‘Game changer’: FAMU launches its STR2EAM Innovation Fab Lab with Chevron, Fab Foundation

Florida A&M University's College of Education announced the grand opening Friday of the FAMU Chevron STR2EAM Innovation Fab Lab — a state-of-the-art creative space for the community.

From laser and vinyl cutters to 3-D printers and milling machines, the lab is full of equipment and technologies for rapid prototyping, interactive learning and hands-on activities.

FAMU President Larry Robinson said the fab lab is going to “ignite the imaginations” of students and individuals in the rest of the community.

“It's unlimited in terms of the impact it's going to have on their educational experiences, but beyond that, it's going to tighten up their commitment and interest in learning,” Robinson said. “When I walked through there, as a scientist, all of my nerve endings were inflamed.”

“I just wonder how I would be responding to this lab as a student — they would have to tie me down,” he added with a chuckle. “I hope students today will have that same type of excitement and inspiration when they experience the lab as well.”

The lab — which is located on the first floor of the university’s Gore Education Complex — is available to FAMU students, faculty and staff as well as the K-12 schools and the surrounding community for individuals interested in making new things using various advanced tools for digital fabrication.

Fab Lab Director David White and Fab Lab Manager Alejandro Gonzalez along with undergraduate and graduate student interns are the current staff members of the lab.

With the innovation lab being a STEM-focused initiative, STR2EAM stands for science, technology, reading and research, engineering, arts and mathematics.

FAMU College of Education Dean Sarah Price, who was appointed to the position in November after being interim dean since 2022, says she is “ecstatic and overjoyed” about the launched initiative.

“It's amazing,” Price said. “It's been a long journey and it's rewarding because we know we're going to positively impact FAMU students. For individuals who may not be in college, it still gives them an opportunity to fabricate and find their own niche by making stuff hands-on. I think we need a lot more of that.”

FAMU launched the lab in partnership with Chevron, a leading energy company that provided $550,000 in funding for equipment and staffing, and the non-profit organization Fab Foundation, which contributed $150,000 for the lab’s development, management techniques, curriculum, research initiatives and upgrades.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) also contributed $50,000 to upgrade the facility infrastructure for the fab lab, which cost nearly $1 million in total, according to Price.

In addition to Chevron's partnership with FAMU, it has also launched a fab lab on the campus of Fort Valley State University through a similar partnership, and it plans on expanding the initiative to other HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities).

“We want this to be an eco hub for creativity and innovation for students, academic teachers and community businesses to come in and learn about the digital fabrication space,” Chevron Senior Social Investment Advisor Karen Rawls said. “They can use it to enhance their business, but also to just learn a new skill set.”

The lab’s opening comes as FAMU works toward efforts of enhancing and enriching education while also implementing innovation and inspiring entrepreneurship at the university and in the Tallahassee area.

Community outreach plans through the fab lab include collaborations with FAMU Developmental Research School (DRS) and other local schools such as Sabal Palm Elementary, Fairview Middle School and Leon High School.

Following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, FAMU officials, community leaders — including Tallahassee City Commissioner Curtis Richardson — and other individuals took a tour of the lab and viewed live displays such as a 3-D printed guitar and a digitally fabricated singing parrot.

FAMU student and biology education major Soigne Thompson says she learned skills such as embroidery during a workshop that was recently held at the lab for students in the College of Education.

“It's so crazy to think about how my college is doing something like this,” Thompson said. “I was here to watch it become a reality, so witnessing the before and after stages and seeing all the stuff that we've made have been nice.”

Besides the university’s partners, FAMU Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Allyson Watson as well as Fab Lab Director and FAMU Professor of Education David White played significant roles in launching the lab as they held their first meeting in pursuit of the initiative about four years ago.

“It’s so impactful to see the work that is being done,” Watson said. “This is a game changer.”

The fab lab is open to the community from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

More on FAMU's fab lab:FAMU announces partnership with Chevron, Fab Foundation to launch a fab lab for Tallahassee

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.