Should you find yourself on the north side of Oregon State University, specifically near Campus Way and Memorial Place, make a point to visit the new Kelley Engineering Center.

Your reaction once inside might be similar to that of the hundreds of people who already have taken a tour — Whoa!

Passing through one of the glass entryways, visitors are immediately struck by the spaciousness of the building and its signature four-story atrium. The designers have done a marvelous job of melding wood, concrete, steel and glass into a comfortable and efficient academic setting.

And the view... Windows dominate the building, none more spectacularly than those on the fourth floor that afford a vista upon the hills that surround the north and west ends of Corvallis.

You can practically feel the hum of computers and electronics in the new home of OSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Walking down the hallways, it’s fascinating to eavesdrop on the tech talk of faculty, staff and students that emanates from the various open doorways.

Not to forget its roots, the college has hung photos of its graduates along one of the fourth-floor hallways. Reflecting the growing diversity of its programs, the classes morph from a bunch of white guys, prototypical geeks, in Oregon State College’s class of 1947 to the color photos of OSU’s electrical and computer

engineering class of 2004-05, which includes women and men from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The same diversity can be seen among the dozens of students working on laptops near the first-floor e.cafe or one of the surrounding computer labs.

The building was made possible in large part by the success of one of OSU’s graduates, Martin Kelley, who went on to success with Peter Kiewit Sons’ Inc., one of the nation’s largest construction firms. Besides a $20 million donation from the Kelley family, the state contributed $20 million and another $5 million came from private donations.

In addition to creating an environment for learning and discovery, the university has built in many efficiencies. It’s slightly eery the way the lights blink on when you enter the Shelby & Ruth T. Kelley Cole Conference Room on the second floor. Fixtures that turn on and off automatically and an abundance of natural light are just a few of the features meant to converse energy.

Kelley and others didn’t have the amenities of the new and improving OSU on their way to success, but their legacy through programs in the Kelley Engineering Center and elsewhere on campus gives the next generation a head start.