Today was a great day. I finally got to walk around campus for the first time in more than five months.

As a commuter student, I’m not at the University as often as I’d like to be, and I spend even more time at home now with my hybrid and online courses.

So, when Chris Fogarty ’21, my fellow communications media intern in the Office of Advancement, offered to give me a tour of the University’s new Bergami Center of Science, Technology, and Innovation, I grinned in excitement. After a year of walking past the construction site and seeing scaffolding surrounding the building, I would finally be able to view the finished product. I couldn’t wait!

We toured the entire building, and here are some of my favorite things about it:

1. The Bergami Center is full of new technology

The Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation’s name does not disappoint. The innovative technology that I saw throughout the building was simply breathtaking! Chris and I bumped into a few students in the Shaub Makerspace. They were working with the 3D printers and – wait for it – a full embroidery machine! My dad used to sell embroidered shirts in his old store some years ago and seeing that machine brought back great memories. Austin Thomas ’19, ’21 M.S. told us about his plans to make UNewHaven merchandise with the machine. I can’t wait to see how it comes out!

2. There are plenty of places to study

I’m a commuter student, so I’m always looking for places to sit and study on campus in between, before, and after my classes. I got really excited when I saw students sitting all over the building with their laptops out and studying with their friends. Even Chris gushed about the huddle rooms there, and I know I will be using the study space there often during my trips to campus.

3. The building honors the people who helped create it

Walking around the Bergami Center for the first time, I wanted to take everything in. As Chris and I entered some of the rooms, I made sure to take notice of the names. I loved seeing the different alumni and donors who made an impact at the University. My favorite? Bella Cohen ’24. She was the first woman to ever graduate from the University of New Haven, then New Haven College.

Chris and I filmed my reaction to the new Bergami Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Alumni Association’s Instagram page. We made sure to provide an inside look at all the cool features of the center. I hope you’ll soon have a chance to experience the Bergami Center in person. Until then, you can take a virtual tour.

Hannah Providence ’22 is an economics major at the University of New Haven.