Portland State Magazine Fall 2017

A LIGHT-FILLED atrium with crisscrossing bridges and stairs surrounded by study spaces is at the heart of The School of Business remodel. The building, now known as the Karl Miller Center, is opening this fall after a two-year, $62 million renovation and expansion. Business students will have double the space, triple the number of classrooms, 10 project and team rooms (there were none before), and four industry-specific centers. The renovation incorporated the west side of the building, which previously housed the Graduate School of Education, and added a new space on the north side. With 3,500 students, The School of Business at PSU is the largest in Oregon. “For too long, the quality of students and the product of our terrific faculty have not matched the building in which they have taught and learned,” says Rick Miller MBA ’91, who with his wife, Erika, donated $9 million to the renovation. “An MBA student said it best a few years ago when asked about her experience at Portland State. She said, ‘It's like a wonderful caviar in a bad tin can.’ Not any longer!” The building is named after Miller’s grandfather, Karl Miller, who was a World War II veteran, firefighter and entrepreneur. This summer, Rick Miller became chair of the PSU Board of Trustees. German firm Behnisch Architekten designed the new facility, working with the Portland office of SRG Partnership Inc. Skanska USA was the general contractor. The project received LEED Platinum designation—the top category for sustainable construction.  FALL 2017 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 21