IPF partners with the MSU Museum to bring the world to campus
Anthony Yuhasz
December 18, 2019
The MSU Museum recently partnered with IPF and other campus units to create the new Science on a Sphere exhibit, a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six-foot diameter sphere, giving the effect of a giant animated globe.
They plan to use the exhibit to develop special curricula for university courses as well as educate visitors about some of the exciting research going on at MSU.
“I started working two years ago on the original estimate for the project, and have followed it from design, through construction and finally completion,” said Ian O’Brien, Planning, Design and Construction planner/inspector/analyst II and project manager.
O’Brien, along with Guy Halsey, engineer/architect II, and Christine Lockwood, interior designer III, coordinated the design and construction of this unique space that employed several crews from IPF as well as Neilsen Construction.
“We created all of the room finishes, built the server room housing the computer control units and installed all of the electrical support systems,” O’Brien said. “Metal shop maintenance mechanics II Craig Meyer and Andy Van Halst installed the stainless-steel railing and fabricated the custom podium which painter I Pam Hebeler, painted.”
Other members of Team IPF who were involved in the creation of this unique space include masons Scott Slee and Dave Wilbert, locksmith Tony Knapp, communications analyst II Don Mintz and electrician Michelle Babcock. IT Services’ Jason Brown installed the projectors.
MSU Museum operations manager, Mike Secord sang the praises of the partnership.
“I had the unique opportunity to get involved in every facet of this complicated project,” Secord said. “It was especially rewarding for me to see so many other university departments including both IPF and IT Services working collaboratively to fit all the complex pieces of this puzzle together.”
Photos of construction courtesy of Kyle Root, MSU IT Communications