Makerspace Fosters Collaboration Across Campus
Susquehanna University’s new Makerspace is more than a workshop — it’s a shared resource designed to connect creativity, technology and collaboration across campus.
Located in Seibert Hall, the space brings together advanced tools, including 3D printers, power tools, laser cutters, embroidery and heat press machines, a screen printer, an airbrush kit and more. Together, they open possibilities for departments, faculty and students to design, prototype and build custom projects that support academic and co-curricular initiatives.
Soon after its fall 2025 launch, partnerships began forming. The theatre department is exploring how the CNC router — a computer-controlled cutting machine — can streamline set construction, replacing hours of hand-cutting intricate designs with precise, computer-guided carving.
“The goal is to make this space accessible to anyone with an idea,” says Carl Faust, department head and associate professor of physics and director of the Makerspace. “Whether you’re designing a theatre prop, building a research instrument or testing a business concept, this is a place where those ideas can take shape.”
Derek Straub, associate professor of earth & environmental sciences, asked the Makerspace to assist him in his research. An atmospheric scientist and engineer who studies the organic and inorganic compounds found in fog and, ultimately, the air we breathe, Straub asked for help developing a new low-cost sensor to measure fog or cloud liquid-water content. Commercial instruments that take these measurements are very expensive, so Straub is attempting to build a cheaper version that collects fog droplets on filter material.
“I’m using off-the-shelf filter packs and filter material, but they needed to be modified,” Straub explains. “That’s where the Makerspace helped out.”
Staff at the Makerspace, which include Faust and several student employees, used a laser to cut the filter packs to Straub’s exact specifications. They also created special spacers and gaskets for him.
“Making custom parts in low quantities is very expensive,” Straub adds. “Having a resource on campus during this iterative process to make, modify and remake parts quickly saved a lot of time compared to using an off-campus commercial fabricator.”
Faculty are incorporating the Makerspace into their courses as well. Faust’s new 3D modeling class allows students to explore design thinking while fulfilling the university’s analytical thought requirement. The course attracts students from across disciplines who learn to model and print functional or creative solutions — from dorm room gadgets to artistic pieces — while developing valuable problem-solving skills.
“The Makerspace’s interdisciplinary approach ensures that students and departments alike benefit from hands-on experience with technologies that are likely new to them,” Faust adds. “It encourages teamwork between areas that might not otherwise intersect — science and art, business and design, and technology and theatre.”
