Beyond Books: Innovation, Curiosity, and Maker Spaces with Matt Losey Artwork

The Adjunct Files

Adjunct faculty are a growing majority in higher education, shaping student experiences while navigating the challenges of contingent employment. As adjuncts at a regional public university, we know firsthand the realities, rewards, and roadblocks that come with the role. That’s why we’re here—to boost your mood and pedagogy with insightful dialogues on current challenges, practical strategies, and pathways forward for you and your students.

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The Adjunct Files

Beyond Books: Innovation, Curiosity, and Maker Spaces with Matt Losey

December 09, 2025 • The Lucas Center at FGCU • Season 2 • Episode 12

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In this episode of The Adjunct Files, John and Maggie sit down with Matt Losey, Creative Commons Lab Coordinator at FGCU’s library, to explore how the library is so much more than a place for books. From 3D printing and CNC milling to podcast studios and a massive data visualization wall, Matt shares how these cutting-edge resources empower students and faculty alike. Learn how adjuncts can integrate alternative assignments, support student creativity, and even prototype research tools—no tech background required. Whether you're curious about laser cutters or just want to help students find their voice, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical ideas.

Theme music composed, performed and produced by James Husni.

Adjunct Nation is a collaborative podcast under the auspices of The Lucas Center for Faculty Development at FGCU. You can learn more by clicking on this link:

https://www.fgcu.edu/lucascenter/

Welcome to the Adjunct Files.

We're a growing, diverse community who face challenging work in an ever-changing, higher

education landscape.

Your co-hosts for this podcast are with you in this.

I'm John Roth, Adjuncts since 2015 and now a coordinator for Adjunct Faculty at Florida

Gulf Coast University.

I'm Maggie Hohne, Adjunct since 2022 and currently work in the Office of First-Year Seminars.

Together we hope to have conversations to empower, support, and elevate Adjunct Faculty.

This conversation today is one to do just that.

Welcome back to the Adjunct Files.

John, how are you?

Good.

Things are going well so far.

Things are actually showing up.

High optimism at the beginning of the semester.

We'll see when it crashes and burns.

Hopefully we'll be on cruising altitude for a while.

Someone I've really learned a lot from just for how to do a podcast, let alone just what

the library offers is our guest for this one, Matt Losey.

Matt is in charge of a number of aspects here in the library system.

Introduce yourself, Matt.

Yeah.

Matt Losey, I'm the Creative Commons Lab Coordinator here at the library.

I maintain our Creative Commons, which is the collective term for our Makerspace, our

Media Production Studios.

Then it will eventually phase out for me, but our Data Visualization wall.

That will eventually be under our Data Librarian where we have our actual Data Lab that's right

next to it.

When you say Makerspace, I just always think of the show on TV where all these crafty people

are, they get little ribbons if they win this week's challenge, but that's not what

it is.

No, yeah.

It's a teaching learning space for students, faculty, staff, anybody to learn these already

emerging, but they're going to become way more prevalent in a bunch of different fields.

Things like 3D printing using Glowforge, which is a laser cutter and graver.

Smart cutters, CNC milling machines.

Because of COVID, a lot of stuff like spy chains got messed up.

So so many different people were like, we can't afford this.

So the skills are being sought in future employees to already know these technologies, how to

actually use them efficiently so that they're no longer having to wait weeks to get apart.

Wow.

Oh, you know how to just build it.

Yeah.

Learning how to build it, how to print it efficiently.

Okay.

So that's mostly for the prototyping, large scale stuff.

It's really not the most efficient, right?

But you can build all the stuff and send that off to a manufacturer who can make you

10,000 injection molded parts, right?

But it's just learning these technologies so that they're ahead of the game when they

get into the job field.

Like I had a student who got a job with mosquito control because he knew 3D printing.

He could replicate the parts for them.

Any replacement parts, any new things they might need for their drones or whatever.

He's already equipped for that.

That's great.

Yeah.

I don't know that was a job.

What?

Mosquito control?

Well, not mosquito control, but like just all my job is is 3D printing parts for this.

It wasn't.

It was like in addition to.

Yeah.

So he worked with the chair.

That was the chair.

Yeah.

That was it was boom.

