A place for makers

Mark Zurolo ’01MFA

View full image

It’s no secret that Yale wants to make Science Hill more welcoming—especially the block of Prospect Street that runs between central campus and the site where, one day, the two new residential colleges should rise. Step one: the new Center for Engineering Innovation and Design, which promises to be a visible hub of student activity.

Housed in a glass-fronted space in Becton Center, the new center is a sandbox for students from all over the university who want to make things: it offers 3-D printers, hand tools, electronics components, and raw materials. So far, more than 300 students have taken a 90-minute orientation class to become members. Director Eric Dufresne ’96 says the center’s popularity “speaks to how much pent-up demand there was for a place where science and engineering students can collaborate and create a sense of community.”