At the Pullman campus of Washington State University in the eastern reaches of the state, students studying Animal Sciences are preparing for careers in Veterinary clinics, biotechnology, environmental sustainability, and farm and ranch management. The program is one of the strongest animal science tracks in the nation, bolstered by renowned faculty members, multidisciplinary instruction, and high-tech research labs that allow for hands-on learning rooted in science.

The recent redesign of the Animal Science necropsy lab was a chance to create a teaching environment with a sophisticated AV system for advanced veterinary applications. The lab requirements created a unique opportunity for the technology team to flex their design capabilities. As an environment where veterinary students can watch autopsies, the lab had stringent requirements for a sophisticated AV system in a small space. At the top of the list was the need for easy cleaning--everything from the AV panels, screens, cables, to microphones needed to be wet rated for quick spray downs.

Cameras and large screens are another major component of the classroom, with the teaching theater made up of a video wall of six 55” displays with ultra-thin bezels. Together, they look like one large display, and in fact the presenters have the option to use the entire wall as the display or break it up into its components. In the past this would require a huge matrix switch. “The AV switching is one of the most complex designs I have done for a learning space,” notes Scott Simpson, Audiovisual Consultant and Technology Lead for this project. Jumping off a simple napkin sketch, Simpson allowed for a drag-and-choose method for the multiple configuration options for the video sources. Lightwerks, the AV integrator for the project, created a unique interface to make the complex switching easy, combined with the newest Crestron AV over IP system, which allows them to send video anywhere.

The result is an advanced learning environment with an intuitive single touch panel that allows instructors to control any camera in the facility, control PTZ cameras in the Teaching Theater and Large Animal Necropsy Lab, present to any screen, and even initiate a live stream that improves remote and hybrid learning options. The addition of a lecture capture system also allows for easy archiving and streaming, further enhancing the teaching capabilities in one of the best veterinarian facilities in the world.