And he told me it goes, it's because I knew.

Okay.

Did you set him apart?

Did you study all of these different systems and things and undergrad or what's your background?

I did not.

My undergrad is an anthropology.

So obviously I'm using my degree every day, but I will say it's the benefit of it's not

what they teach.

It's how they teach you to think, right?

Which has come in clutch all the time for me, right?

I know I would not be the person I am today if I didn't do that degree.

I love that because it's promoting the liberal arts again.

You know exactly.

You'll think like, oh, I can't do anything with this degree.

It's like, well, yes, if you just hone in on this is what the degree does, right?

But if you can extrapolate what that degree actually teaches you to do, you can do so

many different things.

I could argue I could go work for marketing company right now with my degree.

Granted, it's been 10 years since I graduated, but you don't look old enough.

You get done by the white in my beard.

Is there?

Yeah.

Oh, okay.

So, yeah, you know, like, and I encourage some of the students, there's a couple of

students that work here in the library that are doing that.

And they're like, I don't know what I'm going to do.

I'm like, trust me, like don't focus too.

Like yes, focus on the information obviously.

But you know, with these types of degrees, you do have to go out there, right?

And I was always interested in, I've been doing 3D modeling since I was in high school.

So obviously when this position came up, I was like, yeah, cool.

I like doing that stuff, right?

And because the, it's so hands on, that's kind of the way I learn is actually doing.

Every time I get a technology, whatever it is, I want to know how to do it from start

to finish, right?

So I want to design something.

I want to process it.

I want to print it.

I want to do whatever, even with the podcast, by a microphone, I'm going to look up how

to do that, right?

So obviously it takes a certain personality type as well.

What kind of personality type is that?

I would say self driven.

Okay.

So, you know, who could you do?

It's one, 3D printing, even if you get into as a hobbyist.

And curious, yes.

Like wanting to know like, what's the best way to do it?

What's the best way to approach it, right?

And, and even then it's not just teaching the startings.

It's teaching the refinement process, right?

That's what we do here in the libraries.

We help you refine whatever you're doing, right?

Whether it be finding information for your research paper, making a podcast, 3D printing

something, whatever it might be, we are here to guide you into do it kind of the best

way or help you find the way that gets you to your angle, kind of the quickest, right?

Looking up, like I said, articles, it could be that it could be 3D printing, could be

whatever it is, because refinement in and of itself is a skill.

Because you could do something and it's fine.

It works.

Cool.

It works.

Quote unquote works.

Check cross off the list.

Yeah, exactly.

But is that the best way you can do it?

Maybe not interesting.

So.

I never thought about the library like that.

Yeah.

That refinement.

Yeah.

And I think it's a lot of finding articles, you know, because you've both probably written

papers.

Yeah.

But if you have, if you just a few, you know, but you know, it's, it's, you, and you could

search for 10 hours, right?

But if you know how to learn the filters and learn this and that, learn, learn the process

of how to search.

Exactly.

Right.

And so that's why, you know, there are other spaces on campus that they're more, I would

say, production spaces or they're kind of closed off.

We're here for everyone.

And then we're here for the next one.

Right.

I went to school here.

I worked here while I was an undergrad.

And then I worked here.

While I was after I graduated for about six, seven months, and then I got a job here.

At the whim of one of the provosts at the time is assistant.

She goes, just try.

She goes, you never know.

And obviously it's Boston.

Here we are.

And I think FGCU is a fantastic regional university.

It just, it fills kind of a gap right in the market for the next one.

Right.

In the market for education here in Florida.

You know, I think because we have so many adjuncts, right, we actually have faculty that are

working, right?

And that's the benefit, right?

There's so many people who are kind of lost in academia, let's just say, in my personal

opinion.

Off the record.

Right.

But no, we won't know.

Right.

But and it's nothing but beneficial to students because you're getting people who are

actively doing what their teacher.

They're practicing.

Yes.

They are community members.

Yeah.

And they're not, I'm 20 years removed from having done this and I don't know what the current

things are.

Yeah.

Our climate is right there actively doing.

And I think it's just so great that we have that many adjuncts here.

I wonder what this guy was like as a child.

I just, this curiosity, did you like tear apart like lawn mowers and stuff?

