Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear tours WKU’s Innovation campus to celebrate its growth and successes in the past year on Thursday, Jan. 25.

“We hope that this facility will help Bowling Green go from a college town to a knowledge town,” WKU President Timothy Caboni said. 

WKU’s Innovation Campus is a 280,000-square-foot building that brings together industry partners, faculty and students in an effort to promote collaboration and economic development in the region according to the WKU website.

Beshear toured the building and met with faculty and students alike.

“It means a lot that the governor came to see us,”  Mark Simpson, associate professor of art and design said. “Hopefully with his support, we can start to see some of our dreams come true.”

Simpson’s teaching focuses on virtual and augmented reality and the implementation of AI. 

“This place is finally being recognized as a tech hub and that makes me really happy,” Kahlil Garmon, a WKU entrepreneurship graduate said. 

Gov. Beshear spoke about the upcoming legislative session and how important it is to secure funding for education. 

“Education is the key to creating better futures,” Beshear said. 

Beshear stressed the importance of securing funding to increase pay for teachers, custodians and bus drivers.

“We need to have a world class pre-k through 12 education system that feeds people into WKU and ultimately this innovation center,” Beshear said.

Staff Photographer Eli Randolph can be reached at [email protected]