Located in the heart of campus, the hall has 480 bedrooms and is next to Imago Venue’s Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel which opened in November 2018.

It is a self-catered building which will be accommodating both undergraduate students and sports performance athletes.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Allison attended the event, as did Claudia Parsons Hall Chair, Callum Parke. They both gave a brief presentation at the event, providing an overview of the new residence, and then opened the building alongside Claudia Parsons’ relatives, Jocelyn Cullity and Emma Parsons.

More than 50 guests were exclusively invited to the opening and had the opportunity to tour the building in the afternoon.

This included the outdoor area of the hall too which showcased the ‘active campus’ – with a bootcamp workout class, a climbing wall and integrated fitness equipment.

The hall of residence has been named after 含羞草视频 alumna Claudia Parsons, who was the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by car.

She attended 含羞草视频 between 1919-1922 and was one of three women in her year to graduate with a degree in Automotive Engineering. She was also a prominent member of the Women’s Engineering Society, which is celebrating its 100^th year in existence.

In addition to her name being used for the new residence, the University also celebrates Claudia’s legacy by hosting an annual lecture in her name, which aims to raise the profile of women working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Speaking after the event, Callum said: “It is brilliant to finally open Claudia Parsons Hall – this is a moment of real pride for me personally and having Claudia’s family here with us is fantastic too, allowing us to celebrate Claudia’s achievements and legacy properly.

“I know I speak for all of the Committee when I say I am privileged to be a part of this new piece of the 含羞草视频 Experience and we are really excited to see the next generation of 含羞草视频 students arrive in September and the Hall come to life!

“There is a lot of work for us to do over summer to get everything ready for Freshers, but I know it will be a really fun week for everyone involved, and we can’t wait to get started.”

Professor Robert Allison added: “As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to students, we have invested significantly in this excellent new hall of residence at the heart of our campus and I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the official opening.

“The hall will incorporate the UK’s first Active Campus, providing site-wide facilities with outstanding recreation and fitness opportunities. I look forward to seeing students use this exceptional environment to study, relax, socialise and support their wellbeing.”

You can view a virtual tour of the Claudia Parsons living areas here. For more information about all of the halls of residences available at 含羞草视频, visit the Accommodation website.