Or did you do just weird things?

I am the, I was the what if child.

Okay.

That's, that's what my mom says.

I was the what if child.

Can you give us an example of what that meant?

Just cool.

You know, just wanting to know answers to things.

Right.

So you were exhausting for your.

Yeah.

That's the word.

Exhausted.

Yep.

I bet I could call her up right now and she'd say that.

Oh, Matt.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

She's like, just see us man.

You were just asking questions after questions after questions.

I even funny.

I went to this was, this was a couple of four, maybe five or six years.

I went to church with my grandma and I ran into one of the Sunday school teachers.

Oh no.

And she said the exact same thing.

She goes, you were asking questions all the time.

She's like, you have a very powerful voice.

Yeah.

Okay.

You were moving.

Yeah.

Come see me after.

Oh my goodness.

Right.

Even in school, like, you know, I'd have to be interested in the class.

It's obviously there's some class you just have to take because you have to take and whatever.

But the classes I was truly interested in.

I'd stay behind and talk with the teachers and, you know, it was really great because like they'd answer my questions.

So that kid, not all the classes, but the instructors are like,

okay.

So I'm getting back to what you're doing here and the adjunct faculty.

We've got hundreds, right?

So let's walk through just the three spaces that you're kind of overseeing at the time and how you might see adjunct faculty using them to enhance their courses and their student learning outcomes.

Yeah.

Definitely.

Don't we can start here in the studios since we're already over here.

Yeah.

Right.

So these spaces allow for kind of alternative assignments.

I might call them.

It's just a different way for students to engage in projects, right?

It's not the traditional papers, right?

But it's also reflective of the changing landscape where you no longer have to sit down and write a 20 page page.

How people are interacting, how people are absorbing information is changing.

Obviously, things like video essays.

I love watching video essays.

And they still take as much work.

You still have to do the research.

You have to know the material.

You have to know the material because it's not like you can type and hide your lack of knowledge through words.

That are just written down, right?

If you don't know what you're talking about, for 20 minutes and you don't know what you're talking about, it's a completely different, you know, obviously landscape.

So we have, obviously, John, you host, you know, you have your students come into the podcast room and record stuff for assignments.

We've done oral history assignments here.

Oh, that's cool.

Dr. Carlson over in the history department.

He has students for three projects throughout the semester.

When he teaches the course, they have to interview, you know, veterans, people here on campus, people in the community, asking them the life stories because he's big on oral histories because he's like, it's not really happening.

It's not a kind of a prevalent thing anymore.

And he's really, he even told me, he's like, go talk to your parents, talk to your grandma when you can.

Get their histories because stuff that's, if you don't get it, it's going to get lost, right?

Right.

So these alternative assignments are becoming a lot more prevalent.

I think it's also can be more authentic because when you're out in the business world, they're not going to ask you to write a five page reflection paper.

They're going to ask you to articulate articulate and present having a video essay instead is actually using a variety of skills that you will need in the workplace.

I tell students if you can learn one thing, just how to talk.

Right.

You know, right.

You know, and it sounds like it's, it sounds like whatever, it's just talking, but it's like, it's a skill because like, yes, in a paper, you have to articulate an idea and a clear and concise way.

Yeah.

Writing, I'm not saying writing is not good.

No, exactly.

It really does help clarify.

In fact, you probably wouldn't do a video essay.

If you're going to do it well, you've probably written it out beforehand.

And you still have to do stuff to edit and make sure all your sources line up and all that stuff.

Right.

So it's just taking the classics of writing a paper and just bringing it into that new medium.

And this ties directly into our universal design for learning podcasts with Elizabeth Weatherford about alternative assignments.

Are we still meeting the lesson objectives and able to assess what we need to assess?

If we can through video essay instead of reading 35 pages for 45 students.

I'm okay with that.

I am.

And if the students more comfortable articulating their thoughts verbally, who am I to deny them that opportunity?

Yeah.

So what other ways can the video and audio labs or studios, maybe we're not utilizing yet here at FGCU.

Anything that you can think of.

Um.

So I know for like the video stew, we've, we're kind of dipping into it, but it's becoming a little bit more prevalent is even like

engaging students for even outside of school things they might like to do.

