive campus building to maintain.

Apart from safety and accessibility concerns, Cowley is no longer suited to effective science education and research practices. In a field where technology and best practices are constantly evolving, Cowley Hall lacks classrooms and labs where students can learn, collaborate and apply their knowledge in alignment with today's industry standards.

In stark contrast to the dark, static, inaccessible lecture-style classrooms in Cowley, the learning spaces in the new building will be ADA-compliant, conducive to group work and modern teaching practices, and open to natural light.

Todd Weaver, chair of the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department, remembers taking classes in Cowley as a student in the late 1980s, and has now seen the gulf between Cowley and the existing Prairie Springs facility as a faculty member.

"Science education has changed dramatically in the past 40 years, and there's been a huge push toward active learning and facilitating group projects," Weaver says. "We're going to have students who have been in Cowley Hall and taken classes in those lecture halls, and when they move into the new classrooms that are much more open, I think they're going to feel a huge difference. I can tell you this is going to be a great space for our students."

Boosting the community

The Prairie Springs Science Center isn't just a benefit to UWL - it's a powerful driver of research and economic development in western Wisconsin and beyond.

Business partners like Kwik Trip, Mayo Clinic Health System, Emplify Health by Gundersen, Trane Technologies, Dairyland Power Cooperative, J.F. Brennan and many others invest in UWL for targeted curricula, research, internships and workforce development.

UWL is responsive to these needs, continually shaping programs and curricula to support growing industries, solve real-world business problems and keep the Coulee Region on the cutting edge of new technology and innovation.

The completion of Prairie Springs promises to take that work to the next level, which is why so many business and community partners supported the vision from the start.