At the intersection of curiosity and technology sits the Information Technology Services MakerSpace, a thought-provoking environment where members of the University community can come together to work on creative artistic projects while sharing interests, ideas and technological knowledge.
Mike d’Amore
It’s a space with state-of-the-art equipment where creativity thrives and where ideas become reality, and since January, the first floor of the Marshall Square Mall has become the MakerSpace’s new home on campus.
“There’s definitely this misconception about MakerSpace that it is just 3D printing, but this place is so much more than that,” says Mike d’Amore, a MakerSpace student supervisor and second-year graduate student in data science in the School of Information Studies. “It’s a free-flowing, creative spot and there are always cool projects being made. One of my favorites was this cool, see-through, futuristic body of a guitar we made that played nicely on one of our amps.”
From embroidering and laser engraving to soldering electronics and recording music using the space’s myriad instruments, the experienced, the occasional dabbler and the amateur can try their hand at the tools and equipment to bring their ideas to life.
“If you can visualize it, you can build it here at MakerSpace. There is no limit to what we can create,” says John Mangicaro, MakerSpace’s technical lab manager and a 45-year member of the University community. “We encourage students to come in, share their vision and we’ll find a way to make it work. Within half an hour of being here, you can learn how do to everything we do.”
Among the resources available at MakerSpace are the following:
Several types of the latest 3D printers
John Mangicaro
MakerSpace is entirely student-driven, and the new location is an evolved version of the former space, says Mangicaro.
Matt Lustrino
Student workers like d’Amore, Matt Lustrino ’25 and Zoe Power ’28 make sure the facility runs smoothly. They strive to provide a seamless experience for the campus community, tracking every project, organizing and cleaning up the different creative spaces and following up with progress reports at the end of each shift.
“I’ve been a maker for some time as a hobby, doing soldering, 3D printing and music projects, so to find an environment on campus like MakerSpace that had all of those elements, it was the perfect fit for a job,” says Lustrino, who is studying information management and technology in the iSchool with a concentration in cybersecurity.
“MakerSpace is such a cool place. The potential for what we can create here is limitless. It’s also a great environment for meeting other creative people,” says Power, who is studying geology in the College of Arts and Sciences.
MakerSpace has evolved into an essential campus resource, one that impacts students, faculty and staff members. Leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, MakerSpace tracked roughly 1,900 jobs per calendar year. Last year, that figure rose to 3,400 work orders. So far this year, MakerSpace has finished more than 550 projects and is on-pace for a record-setting year.
Zoe Power
The move to the new location has also helped with visibility and awareness. In just their first two weeks in the new space, Mangicaro says the number of projects being handled was up 60% compared to the same time frame last year.
“I’m a terminal tinkerer. I love fixing and building things, I love people and I love working with the creative students here. This place is truly special,” says Mangicaro, who built the first iteration of MakerSpace 12 years ago in the Kimmel Hall Computer Lab.
The campus community is invited to an open house on Friday, March 28, from 3 to 5 p.m. MakerSpace’s resources are available to members of the campus community with a valid SU I.D. The academic year hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
