On Friday, May 2, 2025, St. Petersburg College (SPC) hosted a highly successful Innovation and Workforce Event at its Tarpon Springs Campus.
The event brought together technology transfer experts from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, SPC students and faculty, and leaders from local and national industries to explore new ways of connecting advanced technologies to workforce development and entrepreneurship.
The program began with a welcome from Dr. Rodrigo Davis, Provost of SPC Tarpon Springs, who introduced the recently opened Chris Sprowls Workforce Innovation Hub.
“This event exemplifies what’s possible when education, government, and industry work together to inspire the next generation of innovators,” said Dr. Davis. “We are especially thankful to our industry partners for their invaluable support and participation, including Honeywell Aerospace, Jabil, Shadow-Caster Lighting, Regions Bank, MicroLumens, Florida Advanced Technological Education Center, AdventHealth North Pinellas, and Tavrida Electric North America. Their engagement is vital to preparing our students for meaningful careers and leadership roles in a fast-changing economy.”
Jeffrey Kohler and Logan Cicala, representing NASA’s Technology Transfer Program, gave attendees an in-depth look at how NASA’s patented innovations are made available for public use, commercial development, and economic growth.
“NASA’s Technology Transfer Program is about ensuring that the incredible innovations developed for space exploration find a second life right here on Earth,” said Jeffrey Kohler, Technology Transfer Specialist at NASA. “Partnering with institutions like St. Petersburg College allows us to empower the next generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers by putting real technologies in their hands.”
The event featured Collaborative Labs session led by Andrea Henning, Executive Director of SPC Collaborative Labs. This interactive session gathered community and business leaders alongside SPC students to identify workforce innovation/entrepreneurial opportunities that could be propelled through business community partnerships and innovation.
After a networking lunch, the spotlight turned to SPC students in a dynamic Innovation Pitch Competition. Student teams from the College of Business, the College of Computer & Information Technology, and the Engineering Program presented business ideas utilizing real NASA technologies.
Judged by a panel of industry community leaders, the competition highlighted student creativity, cross-disciplinary teamwork, and the real-world application of high-tech resources.
The event concluded with the announcement of the winning student teams, a guided tour of the Chris Sprowls Workforce Innovation Hub, and final networking opportunities between students, faculty, and industry professionals.