Fluke Equipment Ready for Checkout at Owen Library through WSU, Company Partnership

In early March, the Fluke Corporation of Everett, Washington, donated professional-grade equipment into engineering classrooms and labs across five WSU campuses, building on a longtime partnership with the university that has cultivated engineering education, research, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) outreach. Owen Science and Engineering Library offers several of the new Fluke testing devices for students to check out that may not be readily accessible to them otherwise. Photo by Hayley Larson.

WSU’s Owen Science and Engineering Library is offering several professional-grade tools for student checkout as part of a new WSU partnership with Everett-based Fluke Corporation announced March 6.

Fluke donated equipment for WSU engineering classrooms and labs across five campuses, giving more than 4,000 Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture students hands‑on experience with the tools widely used in industry. The $1.2 million gift also establishes the Fluke Engineering Laboratory at WSU Everett.

One Fluke TiS60+ Thermal Camera, three Fluke 88V Multimeter Kits, and one Fluke 922 Airflow Meter are available at Owen Library, giving students the opportunity to use testing devices that may not be readily accessible to them otherwise, said Chelsea Leachman, Owen science, engineering, and mathematics librarian.

Owen’s Fluke equipment checkout program is patterned off University of Iowa’s Tool Library, offering 3D scanners, cameras, hand/measuring/specialty tools, programming and circuit equipment, study aids, virtual reality systems, and more, she said.

Jacob Leachman, professor and Hydrogen Properties for Energy Research Center (HYPER) director in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering (MME), and Hayley Larson, WSU Everett development director, initially proposed upgrading and standardizing MME instruments statewide with modern Fluke equipment in 2024. Owen checkout was part of that proposal.

“Chelsea had told me of her idea to have instruments that people could check out in Owen, which I thought was brilliant,” Jacob Leachman said. “The notion that students could get the instruments for projects whenever they needed was great. These instruments help us to see and measure things we normally can’t, so just having access and using them will lead to innovation.”

Chelsea Leachman, Owen science, engineering, and mathematics librarian. Photo by Arpita Sinha.

Owen librarian Leachman described the Fluke thermal camera as an example of the versatile tools available to WSU students. According to the Fluke website, the easy-to-use camera allows users to see potential issues invisible to the eye. Onsite infrared inspections reduce downtime, allow technicians to scan large areas from a safe distance to find and repair problems early, and improve production efficiency, among other benefits.

“I think the camera is particularly cool because it’s a tool most people haven’t had the chance to use or see in action and that students can use to look at the world a different way,” Leachman said. (She showcased the Fluke tools in a recent video.)

Fluke and WSU have collaborated since 1987, with the company generously contributing to essential equipment and scholarships, as well as sponsored research projects. The longstanding partnership has empowered WSU students, faculty, and programs across multiple campuses and cultivated breakthroughs in engineering education, research, and STEM outreach.

“At WSU Libraries, we are so grateful for Fluke’s generous gift,” said Shane Johnson, the libraries’ development director. “We are proud to partner with Fluke, the Voiland College, and MME to help put these powerful tools in the hands of our students.”