N.C. Community College Installs New Security Screening Solution

Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, N.C., recently announced a partnership with security technology company Evolv Technology to install a new weapons detection system on campus, according to a news release. The college’s performing arts venue, Wilson Center, now makes use of the Evolv Express system at its main entrance to screen guests entering the building. The college adopted the weapons detection system in 2019 and upgraded to the Express model in 2023, the news release reports.

The Evolv Express uses a combination of sensor technology and AI to differentiate between potential threats and everyday metal objects. Guests can pass through without needing to stop for an individual check unless required. The Wilson Center previously used manual bag searches and individual screenings for each guest.

“Our security screening process prior to implementing Evolv was cumbersome and unsustainable,” said the Wilson Center’s senior managing director, Tammy Daniels. “When I saw how quickly the system up leveled the safety of our venue and guests, I was so happy I was brought to tears.”

The theater seats about 1,600 and hosts plays, concerts, popular musical acts, and more. Other North- and South-Carolina schools, as well as other Charlotte sports venues, are among Evolv’s more than 700 customers, the news release reports.

“Cape Fear Community College exemplifies the breadth of venues that Evolv helps keep safer,” said Evolv Technology chief commercial officer Jay Muelhoefer. “Evolv is used in schools and performing arts spaces of all sizes around the country, and Cape Fear Community College joins a long—and growing—list of partnerships we have with customers in the Carolinas. We’re immensely proud to help protect the Wilson Center and further establish Evolv’s presence in the Southeast.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • William Penn Charter School

    Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Richard A. Balderston OPC’69 Lower School has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Secret to Efficient, On-Time School Infrastructure & Modernization Projects is All in the Preparation

    Warmer weather and longer days make summer the ideal time for construction and modernization projects at educational facilities. School boards and construction firms must coordinate effectively to ensure that these projects do not extend even a single day into the school year and impede classroom operation.