NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Nashville NAACP held a community town hall at Lee Chapel AME Church to discuss Fisk University's master plan, which includes the possibility of a data center on land the university already owns. President Dr. Agenia Clark answered questions from the community on environmental studies, water, and energy usage, and size. Clark emphasized the university is still working out details on the parameters of the data center, and what it will be used for.
"At Fisk, we haven't decided what it's gonna do because we haven't entered into any partnership conversations with anyone," she said.
Clark explained that no data center is the same, and how the facilities can differ from one another. She also provided perspective on what data centers can be used for.
"People really know the word data center, but that doesn't mean anything other than an adjective to describe a room full of GPUs, a building full of GPUs, a space full of GPUs. Which are big computers, just churning information and energy. What they are churning it for can vary. It can be to make sure when you click and order your Door Dash, and it tells you it will be there in 32 minutes, that could be running through a data center."
At Fisk, 30% of students major in computer science, and 50% of students are in STEM. Clark said the university needs to stay relevant in the field. She said environmental studies would be done once there is a clearer picture of what Fisk would want to build, and data center technology is changing everyday.
"We are having conversations about the dedicated power source we can tap into, we're having conversations about the latest technology for cooling systems that can cool all of those GPUs that are running 24/7. Those two things combined will mitigate the others problems of air pollution and noise pollution. There's a technological model around all of this."
The proposed facility has been discussed as a 30-megawatt data center inside the Innovation Center. Clark said the university will adhere to all regulations Metro Nashville decides on.
"We only have limited access to so much power, and energy well below 50 megawatts, but we don't have the final decision from Metro Council and Metro Planning as to what the parameters will be that they will allow for data centers to operate in the metro district."
One community member asked Clark how the data center would help with enrollment.
"It will be nice if we could just track the enrollment. It'll be nice if we have the tools that we can be immediate in our communications with students who apply. It will be fabulous if we can use information to make sure that not only we can reply, we can give them an update constantly on their enrollment status" she said.
State Sen. Charlane Oliver, State Rep. Harold M. Love Jr., and Metro Nashville Council Member Brandon Taylor were among those in attendance. The NAACP Nashville Branch hosted the town hall and plans to host two others.
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