Mercer Hall
The Department of Psychological Science has the privilege of working in the renovated Mercer Hall, located on the North Side of campus. Reopened in 2016 and LEED Silver certified, Mercer was custom-renovated to serve the needs of students and faculty in Psychology.
Mercer Hall was built in 1950 as an infirmary for students. It has since been utilized as a residence hall, a counseling center, and an academic building. It was briefly the home of the UMW Honor Council. In 2014, Mercer Hall underwent renovation to accommodate the university’s growing academic needs. The original style of the building was preserved to maintain the Georgian architecture across campus and the facility’s historic status.
Mercer was designed with students in mind. There are collaboration spaces for students to work on projects with peers or professors. These spaces have computers, large screens, an AV system, and whiteboards that can be used to guide collaboration.
There are also many informal meeting spaces for students to utilize, including the student lounge on the second floor and the common area on the third floor. The student lounge includes comfortable seating, vending machines, and a kitchen. These spaces allow students to relax, study, and snack in between classes.
Mercer features purpose-built spaces that we use for various types of psychological research, such as, cognitive, physiological, developmental, and animal research. These spaces include technology that allows for in-depth research to be conducted. Some of the technology available in these labs includes two physiographs, an eye tracker, and one-way mirrors with a control room for audio-taping. Not only does Mercer have labs to conduct research, there is also a seminar room that allows students and faculty to discuss and analyze their research.
