The University of Hartford, in West Hartford, held a ribbon cutting for the new building on Thursday.
Nancy Hursey in the Immersive Simulation Suite. Courtesy photo
Submitted
The University of Hartford celebrated a significant milestone during a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Francis X. and Nancy Hursey Center for Advanced Engineering and Health Professions on Thursday, Sept. 9.
The 60,000 square foot academic building houses new, specialized, and technology-rich facilities to train future professionals in engineering and health care fields in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture and the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions.
“For years, our state and our region have had a high need for workers with advanced skills in high-growth industries, including aerospace, nursing, robotics, and physical therapy,” said University Board Chair David Gordon. “With the opening of the Hursey Center, the University is now able to offer new and expanded programs to meet this demand.”
About the Hursey Center
The Hursey Center is home to many laboratories and classrooms, including a health simulation suite and spaces dedicated to preparing future health professionals to assess, diagnose, and treat a myriad of conditions in new labs designed for motion analysis, human performance, strength and conditioning, health and physical assessment, and functional and physical rehabilitation.
Engineering and technology-focused facilities include spaces for robotics, 3D-printing, high-bay mechanical engineering, and cybersecurity labs, as well as research and maker spaces.
The Center is named in honor of alumnus Francis “Frank” Hursey and his wife, Nancy. It combines the Hurseys’ lifelong passions of nursing and engineering. Nancy Hursey is a retired registered nurse. Frank Hursey is a recognized pioneer in pressure swing adsorption oxygen technology, was on the breathing air team of NASA’s Apollo Program, and currently holds about a dozen patents from his research and development efforts.
A robotics lab is just one of the new spaces students will take advantage of. Courtesy photo
Preparing Students for Growing Careers
The College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions prepares students for a wide range of careers that improve health and well-being. The Hursey Center enables ENHP to offer new and expanded programs to meet the demand for more health-care professionals and provides state-of-the-art labs and research spaces. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects more than 2.4 million new health-care jobs will be created by 2026, more than any other job group.
BLS also reports employment in architecture and engineering occupations is projected to grow three percent from 2019 to 2029, with a median salary of $83,160 as of May 2020. With the Hursey Center, UHart has expanded space for new programs that prepare students for high-demand careers in aerospace engineering, robotics, and more.
This project would not be possible without the generous support of our corporate partners who are dedicated to investing in the success of our students for years to come. Thank you to Bauer, Inc., Hartford HealthCare, Hartford Steam Boiler, Pratt & Whitney, and Stanley Black & Decker.
Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.
