MSU Partners with UV Angel to Install Air-Cleansing Solutions

Michigan State University has partnered with pathogen control technology vendor UV Angel to install UV Angel Clean Air units around the MSU campus. They have already been added to busy areas like the Olin Health Center and Wonders Hall, and they’re scheduled for installation soon in campus athletic facilities. The goal is to foster cleaner, safer environments for students and faculty as they return to campus during (and after) the coronavirus pandemic.

The technology uses ultraviolet light that can neutralize up to 99.99% of ambient bacteria, viruses, and fungi in the air or on various surfaces. It operates while spaces are occupied to eliminate potential infections at the immediate time and place of the potential contamination, before it gets the opportunity to spread. Originally developed for use in healthcare environments, the solutions can run continuously and independently, 24/7.

“Our main priority is to keep our Spartan family safe,” said Dan Bollman, MSU’s VP in charge of facilities. “From mandatory, on-campus COVID-19 testing to enhanced cleaning and safety measures, we have been doing everything we can to protect our campus community during the pandemic. Installing new air purifying technology is another way we’re investing in improving safety for our students, staff, faculty, and visitors.”

In contrast to large-scale solutions like building-wide HVAC units, the UV Angel solutions were designed to prevent person-to-person contamination within a smaller field of influence. It sucks in air from (potentially poorly ventilated) indoor spaces and treats it with highly concentrated UV light, neutralizing any potential threats at the source.

“Universities by their nature are designed for people to congregate. That creates challenges where diseases are spread person to person,” said UV Angel CEO Tom Byrne. “Just like we see during the cold and flu season, it is critical to understand that people are the major source of contamination and disease transmission. The recent pandemic continues to highlight the need to add engineered, source-level controls at the point where contamination is occurring. Michigan State is among leading universities in the country to install technology on campus that adds an important layer of protection against infection for students, faculty, and visitors on campus.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rice University to Build New Student Life Complex

    Rice University in Houston, Texas, recently announced that a groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Moody Center Complex for Student Life (MCCSL) will take place on May 8, 2025, according to a university news release. The 75,000-square-foot facility was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig with Page serving as executive architect, and it has an estimated completion date of fall 2027.

  • Boosting Student Wellness and Safety Through Indoor-Outdoor School Spaces

    Engaging students through facilities designed for indoor and outdoor learning and activities reflects a growing awareness of how children learn and thrive, with educators recognizing the importance of getting outside and disconnecting from technology. And, as today’s youth grapple with the urgent mental health crisis of increased anxiety and loneliness fueled by both the pandemic and technology, along with a related crisis in youth physical health, the wellness benefits of getting outside have never been so palpable.

  • Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Active Learning Classroom

    Striking a Balance: The Keys to Renovating Science Education Buildings for the 21st Century

    The recent renovation of the Durham Science Center at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) provides a roadmap for facilities managers tasked with balancing budget constraints, modern pedagogical demands, and long-term sustainability.

Digital Edition