Montana State’s Student Wellness Center earns national facilities award

BOZEMAN - Montana State University's Student Wellness Center received a national Outstanding Facilities Award on April 10 in recognition of its architectural design, functionality and ability to serve the campus community.

MSU staff accepted the award alongside their partners from MMW Architects at the NIRSA and IDEA World conference in National Harbor, Maryland. NIRSA stands for the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association.

"The Student Wellness Center has quickly become a hub of student life and community on campus. On any given day, you can see students studying in the sunlit commons, connecting with peers, attending wellness programs or heading to the gym," said Betsy Asserson, MSU's associate vice president of Student Wellness. "The award reflects not only the building itself, but the people and partnerships bringing the space to life. Our Student Wellness staff, across all departments, are deeply committed to supporting students and show up every day with care, expertise and dedication."

About 2,100 people use the Student Wellness Center each day. Completed in 2024, the space encompasses a wide variety of resources that take care of the MSU community's mental and physical health, in addition to bolstering student research opportunities. Asserson said she sees a noticeable difference in students' well-being when they have easy access to such resources, particularly when dealing with stressors of college life.

The space houses a three-story climbing wall - which hosted the campus-wide Vertical Rush Climbing Competition in March - an aquatic center for swimming and kayak training, a bike and ski maintenance shop and other fitness equipment. The west tower of the building includes clinical services offeredfor free to students enrolled in seven or more credits. This includes an in-house medical clinic, pharmacy, dental clinic, counseling services and nutrition education. The Bounty of the Bridgers Food Pantry, which supports students free of charge, likewise resides in the Student Wellness Center.

Students can also find research opportunities within the building's walls, including the interdisciplinary Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab. There, more than 150 undergraduate students conduct studies on human body movement to improve rehabilitation for musculoskeletal injuries, medical care for amputees in rural Montana and performance testing for competitive skiers.

The Student Wellness Center's design and construction took place over four years. MSU's Planning, Design and Construction team held more than 80 outreach events and presentations to incorporate student feedback into the design process. Students requested a space that fostered community and was an integral part of student life with open spaces, natural light and warmth.

Harnessing natural light is a key component of what makes the building's design Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified, meaning it is environmentally responsible and energy efficient. The building's lighting controls, roof-mounted solar panels and solar wall on the south side of the building use sunlight to reduce the need for electric power. Approximately 84 geothermal boreholes near Romney Hall are another source of heat for the center, circulating a water solution through a series of pipes to exchange heat between the ground and the building's ventilation system.

"This project represents years of collaboration, planning and dedication from many individuals across campus. To see that effort recognized by NIRSA was both validating and inspiring," said Jennifer Nelson, director of facilities and operations at the center. "It was particularly meaningful because the facility was designed with students at the center of every decision, so this recognition reinforces that we are making a positive impact on their experience and well-being."