On Friday, October 16, scissors met ribbon and a long-held dream became a building. Simpson University President Dr. Norman Hall, joined by the student body president, donors, state representatives, city leaders, and friends of the university, officially opened the Hugh and Hazel Darling Center for Business, Technology and Engineering.
The $10 million facility is the first new construction on campus in 12 years, since the Betty M. Dean School of Nursing building was completed in 2014. Ground was broken in early May of 2024. Students will begin using the new space in Spring 2027.
A vision 71 years in the making
The idea behind parts of this building goes back further than Simpson has been in Redding. Plans for a performing arts center and auditorium date back roughly 71 years, to the days when Simpson called San Francisco home.
A STEM building has also been talked about for years. It took real shape in 2018, when Dr. Hall arrived and made STEM and a growing athletics program two of his first priorities.
“The first monies we went after were for STEM programs and athletics that complemented that,” said Ken White, Dean of Advancement at Simpson University. “Many athletes go into STEM fields, and so the idea that we would have a center that would serve the North State and add to our workforce capacity and the ability to serve technology and engineering companies, and data companies — that really was 2018 and Dr. Hall.”
For White, the excitement is about who walks through the doors. “The most exciting part is what it does for people really wanting to go into the technological sciences, the engineering and computing spaces,” he said. “This is just a huge step forward both for Simpson and the community. I know that many in the community, including our architect, have been angling to get a STEM center in our community, and we’re excited that it’s here at Simpson.”
Faith and science, side by side
White also pushed back on the notion that faith and science don’t mix. “The idea that Christians aren’t for science is just an absolute falsehood,” he said. “We know who created everything, and we know that our job is to uncover and discover everything that He gave us. I am excited that this program gives our students the opportunity to do that — to know the technical side of our Creator and how much He loves them. The fact that they can take that love and competency out into the world is amazing.”
Inside the Hugh and Hazel Darling Center for Business, Technology and Engineering
The building is designed so students can take a project from first sketch to finished product without leaving the building. Here’s what’s inside:
- Maker spaces: a dedicated metalworking room with welding capabilities and its own garage door, so students can build large projects and easily get them out of the building. A woodworking shop and a 3D printing room
- Computer lab and classroom lab: a computer lab for design work and one large lab classroom for hands-on learning
- Office space: bright offices with lots of natural light for professors
- The Reverend Ermond and Verna Homan Auditorium: 286 seats, with wheelchair seating spaces throughout
- The Jo Anne and Jeff Cripe Connection Corner: a gathering spot that can serve as a snack bar during events
The auditorium is built for real productions. The stage is large enough for props, a garage door beside it makes loading big items easy, and a green room gives performers and speakers a place to prepare.
The auditorium will also host classes, and it gives Simpson’s music department a proper place to perform — perfect timing as the university’s band offerings continue to grow.
Beyond campus, the auditorium will be open to the community, available to rent for local events.
Leave your mark
Each of the 286 auditorium seats will eventually carry a name placard. Placards are available for purchase, whether to honor someone special or to leave your own legacy at Simpson University.
Built with help from our partners
Several businesses helped bring the Hugh and Hazel Darling Center for Business, Technology and Engineering to life:
- Fortera Global supplied low-carbon concrete for the build, making the facility more eco-friendly. The company also donated $10,000, which nearly covered the cost of the foundation of the building.
- Pacific Coast Building Products donated more than half of the building’s drywall.
- DFS Flooring donated all of the carpeting.
A new era for the North State
Growing a skilled local workforce has long been a shared goal across the North State. The Hugh and Hazel Darling Center for Business, Technology and Engineering gives students who grow up here a way to get a strong technical education without leaving the region. It also gives local businesses a pipeline of graduates ready for careers in technology, engineering and business.
“It’s really, to me, a cornerstone program and cornerstone accomplishment,” White said, “that is really just, I think, going to launch our community into a new era.”
Students move into the new space in the spring semester of 2027.
