KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 18, 2026

Kennesaw State University celebrated a new chapter in hands-on learning with the official opening of the Hornet Hub on the Marietta Campus. The 12,000-square-foot facility provides student competition teams, which design and build projects for regional and national competitions, dedicated space and resources to bring their work from concept to completion.

The new building, which is located near KSU’s Engineering Technology Center, 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 KSU 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 KSU’s competition teams.

“Our 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,” KSU President Kathy S. Schwaig said. “Behind 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.”

Lawrence Whitman, dean of the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, added that the building represents both the future of KSU’s competition teams and a tradition stretching back more than 50 years on the Marietta Campus.

“The 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,” Whitman said. “It 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.”

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. 

Previously, KSU student competition teams were housed in structures built in the 1970s and 1980s, and no longer provided the infrastructure or capacity needed to support the teams’ growing technology and equipment needs. The new facility brings many of those resources under one roof, allowing students to move between team workspaces, fabrication areas and shared spaces without traveling across campus.

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’s Vehicle Challenge and first in the Sprint Race. 

For senior mechatronics major Nicholas Montana, president of KSU’s 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. 

“We 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,” Montana said. “This building will allow every competition team here to thrive.” 

– Story by Raynard Churchwell

Photos by Katherine Seghers

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University 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.