St. John’s University and MakerBot Unveil New Innovation Center in New York City

Above: St. John’s University Campus in Queens/Image Credit: St. John’s University

MakerBot, a global leader in 3D printing, and St. John’s University have unveiled a new MakerBot Innovation Center. St. John’s University is the first higher education institution in New York City to open a MakerBot Innovation Center and the second in the state overall.

Situated within the St. John’s University Technology Commons on its main campus in Queens, New York, the MakerBot Innovation Center offers a centralized location for students to design, create, and innovate. The MakerBot Innovation Center is co-located with the University’s new e-sports environment and virtual reality pods to create an engaging and interactive community for students. With access to over 20 MakerBot 3D Printers, students can have unfettered access to the tools and technology they need to propel their future career paths.

The St. John’s University Technology Commons was designed to elevate learning, promote collaboration across disciplines, and attract students and staff. It enables the University to offer students wider access to 3D printing to teach ideation, problem-solving, and iteration.

“3D printing in academia has become increasingly widespread as more schools look to combine new technologies into their curriculum to better prepare their students for the workforce,” said Nadav Goshen, CEO of MakerBot. “St. John’s University is at the forefront of creativity. Its adoption of 3D printing with a MakerBot Innovation Center provides students a competitive edge that will enable them to excel in their careers.”

St. John’s University offers several courses that integrate 3D printing into their curricula, including Art & Design, Marketing, Foreign Language, Education, and Physiology. Additionally, the University is in the process of creating classes on additive manufacturing and additive design approach, as well as an art elective in 3D printing and modeling.

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“Before the introduction of 3D modeling in Art 1090 Jewelry design, student designs were limited by the physical properties of the materials used. With the introduction of 3D printing, the students’ creative potential has been greatly enhanced,” said Ross Barbera, Associate Professor, Art and Design, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at St. John’s University. “Modeling in TinkerCad and Fusion 360, then printing at the Innovation Center with MakerBot printers, provides students with powerful tools enabling them to exercise their creative imaginations to the fullest. With these new technological tools, students are now exploring design possibilities not possible with traditional materials and methods, are limited only to the extent that they can imagine.”

Dr. Sandra Schamroth Abrams, Associate Professor in the School of Education, noted, “3D printing can complement and enhance process-learning that includes iterative and flexible practices. St. John’s students who visit the Technology Commons engage in individual and collaborative explorations and discover expansive possibilities of creative challenge.”

The MakerBot Innovation Center Management Platform is a proprietary 3D printing service that links the 3D printers together, streamlines productivity and staffing by providing remote access, print queuing, and mass production of 3D prints.