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Latest News & Events
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Aug29
We are very excited to welcome the 2026 cohort of the Innovation Fellows program! This year, marks our eighth year with over 100 full-time faculty and staff successfully completing the program and over forty departments and program areas represented.
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Jul21
WHI Innovation Fellows, Dr. Remya Mohanraj and Dr. Jing Sun, discuss a grant funded project to develop Open Educational Resources (OER) to benefit students taking Introductory, General, and Organic Chemistry lab courses.
Signature Experiences
West Houston Institute offers two flagship programs—IDEAStudio and Innovation Fellows—and collaborates on a growing portfolio of experiential learning opportunities for students and educators.
IDEAStudio Makerspace
IDEAStudio Makerspace
IDEAStudio offers programming to develop your creative mindset and skillset through hands-on training and project-based learning at HCC's flagship makerspace.
Learn moreInnovation Fellows
Innovation Fellows
Innovation Fellows develops creative capacity among our full-time faculty and staff to scale innovation across the institution and beyond.
Learn more
We are Houston City College’s flagship innovation space—empowering students, educators and the community with the creative mindsets and skillsets essential for success today.
About Us
The West Houston Institute (WHI) opened in Spring 2018 with a vision to reimagine and reinvent higher education by providing students, educators, and the broader community with an innovation space to develop the essential mindsets and skillsets needed to thrive today. Conceived collaboratively by stakeholders inside and outside the college, WHI represents a new approach to education that lives at the intersections of the emergent disciplines of innovation, design, and entrepreneurship and the established disciplines of the arts and sciences.
To advance this purpose, WHI offers signature programs, including IDEAS Academy for students and educators and Innovation Fellows for college faculty and staff. Our work is supported through a suite of distinctive learning environments, including the 10,000-square-foot IDEAStudio makerspace; the Collaboratorium, a solution design center; and the Learning Commons, our vision for the modern library; alongside advanced STEM laboratories for teaching and research. Our state-of-the-art Conference Center further serves as a gathering place for convenings, workshops, and events that connect students, educators, industry partners, and the broader community around shared ideas, learning, and innovation.
Our Mission
The West Houston Institute is Houston City College’s hub for strategic innovation, committed to empowering our students, our faculty and staff, and our communities to succeed in a changing global society.
Our Vision
The reimagination and reinvention of higher education.
Our Values
- Creativity Leading to Innovation
- Knowledge Informed by Experience
- Collaboration at the Intersections
Full-Time Staff
Jordan Carswell, West Houston Institute Director
Mayra Herrera, West Houston Institute Coordinator
Tanya Onwuchuruba, Innovation Fellows Program Coordinator
Ithza Moreno, IDEAStudio Program Coordinator
Israel Garza, IDEAStudio Manager
Azarel Garcia, IDEAStudio Senior Technician
Denise Scott, IDEAStudio Technician
Our 112,000 square foot campus is designed to serve as an ecosystem for innovation–with spaces for classes, community, collaboration and creativity.
- Conference Center
- Collaboratorium
- IDEAStudio Makerspace
- Learning Commons
- Active Learning Classrooms
- Undergraduate Science Labs
- Community Courtyard
The West Houston Institute is a state-of-the-art venue that is able to accommodate a range of events with table seating for 150-300 guests to up to 400 in theater style seating. WHI has hosted national conferences, regional events, and community activities. The building is available to be reserved for HCC departments as well as non-profit, governmental and corporate organizations.
Our Auditorium can be customized for your event and supported by varying types of tables and chairs, a modular stage area, and a fully equipped production booth. Additionally, we can provide additional rooms in the building for breakout sessions, as well as hallway and lobby areas for registration, vendors, and food service
Contact Mayra Herrera, WHI Coordinator to inquire about hosting your next event with us. Head over to our main conference page to learn more about the venue and see example layouts.
Get Directions
Visit HCC's flagship for innovation located on the Alief Campus
Campus Map
The West Houston Institute is located on the HCC Alief Campus, Building C. Visitors can park in the adjacent lots or garage.
Contact Us
Jordan Carswell
Director, West Houston Institute