DADE CITY – Pasco-Hernando State College recently celebrated the grand opening of the Wilton Simpson Science & Innovation Center.
The 27,000-square-foot center provides a hub at East Campus for evolving technologies and will house classrooms, workspace and offices, as well as a two-story auditorium space.
“PHSC is proud to celebrate the opening of the Wilton Simpson Science & Innovation Center, a transformative investment in the future of STEM education in our region,” said Eric Hall, PHSC president. “This state-of-the-art facility reflects our commitment to providing students with innovative, hands-on learning environments that align with the evolving demands of today’s workforce. By expanding access to cutting-edge technology and high-demand programs, we are creating new opportunities for student success while strengthening the economic vitality of our community.”
The center will be the new home of the emergency medical technician program and will include equipment to deliver exceptional learning experiences with a mock PHSC ambulance to provide students with realistic opportunities to practice within a confined space as they would in the workforce.
The unmanned vehicle systems operation and the robotics instructional area will support the engineering technology associate degree and related automation and mechatronics college credit certificates.
The center leverages the college’s existing network infrastructure and provides a future-ready platform capable of supporting smart classrooms, hybrid learning, digital signage, lecture capture and video conferencing. This capability enables phased growth and modernization without the need for large-scale replacement of AV switching hardware.
“We’re almost fully operational with the ability to expand our program to its best potential,” said Megan Kostelnik, aviation instructor for the unmanned vehicle systems operation program. “This expansion allows us to bring in more advanced drones, student workstations and a fully equipped instructional space, cementing our program above the rest in the state.”
The building’s name was chosen in recognition of Wilton Simpson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and PHSC alumnus. During Simpson’s time in the Florida Senate, he was instrumental in obtaining $25 million in funding for the college’s STEM building project. At PHSC’s March District Board of Trustees Meeting, the trustees unanimously voted to name the building the Wilton Simpson Science & Innovation Center to honor his long-standing positive impact on higher education, the college and Pasco and Hernando counties.
“PHSC has always played an important role in preparing students for successful careers, and this new facility takes that mission to the next level,” Simpson said. “As a proud PHSC alumnus, I’m honored to see this project come to life. The Wilton Simpson Science & Innovation Center will give students the hands-on training they need for high-demand careers while helping meet the workforce needs of our growing region.”
