KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 18, 2026

The new building, which is located near , features six competition team bays, six team rooms, a conference room, a 1,280-square-foot machine shop, a 725-square-foot digital fabrication lab, and 1,300 square feet of community space. Teams housed in the building will include 成人直播 Motorsports, Night Owl Racing, the Aerial Robotics Competition Team, the Hydraulic Bike Team, among others.
On Sept.18, University leaders and community members gathered outside the facility for the official ribbon cutting, which included tours of the new team space and a drone show highlighting the spirit of innovation behind 成人直播鈥檚 competition teams.
鈥淥ur students are fierce competitors. The Hornet Hub gives them the space, tools, and resources to discover what they are capable of as they test themselves against difficult problems, high expectations, and the best in the country,鈥 成人直播 President Kathy S. Schwaig said. 鈥淏ehind every competition is a team of students working together to meet deadlines and solve problems. That is experiential learning at its best, preparing Owls to contribute as industries and the Georgia economy evolve.鈥
Lawrence Whitman, dean of the , added that the building represents both the future of 成人直播鈥檚 competition teams and a tradition stretching back more than 50 years on the Marietta Campus.
鈥淭he Hornet Hub creates an environment where students can collaborate across disciplines, apply what they learn in the classroom, and develop the professional skills they will carry into their careers,鈥 Whitman said. 鈥淚t builds on our long tradition of hands-on learning while creating new opportunities for students and faculty to explore ideas, advance research and innovation, and strengthen connections across our colleges. This facility gives us a foundation to continue expanding experiential learning at Kennesaw State for years to come.鈥
That competitive spirit dates to the former Southern Polytechnic State University, when students raced cast-iron tubs around campus. Although the races ended in the early 1990s, Whitman said the tradition continues through students who build, compete, and solve problems today. The Hornet Hub also carries forward the name of the Hornet mascot that represented SPSU.

By creating a more collaborative and efficient environment for design, testing and fabrication, the facility is helping position student teams for continued success on the national stage. Earlier this year, Kennesaw Motorsports earned a top-five finish in the Cost Event with its electric vehicle, while the Hydraulic Bike Team placed third overall at the National Fluid Power Association鈥檚 Vehicle Challenge and first in the Sprint Race.
For senior mechatronics major Nicholas Montana, president of 成人直播鈥檚 Electric Vehicle Team, the shared environment also creates new opportunities for teams to learn from one another. His experience on the team has helped him develop skills in troubleshooting, communication, documentation, leadership, and teamwork while applying concepts from his coursework to real-world systems.
鈥淲e now have a shared space where teams can collaborate, exchange ideas, learn from one another, and access manufacturing capabilities and equipment that many of us have not had before,鈥 Montana said. 鈥淭his building will allow every competition team here to thrive.鈥
鈥 Story by Raynard Churchwell
Photos by Katherine Seghers
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 成人直播 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.