Florida State University welcomed Google to campus for a full day of hands-on training, offering students, faculty and staff an immersive opportunity to explore Google’s latest generative AI platforms through interactive demos, workshops and direct engagement with technology experts.
The Google Gemini Pop-up event, held on Landis Green, provided demonstrations of the AI assistant Gemini and research software NotebookLM. Participants engaged with Gemini to explore its capabilities in writing, research, coding and more, all supported within a secure, cloud-based environment.
“This was a huge day for Florida State University,” said Jonathan Fozard, FSU’s chief information officer. “We partnered with Google to showcase the capabilities our students, faculty and staff now have across the university in a secure and reliable way. We take security very seriously — Google has partnered with us to ensure our researchers’ work and our students’ data are protected in a safe and secure environment.”
FSU was the only Research 1 university in Florida selected to participate in Google’s AI for Education Accelerator program, part of the company’s $1 billion initiative to advance higher education through artificial intelligence.
Go-To-Market Strategist for Google for Higher Education, John Paul Ortiz, said the event was designed to build awareness and strengthen the partnership with FSU.
“We’re here to raise awareness, share the best of Google for Education and help students explore how tools like Gemini and NotebookLM can support guided learning, deep research and smarter study habits,” he said. “Universities are the foundation of professional development, and it’s vital that we co-design tools that meet the evolving needs of both education and industry.”
According to Google’s announcement, this investment will support AI literacy programs, research funding and cloud computing resources nationwide.
“It’s an amazing partnership because we were selected for the innovation efforts happening across our campus,” Fozard said. “Whether it’s in our research labs, classrooms or student projects, Google recognized the forward-thinking work being done at Florida State.”
This event provided attendees with the opportunity to network with Google staff, earn free merchandise and pizza. Led by AI experts, both the “Innovation Wednesdays Coffee Chat” session and the hands-on “Gemini Snack & Learn” trainings taught students, faculty and staff how to better use Google’s AI programs.
“It was an inspiration to see the Hub filled to capacity with faculty from all disciplines learning about AI and its potential for shaping the future of higher education,” said Ken Baldauf, founding director of FSU’s Innovation Hub. “It shows just how engaged and passionate our faculty are about their work and how valuable it is for us all to gather and share our experiences and insights while connecting with industry leaders.
Students across disciplines shared their excitement about the tools and how they plan to utilize them in their academic endeavors. Sahara Apollonio, a first-year international affairs student, said the demo helped her better understand how to use AI responsibly.
“I already use AI to study, but the deep research tool and built-in quizzes will help me integrate everything I know into my classes this semester,” she said. “It’s great that Florida State is raising awareness about how to use AI responsibly. It’s growing every day and having them support us in learning how to use it the right way will help us all succeed.”
Student-athlete Bianca Sigua emphasized what a game changer the Google innovations are for balancing academics and sports.
“It’s great that Florida State and Google are offering tools that support different learning styles,” Sigua said. “As student-athletes, our schedules are packed, so having AI tools that streamline studying really helps with time management and staying on top of our academics.”
FSU senior Tori Wegner, praised Google’s NotebookLM for its versatility and time-saving features.
“You can upload your notes and PowerPoints, and it creates flashcards, quizzes and even podcasts,” Wegner said. “I have an exam next week, and I’m definitely going to use it. It saves so much time compared to making study materials from scratch.”
As part of the ongoing collaboration, FSU will continue integrating AI tools into its academic curriculum, offering training and resources to support responsible and impactful use.
“We have been working hard to promote a culture of interdisciplinary innovation on campus, with the Innovation Hub serving as an interdisciplinary home for faculty and staff to learn about emerging technologies such as Generative AI,” said Paul Marty, associate vice provost for academic innovation. “It was inspiring to watch as hundreds of faculty from departments across campus joined in the events throughout the day to find out how they can incorporate Google’s AI tools in their teaching and research.”
For more information, visit ai.fsu.edu.