{"id":10417,"date":"2026-05-05T19:03:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T19:03:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/?p=10417"},"modified":"2026-06-18T20:24:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T20:24:32","slug":"new-training-space-at-phoenix-bioscience-core-expands-opportunities-for-future-healthcare-professionals-elevate-the-campaign-for-nau","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/news\/new-training-space-at-phoenix-bioscience-core-expands-opportunities-for-future-healthcare-professionals-elevate-the-campaign-for-nau\/","title":{"rendered":"New training space at Phoenix Bioscience Core expands opportunities for future healthcare professionals | Elevate, The Campaign for NAU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Photo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A renovation underway at the Northern Arizona University Phoenix Bioscience Core<\/a> (PBC) will soon expand the hands-on learning space used to train future healthcare professionals\u2014an effort supported in part by a $1 million grant awarded by Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When construction is completed in June 2026, the expanded lab will allow students in NAU\u2019s physical therapy, occupational therapy, and athletic training programs to practice clinical skills in a larger, technology-equipped environment designed for collaborative learning. The renovation will help accommodate growing enrollment across these programs while strengthening NAU\u2019s ability to prepare graduates for careers in Arizona\u2019s healthcare workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Located in downtown Phoenix, the PBC is a 30-acre urban bioscience and medical education campus where NAU students learn alongside peers and researchers from other institutions in Arizona\u2019s largest healthcare innovation district. The campus brings together universities, research institutes, and clinical partners focused on advancing healthcare education and discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the NAU College of Health and Human Services<\/a> (CHHS), the campus houses several graduate health programs, including the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Master of Athletic Training, and Master of Physician Assistant Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For students in these professions, the environment where they train is as important as the coursework itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPhysical therapists help people of all ages improve movement and function to maximize their quality of life,\u201d says Priscilla Weaver, chair of NAU\u2019s Physical Therapy and Athletic Training programs. \u201cAthletic trainers prevent and treat injuries and medical conditions, and occupational therapists enable people of all ages to participate in daily living.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She adds, \u201cBecause these are hands-on graduate programs, the learning environment plays a critical role in developing students\u2019 clinical skills and readiness for practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expanding space for hands-on learning<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before the renovation, the Phoenix campus had two separate lab areas: one primarily used for physical therapy and another, smaller space used for athletic training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As NAU expanded its physical therapy programs\u2014including launching a hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy program in 2024\u2014those spaces became increasingly constrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hybrid program allows students to complete much of their coursework online while traveling to campus at strategic points during the semester for intensive hands-on lab experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, enrollment across NAU\u2019s health programs at the PBC has grown to more than 600 students each year. With multiple cohorts rotating through lab training throughout the year, demand for space has steadily increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

255<\/strong> physical therapy students, 219<\/strong> occupational therapy students, 116<\/strong> physician assistant studies students, 36<\/strong> athletic training students<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the growth of our programs, particularly physical therapy, that space simply didn\u2019t allow us to bring all of our students together for the kinds of hands-on learning experiences they need,\u201d Weaver says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur programs run year-round, including the summer,\u201d Weaver says. \u201cThis renovation allows us to bring more students into the space throughout the day and continue supporting the growth we\u2019ve experienced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Technology designed for clinical training<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The renovation merges multiple rooms on the second floor of PBC\u2019s Health Sciences Education Building into a single, expanded teaching lab of approximately 3,500 square feet. The new space will accommodate up to 65 students at a time and be shared by NAU\u2019s physical therapy and athletic training programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designed for hands-on instruction, the lab will support at least 32 treatment tables, or plinths, including 15 new battery-powered exam tables to supplement existing equipment. A new audio-visual system\u2014paired with multiple screens and camera technology\u2014will allow faculty to demonstrate techniques clearly across the room, while approximately 400 square feet of dedicated storage will support the program\u2019s growing equipment needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, these enhancements will enable faculty to teach larger groups of students simultaneously and throughout the year, significantly expanding the Phoenix campus\u2019s capacity for hands-on clinical training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith 60 students in a room, you can\u2019t have everyone crowd around one treatment table,\u201d Weaver says. \u201cThe technology allows faculty to demonstrate techniques while students can see the demonstration clearly from wherever they\u2019re learning and practice at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students first learn techniques on classmates and patient mentors before applying those skills in clinical environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey may read about how to move a joint or evaluate a patient,\u201d Weaver says. \u201cBut to truly understand it, they have to touch, feel, adjust their hands, and receive feedback from faculty and peers. That hands-on progression is essential to preparing them for clinical practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing Arizona\u2019s healthcare workforce needs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The renovation also supports NAU\u2019s broader effort to expand the number of healthcare professionals trained in Arizona.