ERIE, Pa. — With no snow in the forecast, a small group of holiday-minded problem-solvers at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, came up with a way to make their own: They drew intricate crystal flakes on computers, using CorelDRAW software, added text, and sent them to a laser printer, which cut them from acrylic. Then, using soldering irons, wire, LED lights and batteries, they made those snowflakes glow.
The “Maker” group is an unofficial club organized by Chris Coulston, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. They meet in an electrical lab in the Jack Burke Research and Economic Development Center.
“I just invite students to show up and make something,” Coulston said. “It gives them an opportunity to try some of the tools we have, like the laser cutter and soldering equipment.”
The gatherings encourage critical thinking and creativity — key concepts for engineering students to grasp. They’re also designed to be fun: For Thanksgiving, students ran an electrical current through two forks and into a hot dog, which powered a series of small LED bulbs.
“We try to come up with things that challenge them or make them look at things in a slightly different way,” Coulston said.
While there may be no practical application for glowing frankfurters, there is demand for people with the creativity, technological skills and theoretical knowledge to use ordinary objects in a truly unique way. For that reason, Coulston opens the meetings to students from all majors, and to faculty members with expertise in other disciplines.
“I’d love to have some artists and scientists join us, too,” he said. “The more, the merrier. They’d probably have some really cool ideas.”