DADE CITY — Step inside Pasco-Hernando State College’s newest building and you might find a student kneeling in the back of an ambulance that never leaves the room.
The mock ambulance is one of the centerpieces of the Wilton Simpson Science & Innovation Center, a 27,000-square-foot building that opened this week at the college’s East Campus. It is built to put students in the cramped, high-pressure spaces they will work in for real — and to give the region’s STEM programs room to grow.
The center is the new home of the college’s emergency medical technician program, where the ambulance lets trainees practice in the tight quarters of an actual call. Down the hall, the drone and robotics programs anchor an engineering technology degree and certificates in automation and mechatronics.
“We’re almost fully operational with the ability to expand our program to its best potential,” said Megan Kostelnik, who teaches aviation in the college’s unmanned vehicle program. The space, she said, makes room for more advanced drones and student workstations.
The building, which includes classrooms, offices and an auditorium, is wired for smart classrooms, hybrid learning and video conferencing — built to be upgraded in pieces rather than torn out and replaced as technology changes.
Its name honors Wilton Simpson, the state agriculture commissioner and a PHSC graduate. As a state senator, Simpson helped secure $25 million for the building, and in March the college’s trustees voted unanimously to name it for him.
“As a proud PHSC alumnus, I’m honored to see this project come to life,” Simpson said. The center, he said, will give students hands-on training for in-demand careers while meeting the workforce needs of a growing region.
College President Eric Hall called the building a turning point. “PHSC has always played an important role in preparing students for successful careers,” he said, “and this new facility takes that mission to the next level.”