How the Makerspace is Used

One of the primary objectives of the Makerspace at the ECenter is to expose students to new technology, inventive ideas, and creative workflow. Fostering new generations of creative thinkers and problem solvers is one of the core elements of which the ambitions of the Makerspace are composed.


It is our goal to give students, regardless of prior experience, the chance to explore and think in ways they may not have experienced through their classes. We hope to see it encourage not only entrepreneurial activity, but also inter-disciplinary collaboration and peer-to-peer learning. For example, artists can learn fabrication skills from engineers who in turn learn valuable design skills from the artists.

Students sit on an executive board of directors elected by the maker community, volunteer as mentors, or volunteer as machine/process masters. Mentors are present during open hours to provide assistance to users, and to ensure the safety of equipment and personnel. Machine/process masters are responsible for developing an in-depth understanding of one specific machine. Process/machine masters create training documentation and procedures, conduct maintenance and repairs, propose operational budgets to the board each semester, and serve as a point of contact in case of questions related to their process.