I had a guy who was over in the studio doing promos for his business.

Right.

So being able to shoot videos of his car, his work on a car game or something like that, engaging the studio that way that it might not be for like a video essay or for that kind of stuff.

But it's for, I think he was actually, I think he was an entrepreneurship major and he came over and filmed some product design stuff.

We have people who do, you know, headshots.

We have professors who are recording lectures for coursework in there.

And I'm working on a guy that kind of makes it a little bit simpler.

Um, so even providing out of the studio research that's kind of supported by what we do, but still utilize this, the same types of technologies that we're offering here in the studio working on like a, just a document that kind of guides them through what they'll need.

And then like the steps on how to make it so that they can record maybe in their office because they might be more comfortable in their office or, you know, they don't want to have to worry about coming over here and getting key and doing all of this and all of that.

Obviously we provide the spaces that are professional.

Right.

But maybe they're looking for kind of an intermediary.

So even outside of the studios, we're still trying to provide this type of support to our faculty, students and staff.

Okay.

Next, date of this wall.

Yeah.

So the date of his wall, um, obviously the name is, it's what it's for.

It's to visualize data that's becoming another prevalent thing in and so many different fields.

Obviously it's been in business for a while.

But even in the humanities digital humanities is another big area that it's it's there for, um, so.

We've done a couple of poster sessions. So are the way that we have our wall interface.

Um, poster sessions is a big one that we've started doing over there.

We obviously do our live performance today.

We have our scholar series where we have, we highlight faculty, um, research that they're doing.

Um, but even then we get into the digital media design landscape where we have a class that has to design something specifically for the dimensions of the wall.

The entire wall.

The entire wall. So it's like 15,000 pixels wide by 2000, a little over 2000 pixels tall.

And so they have to design a, a, an ad video for a club, but it's assignment for the coursework.

Right. So the, even that, you know, is using, uh, the concept of like, Hey, when you work for a company, when you would do freelance, right, you have criteria you need to work with.

And it's not like you're just going to make a post, you know, a two foot post.

We're not just on Canva. Exactly. Right. This is something that they're making in, um, Photoshop and After Effects and then brought into premiere and put up on the wall.

So kind of touches on a, you know, all the way from start to finish, from start to finish, they can engage with, with the space.

You know, doing post sessions, we do the doctor of physical therapy. Um, but then we do, like I said, the live presentations on anybody.

So that could be an assignment within a course that students would present in teams or individually their reports on this data visual.

And it can be reserved for that. Yep. And it's more of the medium, right? The space, the wall is the medium to showcase, right?

So obviously stuff all up all the background stuff done, your data visualized, but it's a way to present the, the information that you want to do.

In my classes, um, we use the data vis wall for like mentor panels, um, like, because all combined classes and we'll just bring everybody together in that space.

And then we have everybody's headshots with like a little information about them underneath that can just stay up there.

And, um, just the space itself is very nice, even though it's open on the first floor of the library. Um, the way it's designed, it's still cozy.

So you can still hear everything going on, which is nice. Yeah, we had like, uh, it was 21 presentations for the DPT program. Wow.

So we just cycled them out every, every while. So we did one last November, we'll have our new one slotted for this coming up November as well.

So, and for our December adjunct faculty orientation for new adjuncts for the spring, we're going to be using that space. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, you can really customize. I mean, you can have, there's, it's made up of 16 screens, but you could have technically five sources per screen.

So you could technically have 400 things on the screen at once. Individual things. That could be videos. Yeah.

So talk about a class project. Yeah. That'd be kind of a fun artwork. Uh, just if you do it right.

We're like a senior display, like all the seniors each, you get a little tile that you can design and upload. Yeah. That'd be cool. No, exactly. Right. So the students, you know, I encourage them to flex.

There's obviously you can see the bezels on the wall. I'm like, play with it. Right. Engage with the medium. Right. It is 16 screens. Yeah. After a while, you start to ignore the bezels, but it played with it.

Have something bounce off one screen at the corner, one screen, and down into another. Like, it's, it's, it's, it's a blank, you know, blank canvas. Awesome. Awesome.

