Songang Students Visit the MakerLab

Earlier this week, a group of students from Sogang University in Korea visited the MakerLab as part of their Certificate in Technology Management, which is offered through our College's Masters of Science in Technology Management Program. For nearly all of these students, this was the first time seeing 3D printing up close and personal. They were amazed by the possibilities of this new technology and were surprised that a lab such as ours is based in a business school (which is a common reaction among many visitors).

Birmingham visits the MakerLab

Earlier this week, Mike Robinson, Anna Woodham, Sara Jones, and Diana Spencer visited the MakerLab.

Mike, Anna, Sara and Diana are professors at the University of Birmingham and members of the Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage. These cultural scholars had never seen a 3D printer before and expressed strong interest in the potential for this technology to enrich cultural education. For example, we discussed the idea of creating a 3D model of the world famous Iron Bridge (seen below). This is a great example of the power of 3D printing to "bridge" the old and the new!

Provost Adesida visits the MakerLab

University of Illinois, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Ilesanmi Adesida , visited the MakerLab on March 26. He was very interested in this new space housed in the College of Business , which introduces design thinking and allows students to learn by making. He shared his thoughts on how introducing hands on learning earlier in the engineering curriculum has improved student learning, engagement and retention.

He also shared some details of other initiatives which the university is considering to create more such "design" friendly spaces, which would encourage cross-functional collaborations. We are proud to say that the MakerLab, serves this mission of the university very well, with many majors using the lab in the few weeks that we have been open.