An area once filled with stacks of books on the first floor of Tallahassee State College’s library has been transformed into a state-of-the-art Innovation Hub – one that’s expected to help students meet future workforce needs with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI).
TSC officials and others – including Florida’s Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins – gathered in the college’s Library Building on campus March 5 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Innovation Hub, which was designed to enhance the learning experience for students in Career and Technical Education programs and strengthen workforce development.
From 3D printing and robotics to computer programming and semiconductor productivity, the hub is filled with rooms catered to students studying in a variety of fields.
“By having this space, what we’re creating is the opportunity to bring together folks from all over the college and, frankly, from inside the community we serve to participate in something that we’ve never done before,” TSC President Murdaugh said during the ceremony.
The facility was made possible through a $3 million fund that TSC received after applying for the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant in early 2024 through the Florida Department of Education.
The Innovation Hub project broke ground in May 2025 and was completed in January, with the overall cost nearly $4 million after additional money came from the college. Library books that filled the space beforehand were moved to the second floor of the building.
Collins – who launched his campaign for Florida governor in January, entering the 2026 race to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis – joined Murdaugh and TSC Trustees Karen Moore and Monesia Brown during the event to cut a blue ribbon in front of the hub’s entrance with a pair of giant ceremonial scissors to make the opening official.
“Laying down bricks of excellence – bit by bit and moment by moment – is a critical component of who we are and how we lead,” Collins said during remarks. “That’s why moments like this are so critical. This is excellence.”
“The innovation hub is a tangible expression not only of TSC’s role as a regional workforce engine, but as an innovation catalyst,” he added. “It isn’t just a campus facility – it’s a place where ideas, industry and education come together to move our state forward.”
The hub’s key features include a Computer Programming room where students can explore coding and software testing as well as an Engineering Technology/Semiconductor Productivity room to give students experience with semiconductor technology and other projects such as woodwork. It also has a mock clean room, where students can gown up in “bunny suits” to see what it’s like to manufacture a semiconductor chip while creating an ultra-clean environment.
Semiconductor chips are the microprocessors in electronics that make technology tools function. Anthony Jones – the Innovation Hub’s director who also serves as TSC’s dean of Library Services and Learning Commons – highlighted the importance of the new facility’s semiconductor productivity feature since more of the chips will be needed with the emergence of AI.
“Florida is on the verge right now of trying to bring that industry into the state,” Jones told the Tallahassee Democrat, referring to semiconductor productivity. “But there’s not much happening in the Panhandle, so we’re planning for the future. It’s not here today, but we want to be ready so that when that industry does decide to come to the Panhandle, our college is positioned in a way where we’re ready to start training students for those technician-level positions that will be needed.”
In addition, the hub includes an augmented reality and virtual reality (AV/VR) room for immersive learning experiences as well as a Supply Chain room where students can use 3D printers, laser cutters and robotics for projects.
The hub is currently focused on serving the TSC campus community as well as high school students through dual enrollment partners in the broader community, according to Jones.
TSC student Kameron Bundage, who is majoring in animation and game art, says touring the hub for the first time Thursday felt “amazing” and “unreal.”
“From the 3D printers and VR systems to coding, all the stuff here feels like a dream to walk through,” Bundage, 20, told the Democrat.
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘This is excellence’: TSC opens new innovation hub on campus
Reporting by Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
