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When UMBC mechanical engineering senior Abem Wondwossen walks into a makerspace at ��������, he isn’t just looking for tools; he’s looking for solutions.

Set to graduate this May, Abem spends much of his time in the lab in the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering building, working on his capstone project with his group. Their goal is to rebuild and improve a machine that sorts bottles on a conveyor belt, separating good ones from defective ones. Over time, parts of the machine were taken apart and used for other classes. Now, Abem’s team is putting it back together and upgrading it by adding a system to cap and tighten the bottles, along with a camera to help guide the process.

It’s complex, hands-on work. For Abem, access to USG’s makerspace has made all the difference.

“The lab gave us access to engineering tools and supplies that were very helpful with any project we were working on,” he shared. “The lab is really nice because people can bounce ideas off each other.”

On any given day, you might find Abem and his teammate Matthew McCallum at a worktable with calipers in hand, measuring components down to the millimeter or using drills to modify parts. Soon, he says, a favorite tool will become more widely available: 3D printers.

That’s because what was once a single makerspace is evolving into something much larger.

The USG makerspace is expanding into a network of interconnected spaces — including a fabrication shop, electronics lab, open-access studio, and innovation hall. Together, these makerspaces, all of them near one another in the BSE, will give students greater opportunities to move ideas from concept to creation.

With the expansion, there will be room for additional 3D printers, among other equipment.

“In the past we’ve had students bring their own 3D printers from home to print at school,” Abem noted. “So having [more] 3D printers already in the lab would be very beneficial.”

‘A Place to Explore’

Students don’t just come to a makerspace to complete assignments—they come to share ideas, test concepts, and learn from one another. Whether they’re sketching out early ideas in cardboard or machining final parts, experimentation is encouraged.

“Having access to tools and technologies like this—and just getting that initial exposure to them—can make a world of difference for people,” said Justin Hoke, project manager for STEM facilities, who operates campus laboratories and makerspaces.

That sense of openness is paired with clear expectations for safety and responsibility. Before gaining access, students must complete required safety training, including an orientation on proper equipment use, personal protective equipment, and lab protocols. In many cases, students also receive hands-on instruction before operating more advanced machinery, ensuring they understand both how to use the tools and how to do so safely.

The approach reflects the real-world expectations of professional labs and fabrication environments, where safety, accountability, and proper technique are just as important as creativity and innovation.

As the network gets built out, students will gain access to additional 3D printers and other professional-grade fabrication equipment including:

• A water jet cutter for precisely cutting metal and other materials
• A CO₂ laser cutter/engraver for detailed work on wood and acrylic
• A thermal vacuum former for shaping plastics into custom components
• A CNC router for computer-controlled cutting of wood and plastic
• A drill press for consistent, accurate holes
• A mill and lathe for precision machining
• Metalworking tools for bending and shaping sheet metal

The makerspaces demonstrate how as academic programs evolve, campus spaces must evolve along with them.

“When we bring programs to USG, we want students to have access to the same resources they would have on their home campus,” said Joyce Fuhrmann, senior director with the Division of Academic Strategy, Planning, Innovation, Research & Engagement, who advises on new academic programs. “For engineering programs, that means having [places] where they can actually build and test their projects.”

Come One, Come All

The makerspaces support coursework, capstone projects, and independent exploration. The full network and new equipment is expected to be operational sometime in the fall. 

In the meantime, there is strong use from students in UMBC’s mechanical engineering program and growing interest from programs like UMCP’s mechatronics engineering and UBalt’s integrated design, as more classes integrate hands-on fabrication into coursework.

Faculty see the impact. “It’s been very beneficial for our students,” said Adam Bridendolph, mechanical engineering program director. “They have access to the space, the equipment, and the support they need.”

For Abem and his classmates — and for any student ready to turn an idea into something tangible — that future is taking shape, one prototype, one measurement, one 3D print at a time.