LAKELAND, Fla. — Florida Southern College continues its expansion. On Friday, it celebrated the groundbreaking of the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Computer Sciences Center. 

  • Construction begins on new computer sciences building at FSC
  • Center to be located next to Becker Business Building
  • New building to be ready by spring of 2020

The center will be located next to the Becker Business Building on campus. 

“For me, it represents really a commitment from Florida Southern to growing and enhancing the Computer Science department,” said Department Chair Christian Roberson. 

The center will be a distinctive building, designed by architect and Frank Lloyd Wright scholar Jeffrey Baker. He has served as the lead architect for restorations of the college’s historic Frank Lloyd Wright structures. 

The college formed a separate Computer Sciences Department in 2016. 

With the number of students majoring in the field doubling in the last five years, Roberson said they needed more room. 

Several students said they were excited for the future of the program.

“We don’t have a lot of space on campus currently. We have two classrooms to our name and we’re becoming such a bigger major that this building is really going to be beneficial in so many ways,” said Veronica Fuhrmann, a Computer Science major. 

The college has recently expanded its offerings to include concentrations in web and cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cyber security. 

“We’re hoping to get machine learning robotic space so students can start to build and create projects. Physical devices and things like that,” Roberson said.  “We’re also hoping to expand the cyber security space so students will really have the room to build and train.”

The new building will be ready for students by the spring of 2020. 

The college currently has more than 80 students majoring in computer science.

The building, named after trustees, will also have a lecture auditorium and food venue.