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, NAU\u2019s physical therapy program has redesigned its curriculum to emphasize competency-based education, allowing students to graduate in approximately 25 months and begin practicing sooner after licensure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNAU has been very proactive about increasing the number of students we can educate and preparing them to begin their careers as soon as possible,\u201d Weaver says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By expanding the lab space and improving training capacity, the Phoenix campus will be better positioned to educate more healthcare professionals who can serve communities across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning in the heart of Phoenix\u2019s healthcare ecosystem<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the classroom, the PBC offers students access to an ecosystem of healthcare education and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students regularly participate in interprofessional learning experiences alongside peers studying occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, and other health disciplines. Faculty also partner with community organizations and clinics throughout Maricopa County to provide service opportunities and clinical training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Phoenix Bioscience Core is a tremendous space for bringing different health professions together,\u201d Weaver says. \u201cStudents learn not only within their own discipline, but also alongside other health professionals and in partnership with the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philanthropy accelerating progress<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Support from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust helped make the renovation possible by funding the expansion of the lab space as well as equipment and technology used in training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For CHHS, the investment represents a commitment to both student success and community health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExpanding NAU\u2019s presence on the Phoenix Bioscience Campus reinforces our role as one of Arizona\u2019s most impactful producers of allied health professionals,\u201d says NAU CHHS Dean Janelle Chiasera. \u201cWith our programs embedded in the heart of Arizona\u2019s largest healthcare ecosystem, we are expanding access to high-quality training and strengthening the pipeline of professionals prepared to meet the state\u2019s most urgent workforce needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Arizona Board of Regents Regent Gregg Brewster visited the space in March 2026, in a hands-on clinical training demonstration with NAU students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Chiasera says philanthropic support like the Piper Trust grant helps accelerate those efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cModernizing our clinical training spaces and expanding opportunities for students is an investment in Arizona\u2019s health workforce and the communities our graduates will serve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Weaver, the renovated space represents an important step forward for NAU\u2019s health professions programs and the students who will soon train there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith this additional learning space, we can continue working toward our mission of providing person-centered, value-based care to improve the health and quality of life for the communities we serve,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the doors open this summer, the lab will quickly fill with students practicing the techniques and sharpening the clinical reasoning they will one day use with patients across Arizona and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re incredibly grateful for the support that made this possible,\u201d Weaver says. \u201cIt allows us to continue preparing healthcare professionals who are ready to serve their communities from the moment they graduate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See the original article on<\/em>\u00a0Elevate, The Campaign For NAU<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A renovation underway at the Northern Arizona University Phoenix Bioscience Core (PBC) will soon expand the hands-on learning space used to train future healthcare professionals\u2014an effort supported in part by a $1 million grant awarded by Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust in 2025. When construction is completed in June 2026, the expanded lab will allow students in NAU\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2917,"featured_media":10418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,12,14],"tags":[67,21,39,72,41,44,46,68,49],"class_list":["post-10417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletic-training","category-college-of-health-and-human-services","category-occupational-therapy","category-physical-therapy","tag-at","tag-athletic-training","tag-occupational-therapy","tag-ot","tag-pa","tag-pbc","tag-physical-therapy","tag-physician-assistant","tag-pt"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10417","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2917"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10417"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10417\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10424,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10417\/revisions\/10424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10418"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10417"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10417"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/college-health-human-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10417"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}