Building a Science Legacy

Construction on Weber State University’s Tracy Hall Science Center is more than halfway complete. In spring 2015, the project celebrated its “topping out” milestone, the point at which the last beam was placed atop the structure. It is slated to be ready for classes in the fall of 2016.
 
The Tracy Hall Science Center was made possible through a $57.4 million appropriation from the Utah State Legislature, donations from caring individuals and the commitment of many other supporters. Located in the heart of campus, where Buildings 3 and 4 were, the 173,000-square-foot building will provide faculty and staff with a modern facility and state-of-the-art tools to meet growing enrollment demands in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
 
The Tracy Hall Science Center is named for Ogden native and Weber College alumnus H. Tracy Hall. A physical chemist, Hall invented the first reproducible process for making diamonds in a laboratory.
His groundbreaking discovery kicked off a multibillion-dollar industry and led to the development of new technologies. In honor of the inventor and scientist, the Tracy Hall Science Center will feature the cube portion of a diamond press that is based on Hall’s original design.
 
Observers of the Tracy Hall Science Center construction project have noticed unique patterns in the bricks. While beautiful, the patterns aren’t just aesthetic, they’re readable also — if you know how to decode DNA sequences. Barb Trask, associate dean of the College of Science and zoology professor, wrote the code for the bricks. “It’s wonderful to have science reflected even in the outside of the building,” she said. “I can’t wait to use it as a teaching tool in my class. When we learn to decode DNA, I can say, ‘Let’s go outside and read the building.’” Using the genetic code wheel, students will find the patterns on the two tallest towers spell out Tracy Hall Science Center, as well as steps from the scientific method.