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Our Facilities

A historic building on the north side of the Oval, Derby Hall is home for the Department of Geography. Below, you'll see a brief description of some of the main facilities maintained for faculty and students in the department.

Part of being a premier program is ensuring that the facilities and access to the best resources are available to our students and researchers.

The Department of Geography occupies a historic building in Derby Hall and enjoys innovative spaces that are significant points of pride for our programs.

Entrance to Derby Hall

Entrance to Derby Hall from the Oval

Derby Hall from John and Annie Glenn Ave

View of Derby Hall from Annie and John Glenn Ave

Derby Hall plaque

Informational plaque for Derby Hall namesake

There are several lab spaces in Derby Hall dedicated for use by the Department of Geography.

Derby 0070

This lab/classroom is set up for lab and lecture work, with seating for 32, tables for lab experiments and a sink.

Derby 0070 interior

Derby 0135

This is our premiere instructional computer lab with 50 computers enabling students to complete assigned GIS and spatial analysis projects using the most up-to-date GIS software. In addition, there are 30 PCs in the adjoining room (0135A) set up for remote access.

Derby Hall 0140

Derby 0140

This computer classroom and instructional lab has 50 computers with all the software students need to complete projects for all coursework. This lab also serves our Atmospheric Sciences students with their climatology/meteorology courses, gives students experience interpreting data for weather classes. 

Derby Hall 0135

Derby 1080

This 42 seat lecture hall is where many of our lecture classes are held as well as graduate colloquiums and presentations.

Derby Hall 1080

Derby 1116

This seminar room has dual projectors with screens and has adjustable table for multiple meeting types and seminar instruction.

Students in GEOG7701 in Derby Hall 1116

Derby 1186

This seminar and conference room also has tables for multiple arrangements and can be used for smaller conference presentations and seminars.

Derby Hall 1186

The Sharpe Commons, Is an Undergraduate resource consisting of a Large room featuring several seating/work areas, with laptop power hook up and 4 PC workstations, 2 iMAC workstations and a white board. 12x12 foot glass enclosed meeting room with 55 inch screen display and Solstice Pod for sharing presentations and digital content.

Sharpe Commons

Sharpe Commons during the 28th Annual Weather, Water, and Climate Symposium put together by the Meteorological Club.

Sharpe Commons

View of the main room in the Sharpe Commons

The space offers a 110" media wall, consisting of 4 (2x2) 55 inch screens using4 Solstice Pods, HDMI input and a PC available for setting up on the displays using the in wall control panel to configure which devices are displayed on each screen or on the entire wall as well as which device has the sound for the room. Connect to the solstice pods using osuwireless networking and the Solstice App for most clients.

110" media wall in Sharpe Commons

The media wall can be adapted for four separate inputs or one larger presentation.

Green Screen Room in Sharpe Commons

Green screen room for presentations and weather broadcasts in the Sharpe Commons

3D Printers in Sharpe Commons

2 Ultimaker 3 3D printers that will be available to students through our lab monitors, process TBD. Programs to get to know for preparing the print jobs would be CURA 3.4 and Blender.

The Department of Geography, supported by a generous gift, is purchasing field-related equipment suitable for physical geographers, human geographers, and GIS students. The lending library, based in the basement of Derby Hall, will enhance experiential learning, getting students out of the classroom and into real-world learning contexts. 

The Sharpe Field Library, located in Derby 0160, will be fully operational by Autumn of 2024.  

Kelby Thoreson, Matt Shellenberger, Bryan Hanft, Adam Sauer, Adam Tjoelker, Kendra McSweeney, Mat Coleman, Bryan Mark

Kelby Thoreson, Matt Shellenberger, Bryan Hanft, and Adam Sauer of AEP present DJI drone with LiDAR equipment to Adam Tjoelker, Kendra McSweeney, Mat Coleman, Bryan Mark of the Geography department