Connecting 3D Printing Resources Across Penn State

Description

We are excited to work with Tim Simpson throughout the summer and fall to help us better understand and support the growing 3D printing ecosystem emerging throughout Penn State. With Tim’s help, we hope to identify the wide variety of 3D printing resources on campus, including location, management, and availability of specific 3D printers around campus. More and more courses are also integrating 3D printing, and we aim to create a catalog of courses to help students better understand where 3D printing fits into various curricula.

I will be using the TLT Fellowship to try to connect the different 3D printing resources available at Penn State and to identify synergies that may occur through more coordinated efforts that will enable Penn State to become a national leader in research and education related to 3D printing and additive manufacturing.

Another aspect of Tim’s Fellowship will be to help create a series of resources to help faculty and students new to 3D printing understand the basics, and get started with the technology. As we prepare to rollout a Maker Commons in the Knowledge Commons, where more than two dozen Makerbot printers will be available to all PSU faculty, staff, and students, we want to provide services and support to faculty interested in integrating 3D printing into their courses.

This is an exciting time in education given the rise of 3D printing. It is re-writing everything that we know and teach — from how we design, to how we make, to how we certify/qualify parts and components, particularly when it comes to 3D metal printing. Penn State is well-positioned to lead the national discussion on these advancements in both education and research.

Cohort

2015

Focus Area

Learning Spaces
Theme: Maker Technology