Articles

Ribbon cutting marks opening of Innovation Hub for Immersive Learning at HCC Central

By Donald Sparks, HCC Central Communications Director

Oct 27, 2025


HCC Central Vice President Suzette M. Brimmer, Meta Reality Labs representative Carlos Figarella, Reality COLLAB co Rubén Durán, Reality COLLAB Media, Visual and Performing Arts Support Specialist Lynden Marshall and HCC Central President Butch Herod, Ed.D., take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Innovation Hub for Immersive Learning at the HCC Central Campus.HCC Central Vice President Suzette M. Brimmer, Meta Reality Labs representative Carlos Figarella, Reality COLLAB co Rubén Durán, Reality COLLAB Media, Visual and Performing Arts Support Specialist Lynden Marshall and HCC Central President Butch Herod, Ed.D., take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Innovation Hub for Immersive Learning at the HCC Central Campus.

Nine years ago, Rubén Durán and Charlotte Hamilton had a vision to transform a simple meeting room into a Virtual Reality Lab. As co-founders of Houston City College’s (HCC) first virtual reality lab in 2016, the duo visionaries created a learning space to empower students to turn learning into leadership, and innovation into opportunities.

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, Their vision led to a ribbon cutting for the Innovation Hub for Immersive Learning at the HCC Central Campus. The new learning space features a developers’ zone, a 3D printing station, a compact studio, digital storytelling stations and an audio/streaming/casting system. The collaborative space connects students, faculty, the community and industry to turn ideas into real-world solutions.

“Many of the immersive experiences you see across the district today were born right here in the Reality COLLAB,” said Durán, Reality COLLAB co-founder. “Now our students are developing extended reality applications, our faculty are teaching for-credit virtual reality (VR) courses, and what started as a small experiment has grown into a district-wide movement in immersive learning.”

Durán shared a timeline of the lab’s history and highlighted HCC leadership and faculty who were instrumental in the success of the learning space.

He mentioned Katherine Fields, dean of Media, Visual, and Performing Arts Center of Excellence, who welcomed the first classes taught using VR; Digital Communication instructor Wendy Robbins; and current Media Art instructor Bennie Ansell – both who were early champions of virtual reality.

Because HCC was at the forefront in Texas of being the first institutional Virtual Reality Lab serving the entire college, Meta selected HCC as one of only 13 institutions in the United States and United Kingdom to take part in their Meta for Education platform rollout and the Meta for Educators Summit. During the ceremony Meta Reality Labs representative Carlos Figarella donated the newest version of Meta Quest headsets to the hub on behalf of the company’s support to the lab.

“Our partnership with Houston City College has always been about more than just providing technology. It’s empowering educators, inspiring students, and building a community that’s ready for the future,” Figarella said. “We’ve seen firsthand how your faculty and students have embraced these tools, using them to spark curiosity, creativity and collaboration.”

Figarella highlighted Meta’s relationship with HCC and its importance to supporting the college for embracing new technologies and innovative teaching methods.

“The opening of this Immersive Lab is a testament to your commitment to staying at the forefront of educational excellence,” he added. “As you open the doors to this new lab, you’re opening doors to new possibilities. We’re excited to continue supporting your journey, and we can’t wait to see the incredible projects and breakthroughs that will come from this space.”

HCC Central President Butch Herod, Ph.D. recognized the collaborative effort and commitment of Durán and Marshall to the Reality COLLAB and expressed gratitude to Meta for investing and partnering with HCC.

“Today’s ribbon cutting is about opportunity,” Herod said. “The Reality COLLAB aligns with the evolving needs of the educational landscape and emphasizes the natural human propensity to learn best in 3D environments, where all senses can be used to explore spaces and objects.”

During the event HCC Central Vice President Suzette M. Brimmer announced two additions to the HCC Central’s Digital Twin Family and unveiled the Reality COLLAB Twin and Interior Design Twin – expanding the immersive ecosystem created in partnership with Skanska.

“These new, dynamic spaces allow high schoolers, college students, and our global community to learn, explore, and connect in real time,” Brimmer said. “This isn’t a vision of the future – this is our Central reality.”

Lynden Marshall was an HCC Work-Study Student in the VR Lab in 2017 and graduated in 2018 with an associate degree in Computer Programming. Today, he is the Media, Visual and Performing Arts Instructional Support Specialist. For him, the fruition of his work over the past eight years as co-founder of the Reality COLLAB represents a full-circle moment.

“On behalf of the collaborators in the Reality COLLAB, we extend our deepest gratitude to every department, every collaborator, and every individual who has contributed to making this vision a reality,” Marshall said. “Together, we’re not just imagining the future — we’re creating it.”

Lynden Marshall, Reality COLLAB Media, Visual and Performing Arts Support Specialist; Carlos Figarella of Meta Reality Labs; and Rubén Durán, HCC Reality COLLAB co-founder, pose with one of the 10 Meta Quest headsets donated to Houston City College.Lynden Marshall, Reality COLLAB Media, Visual and Performing Arts Support Specialist; Carlos Figarella of Meta Reality Labs; and Rubén Durán, HCC Reality COLLAB co-founder, pose with one of the 10 Meta Quest headsets donated to Houston City College. 

 

HCC Reality Club member India Sowell (right) demonstrates cell biology through virtual reality to HCC South Campus Advisory Councilmember Willie Mae Evans during the ribbon cutting of the Innovation Hub for Immersive Learning at the HCC Central Campus.HCC Reality Club member India Sowell (right) demonstrates cell biology through virtual reality to HCC South Campus Advisory Councilmember Willie Mae Evans during the ribbon cutting of the Innovation Hub for Immersive Learning at the HCC Central Campus.