Timeline
1946
The General Electric School of Nuclear Engineering opened. This partnership of Washington State University, the University of Washington and Oregon State University offered graduate-level engineering programs.
1958
The campus name was changed to the Joint Center for Graduate Study. Directors and deans included George Garlick, Wayne Cassett, Raymond Gold and Peter Chen.
1968
The Joint Center for Graduate Studies, under new director, George Garlick, moved from its original location on Lee Boulevard in Richland to a new building on land donated by the Atomic Energy Commission located along the Columbia River. That new building would later be named the East Building.
1985
Central Washington University and Eastern Washington University joined to form a five-school consortium called the Tri-Cities University Center, led by Dean Jerry Finnegan from 1981 to 1989.
1989
Washington State University Tri-Cities was established, supported by the mayors of the three cities. Campus Dean Jim Cochran led the transition to the WSU family, with six full-time faculty, 100 part-time faculty, 800 part-time students, 25 staff, an 84-acre campus and one 40,000 square foot building.
1991
The West Building opened. The $12.7 million building includes the Liberal Arts and Education library named by Dean Cochran in memory of the late State Senator Max E. Benitz, engineering and nursing programs, a copy/mail center, classrooms, a mechanical engineering laboratory and the Atrium gathering space.
1993
The Food and Environmental Quality Lab became operational. The facility was mandated by the legislature in Washington Administrative Code in 1991.
1997
The Consolidated Information Center opened. The $18.6 million building houses the Hanford Technical Library, in addition to the WSU library, classrooms, the College of Business programs, an art gallery and an event space.
1999
Larry James was named chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities.
2006
Governor Christine Gregoire signed a bill into law making WSU Tri-Cities a four- year university that accepts freshmen and sophomores beginning in the fall of 2007.
2006
Vicky L. Carwein was named chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities.
2007
WSU Tri-Cities welcomed 117 students in its first freshman class, far exceeding the state’s initial goal of 35 full-time freshmen. Each freshman received a laptop computer donated by Lockheed Martin, a $3,000 scholarship for the first year and, for those who completed their bachelor’s degree at WSU Tri-Cities, a $3,000 scholarship for their senior year financed by business and community donations.
2008
The Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory opened. The $24 million building is a partnership between WSU and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Dr. Birgitte Ahring, a world-renowned microbiologist from Denmark, joined WSU as director of the biofuels research in BSEL.
2009
Dr. Thomas Henick- Kling joined WSU as director of the Viticulture and Enology program. Henick-Kling, an international leader in wine research and education, is based at WSU Tri-Cities with statewide responsibilities.
2009
WSU Tri-Cities set an enrollment record for the third year in a row, welcoming 1,505 students. Of those, 77 percent were undergraduates, 26% were age 20 or younger, and 18% were students of color, making WSU Tri-Cities the fastest growing and most diverse campus in the WSU system.
2012
The Columbia Center Rotary Stage opened. It was built with funding from the Columbia Center Rotary Club Charity Board ($80,000), the City of Richland ($40,000 from the Hotel/Motel Lodging Tax Fund), and the Associated Students of WSU Tri-Cities ($20,000 from service & activities facilities fees).
2012
James R. Pratt, vice chancellor for academic affairs, was named interim Chancellor.
2012
The Energy Solutions Engineering Laboratory opened. This $3 million building was constructed by Energy Solutions on WSU land at the corner of George Washington Way and University Drive, then donated to WSU.
2012
“Stories” was unveiled outside the East Building. The Veterans Monument is a 10-foot-tall bronze sculpture designed by Tom McClelland. The Veterans Monument was created to set the tone that veterans and their goals for higher education are supported and that veterans are not alone.
2013
H. Keith Moo-Young, P.E., was named chancellor.
2013
The College of Nursing building opened in renovated commercial space in central Richland near Kadlec Regional Medical Center.
2015
The $23 million Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center opened. In addition to private support and $7.4million from the Washington State Wine Commission, the center was funded with $4.95 million from the state of Washington and a $2.06-million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. It is built on land donated by the Port of Benton in Richland.
2017
The West building was renamed to the Elson S. Floyd Building in honor of late WSU President Elson S. Floyd.
2018
Sandra Haynes was named chancellor of WSU Tri-Cities.
2018
The $5.73 million Student Union Building opened. Students voted in the spring of 2014 to approve a fee on themselves to fund the building that includes a multipurpose space, lounge, student and staff offices and a coffee shop.
2018
The Brelsford Vineyards apartments opened on campus. WSU Tri-Cities partnered with Corporate Pointe Developers, which formed Vineyards Apartments, LLC, that agreed to build the apartments on the university campus to provide students with an on-campus housing option.
2019
The MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion celebrated its grand opening. MOSAIC, stands for Mobilizing Opportunities for Student Advocacy, Inclusion, and Culture. It provides student resources to enhance equity and inclusion, and is a place to learn about cultures and social issues.
2021
Collaboration Hall Academic Building and Amphitheater construction was made possible by $3 million in design funding and $27 million in construction funding from the Washington State Legislature.
2021
The Veterans Monument and General James Mattis Leadership Library were added to campus.
2021
The Bush Family Monument, a replica of a monument installed on Washington’s capital campus in Olympia, Wash., was installed on campus to commemorate George Bush, the first Black pioneer in Washington Territory, and his son William Owen Bush, who served in the first Washington State legislature.
2021
The Learning Commons opened to host a range of student services, study spaces and collaborative areas in one convenient location.