PC Donation and Engineering news

http://www.newsherald.com/news/20171017/fsu-pc-announces-500k-gift-new-programs

Oh what a difference 35 years makes.
From its humble beginnings in the 1970′s, when Bay District Schools, the business community and Gulf Coast Community College petitioned the legislature for a university in Bay County, to 1982, when the campus opened with “just a few buildings” and a resident faculty of four, to today, Florida State University Panama City has grown into an education hub for the county and the region.
During their annual dinner Wednesday night, officials with the university reflected on 35 years of history and also, more importantly, looked forward to the many exciting prospects on the horizon.
“Today, we have a bustling campus with nearly 40 resident faculty members and more than 25 academic programs,” Florida State University President John Thrasher said of the Panama City campus. “We’ve helped thousands of people in this area reach their educational and professional goals.”
One prospect has become a lot clearer thanks to a $500,000 donation from John and Gail Robbins for the university’s new Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation on campus. Dean Randy Hanna announced during the dinner that the center would, from this point forward, be named the John and Gail Robbins Center for Academic Excellence and Innovation.
“It’s really cool when you’re able to directly match the desires of a donor with the immediate needs of the students,” Hanna remarked.
The new center features a digital design studio and space for students to work on projects. One group of students has been in there working on robots, Hanna said, and another group is designing a rocket for an upcoming NASA competition. There’s also in-person tutoring available, or space for students to just hang out on campus and watch a movie.
“This has clearly become a place for learning at FSU PC,” Hanna said, adding that on most days, the center is already bustling with students.

Hanna also announced that in January, the FSU Board of Trustees will be considering a proposal for a new Masters-level degree in Systems Engineering for the Panama City campus, a program Hanna said was specifically requested by the Navy to fill their need for more engineers. If approved, Hanna said the program would tentatively launch during the Fall 2018 semester. During the January meeting, Hanna will also put before the board a request to start a biomedical engineering program.

 

“We must meet the needs of our community,” Hanna said.
In line with meeting needs, Hanna said the university has made significant progress on starting a new undergraduate mechanical engineering degree up by Fall 2019 at the latest.
“The Navy has told us they will hire every graduate we can produce from FSU PC,” Hanna said of the mechanical engineering program.
In closing, Hanna said the university has renewed partnerships with businesses and colleges throughout the region, including Gulf Coast State College, whose students will have a smoother transition between schools thanks to a new articulation agreement set to be signed Friday.
“It’s an exciting time to be at FSU PC,” Hanna said. “And it is an exciting time to be in Northwest Florida.”