On theHill

FAMU Prepares to Open Chevron Innovation Fab Lab to Promote STEAM Discovery

On December 1, 2022, the FAMU Chevron STR2EAM Innovation Fab Lab held its first Design Studio, a significant step toward the launch of its initiative to enrich and expose students, parents, and educators through exhilarating learning experiences tied to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) discovery. “R2,” for reading and research, allows the unit and team members to incorporate literacy, literacy practices, and research-based practices within programmed events.

FAMU Acquires Two Apartment Complexes Near Campus

Florida A&M University announced the purchase of the 116-bed Citivue at Railroad Square to expand students’ on-campus housing options. The $12.7 million acquisition is located at 600 Eugenia Street on the northwest perimeter of the Tallahassee campus. It sits a short distance east from the 118-bed Light House at Brooklyn Yard apartment complex, acquired by the University in October 2022. The two apartment complexes will be called Rattler Pointe East and Rattler Pointe West, respectively.

Federal funding paid for the acquisition. The U.S. Department of Education approved the proposal to use Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds grants to purchase the 57-unit, seven-building complex.

“This is another significant step in the life of our University. Providing quality housing for our students is in keeping with our mission and strategic priorities,” said President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., who thanked the members of the administrative staff including, Executive Director of Title III Programs Erick Akins, Ph.D., and Title III Programs Special Projects Coordinator Delores Glover, who worked closely with our Student Housing, Finance, Facilities and Legal teams to make this happen. “We also extend our gratitude to the U.S Department of Education. Without their financial support, this acquisition would not have occurred.”

The new acquisition enables the University to provide more on-campus housing for first-time-incollege and returning students at a time when skyrocketing rents in Tallahassee have driven up the cost of attending the University. Rents at Citivue range from $590 to 674 monthly.

As part of the University’s master plan, the goal is to add 2,000 more on-campus housing units in the coming years.

“This gives us the opportunity to continue enhancing our housing portfolio,” said Vice President for Student Affairs William E. Hudson, Jr., Ph.D. “We have other plans to continue to increase our on-campus housing. We began this process years ago. This is the fruit of our labor.”

The half-day event was designed to gather information from stakeholders in the community and academia to ascertain how they wanted the lab to work for them. Several team-building activities and exercises provided strategic initiatives to further the lab’s mission and provide guiding design principles. Among the stakeholders were representatives from FAMU DRS, the College of Education, Tallahassee Community College, Lively Tech, Florida State University, Southern Regional Technical College of Georgia, and Jefferson County Schools.

“This reality of innovation drives our institution. We can’t get where we want to go without new ideas and the resources to get there,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., who spoke at the event. “We want to make things better, but we don’t always have the resources that are necessary to make it happen. I dreamed of many things growing up on the south side of Memphis. But I didn’t have a Fab Lab to turn those ideas into reality. Just imagine the importance of having the tools available here at FAMU and FAMU DRS.”

President Robinson Announces Administrative Restructuring to Foster Operational Excellence

FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., announced an administrative restructuring to foster operational excellence. These changes include the establishment of a new chief operating officer (COO), who will guide strategy for vice presidents and other senior administrators to improve outcomes on key performance indicators and achieve operational excellence

The FAMU Chevron STR2EAM Fab Lab was made possible through a partnerships with Chevron, which provided $550,000 in funding for equipment and staffing. Further, the Fab Foundation will provide $150,000 for Fab Lab development, management techniques, curriculum, research initiatives, and upgrades. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has contributed $50,000 to upgrade the facility infrastructure and has pledged further funding for STR2EAM initiatives, said David White, Ph.D, director of the FAMU Chevron Fab Lab and a distinguished professor in the FAMU College of Education.

“We believe that when students are exposed to opportunities through STEAM and given the option to explore through engaging learning activities, it will promulgate their pathway into successful and innovating STEM careers,” he said.

The next step is updating the Fab Lab facilities with new ventilation and electrical systems. The initial labs will be located in the Gore Educational Complex and another at the FAMU DRS campus. The goal is to have the Fab Lab operating by the middle of the spring semester. Eventually, Fab Labs will expand to elementary, middle, and high schools throughout south Tallahassee.

“This is not an indictment of anyone, but an opportunity for us to move the entire University forward. We are pushing to more effectively align our administrative talent with our strategic mission and operational needs,” Robinson said. “This new structure better serves our students, faculty and staff, and promotes our core values of accountability, inclusion, innovation and integrity. This is in the best interest of Florida A&M University and will define the next chapter in our great institution.”

President Robinson’s direct reports will include the COO, vice president for finance and administration, vice president for audit, chief compliance officer, vice president for advancement, vice president for legal affairs/general counsel, vice president for athletics/athletics director, vice president for information technology, chief of staff, and director of government relations.

Maurice Edington, Ph.D., who had served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will move to the number two role as executive vice president and COO. In this role, Edington will serve as second-in-command and provide direction and oversight for university leadership to implement strategies and systems that improve the quality and efficiency of services and operations, and enhance accountability.

As part of the plan, Allyson Watson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education, assumed the role of interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. She will be responsible for overseeing all matters pertaining to the University’s academic programs, activities, and support services. Sarah Price, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Education, assumed the role of interim dean of the College of Education. Kelly McMurray, Ph.D., will be promoted from associate vice president to vice president for Strategic Planning, Analysis, and Institutional Effectiveness.

A national search will be launched to identify the next vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation. Shawnta Friday-Stroud, Ph.D. will continue serving in this role until the search is completed and will resume her role as dean of the School of Business and Industry (SBI). Friday-Stroud, who led the University’s record $24.6 million fundraising campaign in 2021-2022, has juggled multiple roles for the past five years and is looking forward to focusing full-time on the needs of SBI students, faculty, and staff after a successor is hired.

“I look forward to passing on the baton to my successor when the time comes,” Friday-Stroud said.

“Serving as vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation is an honor and an invaluable education in understanding how much student success is tied not just to academics but to fundraising and advancing the University.”