UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Timothy W. Simpson, professor of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and engineering design and co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Processing through Direct Digital Deposition at Penn State, has been named the guest speaker for 3D printing at the MAKEiT technology event Oct. 5 at the Nittany Lion Inn.
Hosted by Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) at Penn State, MAKEiT is a full-day hands-on educational technology event for faculty and staff that will focus on rising technologies -- such as 3D printing, the Internet of Things, designed learning spaces and rapid prototyping -- and their potential use in higher education.
“We had more than 100 faculty and staff from across the university sign up for MAKEiT with little to no advertising for this inaugural event, and another 50 people are on a waiting list,” said Simpson. “It’s great to see so much interest in 3D printing and other ‘making’ activities on campus.”
Simpson was named a 2015 TLT Fellow in May and has been tasked with expanding the usage and access to 3D printing across the University Park campus. He is helping TLT generate interest for the MakerCommons space that will open in Pattee/Paterno library in early 2016. The MakerCommons will house more than 30 MakerBot Replicators for 3D printing and be available for use by anyone with a Penn State access account.
In addition, Simpson is organizing lunches for faculty, staff and students interested in 3D printing later this semester and he is assisting in the planning of the 2016 TLT Symposium, to be held March 19 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel.