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FVSU Fab Lab Grand Opening Sparks STEM Education Innovation

Posted on Mar 28, 2024


Fort Valley, GA—Fort Valley State University, Chevron, and Fab Foundation are pleased to announce the successful grand opening of the Digital Fabrication Lab.

Held on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, the event took place at the Fort Valley State University Fab Lab, located at the Warner Robins Center, 151 Osigian Blvd., Warner Robins, GA 31088.
The grand opening celebrated the collaborative effort between Fort Valley State University, Chevron, and the Fab Foundation in introducing the innovative Fab Lab to the community. Attendees explored the newly established creative space, which was equipped with state-of-the-art tools, machinery, and resources designed to empower individuals to transform ideas into reality through digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, and hands-on learning.

The Fab Lab is a digital fabrication lab open to the FVSU community, K-12 students and educators, the public (including small businesses and entrepreneurs), and the Air Force community. The FVSU Fab Lab is funded by Chevron’s HBCU Social Equity project and the Fab Foundation. 

Event highlights included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, lab tours showcasing cutting-edge technology, demonstrations of 3D printing, laser cutting, and more, as well as inspiring speeches by community leaders and university representatives. Attendees also enjoyed networking opportunities with industry professionals and engaging in hands-on activities and workshops.

Notable guest speakers at the event included Paul Jones, Ph.D., President of Fort Valley State University; Govind Kannan, Ph.D., Vice President of Economic Development and Land-Grant Affairs at FVSU; Mayor LaRhonda Patrick of Warner Robins, Georgia; Karen Rawls, Senior Investment Advisor at Chevron; Sherry Lassiter, President and CEO of Fab Foundation; and Heaven Whitby, Manager of FVSU Fab Lab.

“The most important aspect of today was having people from our community come to the Fab Lab and gain an understanding of how they can make this space their own,” says Heaven Whitby. “I truly believe that through our demonstrations [today], we can provide perspective shifts on approaching STEM in our community.”

The grand opening was a testament to the transformative power of technology and its significant impact on education, entrepreneurship, and the local economy. It provided attendees with a unique opportunity to witness firsthand the potential for innovation and collaboration to drive positive change within the community.

For more information about the Fab Lab and upcoming events, please visit www.fvsu.edu/fablab.


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