Contact:
Joanne Curry, 778.782.7475; joannec@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, 778.782.9017; Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca

Website: http://www.surrey.sfu.ca/openhouse

Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus turns 10 this year and will celebrate the landmark anniversary with a community Open House on March 1 from 4 – 8 p.m.

The campus, housed in the Central City shopping mall, officially opened in 2002 with an enrolment of 565 students.

A decade later, more than 6,000 students attend classes at the expansive 350,000 sq ft. campus designed by award-winning architect Bing Thom & Associates with additional facilities that opened in 2006. The campus was further developed in 2011 with new space – including science labs and classrooms  - in Podium 2.

SFU Surrey Executive Director Joanne Curry is inviting the community to celebrate the milestone of SFU’s first decade in Surrey's City Centre.

“I’ve seen many changes in the neighbourhood, including a completely leased office tower, new residential construction, and a new city library,” says Curry, who has directed the campus since day one. “What is unchanged is the excitement and support of the community. We truly feel a part of the fabric of Surrey and the South Fraser."

The Technical University of British Columbia (TechBC) formerly occupied the space from 1999 until its closure by the provincial government in 2002. Responsibility for TechBC students, facilities and assets were transferred to SFU, which committed to continuing its programs in interactive arts and information technology (now an SFU school known as SIAT).

Curry, who headed SFU’s transition team, called the task “an amazing accomplishment by so many people” given the work involved in merging numerous systems, including registrars and the library, while recruiting new students in a highly charged environment.

Former President Michael Stevenson said the campus demonstrated to the local community SFU’s commitment to a long-term Fraser Valley presence. Today SFU Surrey, as part of the city’s revitalized downtown core, is increasingly engaging with communities south of the Fraser River, notes President Andrew Petter, who will attend the March 1 event and will be available to media to speak about Surrey campus developments as well as SFU’s new strategic vision, which will be formally launched later this month.

Featured during the March 1 open house will be demos and exhibits from all programs and services, including displays of Mechatronics Systems Engineering’s shaker car and other projects, SIAT’s futuristic iSpace lab, and chemistry and biology lab experiments, along with entertainment and information sessions on all SFU programs.

Backgrounder

SFU’s Surrey campus was opened in the fall of 2002 and the City of Surrey proclaimed the opening week “Simon Fraser University Week” to acknowledge the new relationship with the university.

In the fall of 2006 the campus held a re-opening ceremony after moving from its base in the former Surrey Place shopping centre and into a “masterpiece” of space designed by architect Bing Thom at Central City Mall. Last fall, Podium 2, a new wing of labs and classrooms, was officially opened.

Research continues to expand at the campus with such facilities as a Virtual Pain Lab, an International Centre for Cybercrime Research, and new Mechatronics Systems Engineering labs, where research includes tests of vehicle suspension systems to produce alterative energy for cars and safety testing of improved materials for helmets. Biomedical engineering research is also taking root at SFU Surrey.

Ties continue to grow with the community through student initiatives like the earth-friendly, high school targeted Banner Bags project, research partnerships with industry, and growing community outreach, through such events as the ongoing Cafes Scientifique offered to the public by SFU and Fraser Health, each sharing expertise to increase public awareness on key health issues.

The positive community impact of both SFU's Surrey and Vancouver campuses was recognized in 2009 with the IPAC/Deloitte gold award in public sector leadership. 

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