The Nelson Institute is going on the road — and we’re taking you with us!
You may have heard that Science Hall is getting a much-needed facelift starting this fall. The red, regal castle that the Nelson Institute has called home for over 50 years will undergo renovations that include updating the interior, improving accessibility, and adding a new atrium to the backside of the building. The project aims to modernize the almost 150-year-old building while preserving its historic and iconic look. Construction will likely be completed by 2029.
So where does that leave Nelson Institute faculty, staff, and student spaces? While our home undergoes renovations, we’re packing up and moving over to the Computer Sciences building — our new home away from home!
Memorial Union to Union South
Computer Sciences’ address is 1210 W Dayton St, but where exactly is that? Picture Union South in your mind — it’s the large tan-ish brown building directly east of it. Or for those who are more directionally challenged, look down Dayton St. toward the Kohl Center. Computer Sciences may not have the stand-out look that Science Hall has, but the convenience of being adjacent to a student union won’t be lost in the move across campus (though you may miss the mist wafting off the lake on windy days).
The Swingin’ ’60s
While Computer Sciences ain’t no spring chicken, the building is much newer compared to Science Hall’s 1887 birthdate. Construction for the Computer Sciences building began in 1965 after the department of numerical analysis (the forebearers of the computer sciences department) doubled, then tripled, then quadrupled its enrollment year after year. With rapid expansion of students and computer technology, a new building to house the department of numerical analysis and the department of statistics was approved.
The building took shape in two initial phases. The first, completed in 1967, was a three-story structure devoted primarily to offices and research. The second phase followed in 1971, adding four more stories with laboratories, classrooms, and expanded office space. As computers became more powerful — and more essential across disciplines — the demand for space continued to grow. In 1986, a third construction project added a new entryway and plaza.
Just DoIT
Having computer problems? Got a phishy email or a Duo notification you didn’t initiate? Sometimes technology isn’t on our side, but that’s where UW–Madison’s DoIT Help desk comes in to help! We’ll be bumping elbows with all the friendly neighborhood tech bros that work onsite at the Help Desk’s headquarters in Computer Sciences.
Rooms of Requirement
Whether you’ve misplaced an item or need a space to relax, Computer Sciences has the room for you! Here are a few of the spaces that may be helpful to know about as we settle into our new home.
- Lost and Found: Room 2112
- Wellness Space: Unit 2, Room 2278
- Outgoing Mail: Room 1367
- Single User Toilets: Rooms 1152A and 1152
Say Goodbye to Your Boo Thang
And best of all, the Computer Sciences building isn’t haunted (that we know of … yet)! We’re leaving the ghosts and specters back in Science Hall, so no more eerie creeks, cold drafts, or moaning pipes while you’re trying to work.
We’ll continue to announce updates and designated spaces for Nelson faculty, staff, and students this spring. Have questions about our move or new home? Contact communications@nelson.wisc.edu
Wait… Where?
You may have heard about UW–Madison’s recently constructed Morgridge Hall — which is the new home for the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences. This is not the building the Nelson Institute is moving into. Though we will be just south of it!