On Friday, May 2, 2025, St. Petersburg College (SPC) hosted a highly successful Innovation and Workforce Event at its Tarpon Springs Campus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The event brought together technology transfer experts from NASA\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis event exemplifies what\u2019s possible when education, government, and industry work together to inspire the next generation of innovators,\u201d said Dr. Davis. \u201cWe are especially thankful to our industry partners for their invaluable support and participation, including Honeywell Aerospace<\/a>, Jabil<\/a>, Shadow-Caster Lighting<\/a>, Regions Bank<\/a>, MicroLumens<\/a>, Florida Advanced Technological Education Center<\/a>, AdventHealth North Pinellas<\/a>, and Tavrida Electric North America<\/a>. Their engagement is vital to preparing our students for meaningful careers and leadership roles in a fast-changing economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jeffrey Kohler and Logan Cicala, representing NASA\u2019s Technology Transfer Program, gave attendees an in-depth look at how NASA\u2019s patented innovations are made available for public use, commercial development, and economic growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNASA\u2019s Technology Transfer Program is about ensuring that the incredible innovations developed for space exploration find a second life right here on Earth,\u201d said Jeffrey Kohler, Technology Transfer Specialist at NASA. \u201cPartnering 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n