Experiential Learning

Check out the top six highlights along HPU’s Innovation Corridor

HPU’s Innovation Corridor connects the university’s STEM facilities, departments, and scientists. It begins at Couch Hall, home to the Webb School of Engineering, and concludes at Congdon Hall, which houses the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and Congdon School of Health Sciences. Along the way, research and invention abound as faculty and students uncover a world of possibility.

HPU's Innovation Corridor

HPU’s Innovation Corridor is home to the Webb School of Engineering, Wanek School of Natural Sciences, Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, Congdon School of Health Sciences and the future School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health. These schools house majors in biology, computer science, physics and so much more. Students in these majors are led by esteemed faculty conducting groundbreaking research. Within the last year, numerous faculty members have received prestigious NIH and NSF grants in chemistry, astrophysics and physical therapy.

Wanek School of Natural Sciences

The $65 million, 128,000-square-foot Wanek School of Natural Sciences, HPU’s newest academic school, opened to students in the fall of 2019. The state-of-the-art facility includes four stories of collaborative and innovative lab and classroom space and anchors the Innovation Corridor. Inside the school’s lobby, you’ll notice orange, green and blue colors climbing the walls. Those colors represent the earth’s core, surface and atmosphere.

Kester International Promenade

History’s greatest STEM leaders are featured along the Kester International Promenade, which spans half of the Innovation Corridor. They include: Sir Isaac Newton, one of history’s most influential scientists; Marie Skłodowska Curie, physicist, chemist and first woman to win the Nobel Prize; and Sally Ride, astronaut, physicist and first American woman in space.

Culp Planetarium

The Wanek School of Natural Sciences is home to the Culp Planetarium, one of the nation’s brightest planetariums. The three-story, 6,000-square-foot planetarium and lecture room space includes 125 seats and a 50-foot dome with a 4K projection screen and a state-of-the-art surround-sound system. The facility is equipped with programming to teach astronomy, earth science, anatomy and a variety of STEM lessons for university students and community groups.

HPU’s Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab

What do the NFL, PGA, NASCAR and UFC have in common? Professional athletes from each league have utilized HPU’s Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab for athletic training. The space consists of 16,000 square feet of awe-inspiring research, teaching and clinical space. It includes 24 motion capture cameras, three force plates, an instrumented treadmill, a golf simulator, turf field, a wooden court surface and an environmental chamber that allows researchers to reproduce extreme conditions. It is housed in the $120 million Congdon Hall, home of the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and Congdon School of Health Sciences. The building features 224,000 square feet of research, lab, learning and interactive space.

Workman School of Dental Medicine

The newly announced School of Dental Medicine and Oral Health will be located on the Innovation Corridor, bringing the corridor’s total investment to $350 million. The school is planned to open in fall 2023 and serve as the only private dental school in North Carolina.

Much like the rest of campus, every detail has a meaning and a purpose. It’s a place to learn and get your hands dirty working with plants, but it’s also a place to relax, recharge and take a break from your busy schedule. It’s educational, meaningful and beautiful.

— Dr. Jason Lattier

Director of the Caine Conservatory

HPU Innovates

Research as an Undergraduate

“The goal of the program is to prepare them to be ready to research; they’re entering the culture of research and learning how to embark on these opportunities. Students are gaining critical thinking skills, creating surveys and learning how to utilize programs like Excel.”

“Research projects get our students thinking critically,” Altman says. “These students are demonstrating their depth of knowledge. They’re getting to talk about something unique that they accomplished, and that makes them stand out to future employers or graduate schools. Their conference presentations are great examples of how they’ve used a set of skills. It’s also a great example of what companies are looking for.”

Grace George Academic Innovation Innovation

Renowned Fellowships and Award Opportunities

Many of the awards offer fully funded graduate study, funded work or travel abroad, or other amazing experiences. They can open doors professionally and shape applications for graduate school. Students earn valuable skills, such as the ability to communicate clearly and concisely about who they are and what they want to accomplish. They also develop stamina and commitment in pursuing their best selves. Most importantly, students develop a bit of fearlessness when it comes to taking on big challenges.

HPU’s Office of Fellowships and Awards guides students in pursuing more than 85 different scholarships and fellowships. Among them— with names like Fulbright, Rhodes, Marshall and Truman — are some of the most prestigious, selective programs available to college graduates in the U.S.

Service Learning

HPU students and faculty have served more than 1 million hours in the city of High Point and invested millions of dollars. The mission of the Service Learning Program at HPU is to engage students in an experiential and interdisciplinary learning environment that promotes their understanding of and commitment to responsible civic leadership. Students serve in courses where they take the classroom out into the community through real-world service that builds on and critiques the theories they learn in class. They serve in clubs and organizations that make long-term commitments to particular agencies in High Point to become partners for sustainable change.

Wanek School of Natural Sciences Lobby with Students

The 500-Acre Classroom

Flags from more than 52 nations fly along the Gene and Jane Kester International Promenade to honor each international student’s home country. Quotes, selected by faculty and students, provide ideas for reflection. Sculptures of significant historical figures inspire students to pursue their goals.

HPU’s transformation is strategically designed to provide an inspiring environment that compels students to learn, grow and create value. It’s about creating an atmosphere that educates students from within. An inspiring environment creates value that complements the classroom.