And then finally, the maker space. Yeah. So there's a lot of people, you know, who might go, I don't see my field doing that. Right.

But the great thing about 3D printing is it can make, I mean, any of the stuff in there can make whatever you want. Right. Right.

So obviously there are the more hands on stuff for people who are designing products or engineering majors who are designing, you know, whatever they want to design. Right. But it could go all the way into art.

Like I had a guy who designed 3D printed roses. Ooh. Right. He just designed the rose himself and was able to print it out. The stems, everything.

I've had, you know, we work with bio students who are doing this one student who's doing research on zebrafish. Right. So we're helping him design, guide him through the design process.

And then actually printed stuff for stuff that's going to be his projects that are going to be researched over at NASA. Right. We work with bio med students helping them prep stuff before they're eventually met at a metal, but so that they can work on their designs here.

You know, and then obviously like I was going to say education we were talking about earlier. I wanted to wait until maybe this question popped up was you might not think like, Oh, what am I going to use this for? But said, say you need to come up with a custom educational assignment, right, where you need to make whatever. Right. It allows you to make whatever. Right. You need to make. You're working with elementary education. You want to show fractions. You want to create a cool.

I see. Okay. Right. So you might not think that, Oh, I can do that, but you can. I'm working on a project with a, he's a doctor who ran emergency rooms up in Buffalo, but he's going back to school for an art degree. I love this for him. Amazing. And we're working on a grid system that normally you'd have to take your ruler, draw out your lines and then eventually erase them. But if you do work with charcoal and then there's a lot of weirdness that happens. Right. So developing a system where you can have the grid.

But have no lines. Right. So even something like that, working on a prototype for that design that he wants to work on. We in Dr. May Schover in, I think he's in geology, but he teaches a class called historical geology. And so we three 3D scanned and 3D printed Megalodon teeth. Right.

That's so cool. Yeah. For lab activities. I would even think about that. We printed out three, 10 sets of 10 teeth. Just showing the precursor, like, you know, the ancestor to Megalodon.

And then the ones that came after. Right. So even in that, like, you know, you might, oh, what can I do with that? You can, you don't have to go purchase these lab kits, right? Which might cost you hundreds of dollars. Wow. That's, you can print them out for 10 bucks. I don't know what the exact cost was, but.

Well, I would say that's a cool thing with not even just a 3D printer, the Glowforge, right? You need to make more 2D media. Right. And then the cricket, obviously, the cricket's fun stuff. That's just like stickers and stuff like that.

Could you explain the Glowforge a little more? Yeah. So the Glowforge is a laser cutter engraver. So it's a 40 watt CO2 laser.

Form so laser and then basically focuses it down to the surface of your material. And you can use that to cut out the three major parts of coring, scoring, cutting and engraving.

And you can create more kind of 2D designs, but you can use those 2D cutouts to make three models. Okay. And you can use a wide variety of materials from leathers to acrylic woods, cardboard. You can engrave certain types of metal too. So have you created a mini course or workshop for faculty to learn these tools? Yeah. Like a drop in module. Yeah. So I haven't done anything like that yet.

Could you, especially for adjuncts on? Yeah. I definitely do that. Yeah. Because so we have, so if you would like to use a space now, the way that we operate is if you like, if you're interested in either just learning the stuff or you want to come in and use it yourself, we operate on an orientation system like we do here in the studios.

Yeah. The one here is so simple. Yeah. Right. So over there, obviously, it's a little bit more in depth, but we'll go over the software design aspects as it relates to the software of the software.

If you're looking at your model, how to use some safety, all of that stuff. And then that way, if they want to come in anytime, they could just kind of hop on a computer and do that. I also do consultations for, hey, they're like, how do I do this? Or I'm looking to make a...

So it's more like a concierge model, right? Yes. Right now. So we, like we've had people ask, like, oh, can I do the orientation online? It's like, it's one of the things that it's just better in person. Oh, yeah. Right. It's better having that hands-on of learning the software.

Because if you learn the software, that can influence how you design the thing, which then makes the printing easier. Right? And that's for all of the machines, not just the 3D printers. Okay.

And as far as the data vis wall. So that is just an orientation, once again, an orientation with me. If you like to use on your own, and that's going to just guide you mostly through the software.

