By Duda Maciel
The University of Maryland’s Terrapin Works is offering workshops throughout the semester to introduce students to manufacturing equipment and hands-on skills, including 3D printing, laser cutting and woodworking.
The workshops are part of an effort to increase student engagement with Terrapin Works and make its resources more accessible to students from different academic backgrounds. Participants can learn skills they may continue using for personal projects, coursework or future careers.
During a recent laser cutting workshop at the ALEx Garage in the E.A. Fernandez IDEA Factory, participants learned how to use a laser cutter to create personalized plywood name tags. The workshop introduced attendees to equipment they could learn to use independently.
Joy Nash, a business management graduate student and the senior event coordinator at Terrapin Works, said the organization began hosting its own workshops in spring of 2024 after noticing a decline in student engagement following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The workshops originally began through a partnership with Women in Engineering to introduce students to equipment used in engineering courses. Nash later proposed expanding the program to reach more students across campus.
Since the expansion, the events team has grown from one person to five people. Nash said Terrapin Works continues adjusting its workshop schedule and activities based on student feedback.
“Each semester, we’re kind of trying to grow and evolve the workshops that Terrapin Works offers students because, like, we want more students to be aware of Terrapin Works,” Nash said. “But we also want more students to know what their options are for additive and subtractive manufacturing.”
Additive manufacturing builds objects by adding material, such as through 3D printing, while subtractive manufacturing removes material from an existing piece, such as through laser cutting or engraving, according to Nash.
The fall semester generally attracts more participants because incoming freshmen are interested in trying new activities. Among the workshops offered, Dash said woodworking activities tend to be the most popular.
“We also partner with like Terps After Dark, so students can make their own cutting boards for cooking. They can make chopsticks, and that one tends to get a lot of students interested,” Dash said.
The workshops are not limited to engineering students. Nash said Terrapin Works has received requests from arts departments and other non-engineering programs.
“It brings the scientific and artistic spaces together, and I think that’s what makes it really fun,” Nash said.
Beyond allowing students to explore their creativity, the workshops also introduce them to manufacturing processes they may encounter in their future careers.
Tyler Lumpkin, a senior mechanical engineering major and student staff member at the ALEx Garage, helps visitors with equipment, design questions and manufacturing orders.
Lumpkin said hands-on experience can help students evaluate designs before producing finished products.
“”I think it’s super useful in terms of when we get into industry, being able to take an idea and actually make even a rough mock-up of it because it turns something from paper into a tangible artifact, and that really helps you actually see if it’s going to work or not,” Lumpkin said..
Lumpkin also helps people who have little experience using the equipment. He said he enjoys sharing what he has learned while working in the labs.
“I’m just honestly glad to be able to pass all of my information on, so that people don’t have to start out lost like me,” Lumpkin said.
The workshops also attract university employees interested in learning how to use the equipment for their work.
Brian Crawford, a College of Arts and Humanities coordinator, attended the laser cutting workshop to learn how to make identification tags for equipment he manages in his department.
Crawford said he had never used a laser cutter before and wanted to learn about the ALEx Garage’s equipment and safety requirements so he could return to use the machines.
“If you have something very specific in mind, [the laser cutter] allows you to create that object,” Crawford said.
Crawford said the equipment also offers opportunities beyond practical workplace applications.
“There is a creative element to stuff like this, so I think it s very important for people to be able to exercise and develop their creativity,” Crawford said.
Terrapin Works hosts workshops across its different labs on most weekdays, except Fridays, according to Nash. Students can also visit the ALEx Garage for equipment training and independent use.
Other Terrapin Works labs offer walk-in tours and consultations, while equipment training generally requires a reservation.
Nash said the organization continues expanding its activities as it works to increase awareness of the resources available across campus.
Featured Image: Brian Crawford and Isha Surjuse, a student lab coordinator at the Alex Garage, start Crawford’s name tag project on an Epilog Laser Pro machine during a Terrapin Works workshop at the University of Maryland. Photo by Duda Maciel.