Research commons unveiled

Faculty members and researchers gathered under vaulted, cathedral-like ceilings in the new Social Science Research Commons Grand Hall.

An open house celebrated the formal unveiling of the new research facility in Woodburn Hall Room 200. 

The SSRC was created and sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the College of Arts and Sciences and UITS.

The space was reconstructed to serve as the SSRC during the summer of 2012 and was finalized in August 2013, Associate Director of the SSRC Emily Meanwell said.

The mission of the SSRC is to serve as an intellectual center for social science research on the Bloomington campus, promoting collaboration among scholars and existing social science research centers.

It also aims to raise the profile of IU Bloomington’s social science resources and expertise, according to the SSRC website.

The Grand Hall of the SSRC occupies more than 4,000 square feet and features a circular stained-glass window on its west wall. The natural alcoves on the room provide space for cubicles for SSRC staff members and consultations.

The space also offers a conference room and experimental laboratories, according to the website.  

The primary focus of the SSRC is supporting and facilitating research, Provost Lauren Robel said.

“There’s an exciting second layer to it as well,” Robel said. “This space will serve as a petri dish for classroom technology.”

The space provides state-of-the-art information technology, including mobile groupings of computers, collaborative workspace and technology to support remote collaboration, according to the website.

As many as 16 conferences can occur at the same time, said James Russel, director of leveraged resources for the College IT Office. A collaborative software program called Bridget can connect to more than 500 people, he said.

Although it formally opened Monday, the SSRC was used by a workshop this summer, Russel said.

Robel said more than 60 fields on campus are connected to the social sciences.
“Every element, from the tables, to the smart boards is engineered for excellence in the social sciences,” Robel said.    

The SSRC had been an idea for about five or six years before it was renovated, Meanwell said.

“In terms of the physical space we have provided workshops and research methods, and conferences on different topics,” Meanwell said. “We see this space as serving as a hub for different resources on campus that social sciences can find useful.”

The central location of Woodburn Hall and the size of the space provided the perfect opportunity to create the SSRC while still maintaining its original design, according to the website.

The room design aimed to sustain the space’s original purpose as a library for government studies, Robel said.

“All of these details from those wise owls that remain, to the beautiful windows, to the crown molding along the side of the room, they all date to this room’s first life,” Robel said.

The new technology at the SSRC will serve to connect IU to researchers across the world, Robel said.

The space will be used for research purposes by appointment only, which can be scheduled on the website.

The space will also serve as a way to introduce new technology to faculty and foster collaboration, said Russell Hansen, chair of the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The mission of the social science research commons is to promote collaboration, but I would also like to say that it is the product of collaboration itself,” Hansen said.

Follow reporter Torie Schumacher on Twitter @shoe_torie.