07-28-2024 EDU - Flipbook - Page 4
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The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, July 28, 2024
The Kahlert Foundation Makerspace at Stevenson
University features a dedicated Biomedical Engineering
Lab and Innovation Lab, allowing students in the
Biomedical Engineering program, and from across the
university, to design and create nearly anything
they can imagine.
Stevenson University students work on electronics
at the soldering stations in the Kahlert Foundation
Makerspace's Innovation Lab.
Stevenson University students work on electronics at the soldering stations in the Kahlert Foundation Makerspace's Innovation Lab.
High-tech facilities
New additions to campuses provide real-world experiences for students
By Gregory J. Alexander, Contributing Writer
D
ue to the buzz surrounding the
Hubble Space Telescope and the
SpaceX program, there has been
growing interest in Salisbury
University’s astronomy and astrophysics program, according to Michael Scott,
dean of Salisbury’s Richard A. Henson School
of Science and Technology. One of Scott’s challenges, however, has been identifying locations
near Salisbury for his students to be able to
clearly see stars as part of their field work. “In
the Northeast, it’s challenging due to light pollution, and weather is also a factor. In order for
our program to be competitive, we needed the
ability for our students to stargaze and measure
planetary movements,” says Scott.
Luckily, starting this fall, Salisbury students
will be able to do just that, thanks to the new
Henson Planetarium on campus, a result of
a $200,000 gift from the Richard A. Henson
Foundation to support science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
Scott notes that there is a planetarium at a
local high school nearby; however, with most
of the astronomy classes at SU being held at
night, there were logistical issues. “Now our
students will have this amazing planetarium to
perform motion calculations, predict intersections between asteroids and planets, and study
red shifting, which occurs when light travels
long distances, and the wavelength of the light
is stretched toward the red part of the spectrum. To be able to experience this live in the
planetarium space is something that cannot be
duplicated in the classroom or a lab.”
Scott says that Salisbury will also host stargazing parties for the local community. “Public
outreach is an important and expected component in the astronomy field. Students will be
tasked with teaching about star systems and
communicate in a way that the general public
can understand,” he says.
Scott says that the unusual shape of the
building will definitely generate interest when
prospective students visit campus. “This new
facility will help Salisbury be seen as a leader in
astronomy and astrophysics,” he says.
Students at Stevenson University also
are benefiting from a new high-tech facility on campus – the new Kahlert Foundation
Makerspace. Professor Neil Rothman, Ph.D.,
who is also the program coordinator of the
biomedical engineering program at Stevenson,
explains that the Makerspace has two components – a Biomedical Engineering Lab and an
Innovation Lab.
“The Biomedical Engineering Lab will be
primarily utilized by our biomedical engineering students and faculty for classes, labs and
research. It was deliberately designed as a flexible space with tables on wheels, for example,
in order to make the space customizable. The
Innovation Lab will allow all Stevenson stu-
dents to design and create items using 3D
printers and collaborate together on projects,”
Rothman explains.
The Makerspace will have a variety of tools,
including hand tools, power tools, and hightech equipment, including 3D printers, a laser
cutter, and a computer numerical control mill.
“We will have equipment that any student can
use with a minimal amount of training, as well
as sophisticated equipment for more advanced
students with more training,” he notes.
“We also have meeting rooms and a lounge
area for students to collaborate or just relax in
between classes,” Rothman says.
According to Frank J. Coale, Ph.D., assistant
dean for strategic initiatives at the college of
agriculture and natural resources, and a professor in the department of environmental science
and technology at the University of Maryland,
High-tech facilities,
continued on page 8
