2023 CELT Faculty Makerspace Grant Awardees
The TRU Library Makerspace is delighted to announce the two successful applicants for the Spring 2023 Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) Faculty Makerspace Grants: Harshita Dhiman and Katelin Pietrusinski from the Career and Experiential Learning Department of the Faculty of Student Development, and Twyla Exner from the Communications and Visual Arts Department of the Faculty of Arts.
Harshita Dhiman and Katelin Pietrusinski’s pilot study will bring together cross-disciplinary students from the Co-op 1000 class to create an innovative networking product using the resources available at the Makerspace. The project aims to foster the development of essential transferable skills such as communication, team building, and problem-solving. The Makerspace will support this educational experience by offering access to the necessary tools and resources for students to create their prototypes, culminating in a presentation of their networking products.
Twyla Exner’s ongoing project, which began in Fall 2022, engages students in questions around art and public space, challenging them to create prototypes of public sculptures or monuments representing figures or concepts they believe are deserving of such recognition. Twyla is exploring the integration of 3D digital models created in the Makerspace into virtual reality environments, allowing students to place their monuments in any Google-mappable location and view them from all angles. The research will result in one or more tutorials to make the process accessible to students with little to no 3D modeling or virtual reality experience.
Both of these innovative projects demonstrate the commitment of our faculty to hands-on learning experiences that not only reinforce the practical applications of their respective fields but also help students bridge the gap between their skills and the professional work environment. We congratulate the successful applicants and look forward to sharing updates on the progress and outcomes of these exciting collaborations.