But once again, if you're wondering, how do I make something for the entire wall? I've got a design guideline that I have. Okay.

It's more internal, but if someone needs it, I can kind of guide them through making things specifically for the wall.

If faculty, they're not necessarily in those tech heavy disciplines, do you do consultations with them if they're interested in using these spaces, like 3D printing or the data vis wall, just a brainstorm?

Yeah, the consultations are for... How to get the material out and use everything. Exactly. Yep.

The consultations are there to kind of backfill everything other than... I guess, I mean, I'll tell we can go over how to use equipment, but it's more of like brainstorming. What can I use this for? Okay.

It's my catch-all for everything else. Okay.

Maggie, do you see any uses for these spaces, for the courses that you're teaching or overseeing? I feel like the podcasts, like the media spaces, for sure.

Yeah. I mean, even then, for education, I would encourage every student to have... I've heard the education department has some 3D printers, but that's one thing I would be like, yes, because every student that comes in that's a freshman is like, oh, yeah, everyone in high school.

I've had them since middle school. And I'm like, oh, that's cool. That's cool. Yeah. That would feel behind.

So these ones are like, they're becoming cheaper, right? They're becoming more prevalent. So schools are going like, hey, we need to start supporting these at an earlier age.

Yeah. And I'm wondering if students that are kind of coming in learning how to college that we deal with, but if we show them what's available here, it might just spark their curiosity.

And they go like, wow, this is something I really want to learn.

Because they don't have to use these spaces just for coursework, right? You were saying that...

They could just use it for fun. Oh, yeah. Like if they had a small business or something, would they be able to use this space?

Like you... Like promo videos, not like putting it to see you on there, but just this space. Oh, definitely. Yeah.

They can use it for whatever. And we get people who want to do like real estate podcasts. Yeah.

In the past, they've been interested in doing that. Life on campus. We had a girl who utilized this space and she's actually integrating it into her new position that she got.

Up in New York from marketing. Because she's like, I want to bring this type of stuff up there.

My end goal is for whoever wants to use these spaces can use it in the way that they want to use it.

Right. So if you want to come and make a podcast, that's a radio drama. We've done that for professors.

Yeah. Yeah. We've done that with Stephen Cavitt. He did a whole radio drama using the studio we're in now.

It was in a different location, but basically the same studio. So, but yeah, whatever they want to do, you know, we're not a production studio.

So mass making a lot of things. It's not really encouraged. Yeah. Right. But you know exactly.

But if you need to come and you're like, Hey, I want to do this type of research or I need this type of interface. Yeah. Cool.

Or you don't even want to do it before school. You're just interested in learning the technology. Cool.

I mean, we get associate Dean to do something that we have a one who does stuff a lot. Right. And he just does fun stuff. Yeah. Right.

So it's like cool as long and we've had faculty members bring in their kids, staff members bring in their kids.

Just to start learning the stuff as well. Wow. That's amazing. In terms of the maker space.

Is there a fee associated with it? Just because I know that you need materials to 3D print. Yes.

Yes. That is the only cost is material for cooperation, basically with a little bit of overhead just because in case prices increase,

because I've had to increase them just in the past year. Okay. But we don't make.

Obviously, we're not here to make money, but we just need to be able to keep providing the services. Yeah.

So you have materials that we could purchase from you. We don't have to go on Amazon and order all our stuff.

No, above a certain amount. It's generally encouraged because it can be cheaper in the long run. Okay.

Or if you want to custom color custom type of material, because there's so many different types. Yeah.

We encourage it just because like, you know, but if cost is your big thing, like you're like, I really don't just, but it's a cost.

We can work with you. Yeah. Right. I mean, I've done.

I'm not like printing a car. No, exactly.

What we and another service we just kind of introduced last semester, we really haven't advertised it, but it's we've done a decent amount.

We have plot. We have a plot or printer. What does that mean? So it's a big, it's a large format printer.

Some people call it the draft printer. So it's a 36 inch wide role. And so you could print research posters for research day.

Oh, so we don't have to go to office Depot. No. How much do they cost?

So I had a guy who printed something last night and he said for a 30 by 36 poster of a map, it would have cost him.

