Posted on Thursday, April 12, 2018
HOUSTON (April 12, 2018) – Texas Southern University (TSU) is proud to join a consortium of colleges with Rice University in its plan to develop an innovation hub for Houston. The initiative will be housed in the former Sears building in midtown Houston, which is owned by Rice University, turning the 9.4-acre site into a center for collaborative programs to join academic, corporate and entrepreneurial sectors.
TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane joined presidents from the University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown, University of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, South Texas College of Law Houston, Houston Community College and Lone Star College along with business and corporate leaders today to hear details about the project from Rice University President David Leebron and Mayor Sylvester Turner. The area will be converted into a corridor that will include digital technology, business incubation, higher-education brain trusts, and energy and health care start-ups.
"Texas Southern University is designated as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and we are pleased to serve as a partner in this innovation ecosystem that will allow us to promote creativity and collaboration that stimulates intellectual curiosity in our community and beyond,” said Dr. Lane.
Mayor Turner challenged the universities to join forces for the future.
“Houston is always transforming. We went from a cotton, rice and rail hub to the energy capital of the world, a global center for biomedical breakthroughs and an enviable model for inclusion for people and cultures from everywhere,” Mayor Turner said. “Thanks to Rice and our many other partners in the innovation district being announced. The city is poised to make yet another dramatic leap into the future. We are laying the groundwork to make Houston the next great center for start-ups and imaginative endeavors in the digital universe, and now we have a pivotal physical home for our work on the next frontier.”
Category: News Media, Students