Albany, NY - SUNY Polytechnic Institute today held a grand opening ceremony for its new student center on the 3rd floor of the NanoFab South building. Faculty and staff joined students as a ribbon was cut on the space, which represents SUNY Poly’s continued commitment to providing a vibrant campus residential life experience. Students were fully engaged in the design of the space, which includes workstations and breakout or meeting rooms as well as areas for students to relax or socialize between classes.

[caption id="attachment_21885" align="alignright" width="300"] SUNY Poly students and Dr. Kaloyeros cut the ribbon on the new SUNY Poly Student Center[/caption]

“We’re delighted to make this new space available to our students to further enhance their SUNY Poly experience. The center will not just provide students a place to work or relax but will promote interaction between graduates and undergraduates and all them to forge new friendships and collaborations,” said Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, President and CEO of SUNY Poly. “It’s important that we provide students opportunities for growth both academically and socially and lounge areas like this help to provide such an environment.”

“Having dedicated lounge areas such as these is extremely important to students, and we’re excited to begin utilizing this new student space. We would like to thank both the SUNY Poly administration and the design firm for working with students to make this happen,” said Kevin Musick, President of the Graduate Student Association. “The creation of the student center is a big step forward for the college, and its development has been a great demonstration of SUNY Poly students and administrators working together.”

“We commend the SUNY Poly administration for working closely with the students to design and build a space that will allow students to study and collaborate more effectively," said Jonathon Schad, President of the Undergraduate Student Association. “We’re extremely thankful for the student center, which truly enriches the campus experiences.”

The student center includes two lounge areas boasting approximately 20,000 square feet and is capable of accommodating more than 150 students at a time. Several dozen couches and coffee tables create a comfortable space for relaxation and social interaction. The center also provides multiple meeting rooms and 32 workstations with laptop and device charging ports and USB connectivity. High-speed Internet service is available throughout the space, which also includes a fully equipped kitchenette.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute. SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts more than $43 billion in high-tech investments, over 300 corporate partners, and maintains a statewide footprint. The 1.3 million-square-foot Albany NanoTech megaplex is home to more than 4,000 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, faculty, and staff, in addition to Tech Valley High School. SUNY Poly operates the Smart Cities Technology Innovation Center (SCiTI) at Kiernan Plaza in Albany, the Solar Energy Development Center in Halfmoon, the Children’s Museum of Science and Technology (CMOST) in Troy, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries in Syracuse, the Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center (STC) in Canandaigua, and the Photovoltaic Manufacturing and Technology Development Facility in Rochester where SUNY Poly also leads the American Institute for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics. SUNY Poly founded and manages the Computer Chip Commercialization Center (Quad-C) at its Utica location and also manages the $500 million New York Power Electronics Manufacturing Consortium, with nodes in Albany and Rochester, as well as the Buffalo High-Tech Manufacturing Innovation Hub at RiverBend, Buffalo Information Technologies Innovation and Commercialization Hub, and Buffalo Medical Innovation and Commercialization Hub. For information visit www.sunycnse.com and www.sunypoly.edu.