I think he said $75 at where I was. FedEx or wherever he was going to go. That was $15. So we charge 50 cents an inch along the length of the role.

Okay. Since it's static 36 inches wide, whatever the length is that way. And you know, if they're like, we do some of the entrepreneur.

DMD entrepreneurship, I think they have to do like 11 by 17 posters. So I'm not going to charge them for each poster. It's 11 inches. This way it's 550 for two up to, you know, because you fit two in that same dimension.

Awesome. So we also offer those services as well.

What's your favorite? Like little fun toy in your area that you like, like what's the something that you wish everybody would use? Cause it's just that good.

I think just because it's a little different and it does require a lot more work, but what you can achieve is like greater is the CNC machine.

So well, they're technically all CNC. So CNC stands for computer numerical control and it's just basically software telling the machine what to do. More specifically our CNC milling machine.

Okay. Right. So that's the inverse of 3D printing. So whereas 3D printing is considered additive manufacturing where you're building up layers.

Right. That's subtractive manufacturing where you're carving away material. It's usually way quicker. Like I think that might, a box that might take you, I don't know, 10 hours to print might only take half an hour to cut.

Right. So, and it's like you can't achieve, they do have to go about designing things a little different just the way that intrinsically the technology works.

Just, I think that's probably the one I like the most. I mean, it, I know very little, you know, I try, it's one of the six, like I only use so often.

You learn as you go. Yeah. In the grand scheme, I know so little, right? I make, I make products all the time, but you know, it just, what you can achieve is so great with that in a way that's like a lot quicker than doing like the 3D printing.

What would you like us to have here at FGCU? We don't. Hmm.

It's a good question. I don't even know what's out there. I don't either. So, well, there's, I know there's stuff I want, like different types of printers. Okay.

So there's, so what we have is called FDM. It's fused deposition monitoring, so you're fusing deposited material. Right.

So there is a whole bunch of other ones. We're just not equipped to do the A, they call either they cost a lot. Like there's metal 3D printers. Oh, yeah.

Now we're talking. Yeah. There's a couple different types of metal 3D printers, but those can cost, I think the system being my student worker.

We're just like looking up one day as like a hundred grand for the whole thing. Yeah, it's expensive. Okay. And then the material is expensive.

Or we're just not equipped to do them safely yet. Because obviously that is one of, that's one of our, if not the greatest concern we have.

So the thing that we're talking about is safety. We want to make sure that when students come in, they're taught and they're in an environment that is safe for them to be in.

Absolutely. So, but yeah, like different types of printers are obviously like woodworking. So we can expand kind of what we can do.

Because like obviously like 3D printing can take a while that if you had a bandsaw and the drill press, you might be able to get stuff done a little bit quicker.

Oh, 100%. Or a lathe or something. Yeah. Yeah. Even though lathes are, maybe the last one I get.

You've got to go through a serious, you've got to go through some serious safety course if we get a lathe because.

Yeah. Don't some thick gloves. Yes. Better tie your hair up. Yeah, honestly.

Almost sounds like a good challenge for faculty. Encourage your students to come and use this space. Yeah.

How can you incorporate these spaces or just provide opportunities for students to come and experience?

Because right now kind of the way that it's operating is you can. Right. Right. You can go over there if you want.

But we really want it to be like a. I want to go over there. Yeah. Or hey, no, this is the assignment. Go to the maker space. Right.

That's the hard part. Which obviously you want to encourage students to do kind of whatever they'd like.

Because we've had the students who have come over have done a lot of really cool stuff.

We had a girl who did a Braille map of like 3D printed. And it was multi-colored for obviously people who had sight, but it was had Braille on to label all the buildings and all that stuff.

So that was 3D printed. So that was really, really cool. Assistive devices for people with low mobility in their hands and wrists.

So a lot of really cool stuff that our students are working on. Even if you just empower them with their passion projects. Yeah.

I'm a lot of cosplay people too. Something for everyone over here. Yes there is. Which is great.

Well, this has been fantastic Matt. I've learned so much and I'm probably going to book a consultation feed to figure out how to incorporate SLS and all these fun things.

Really? Yeah. Because it's my class immersion into campus. There you go. What do we have to offer? Yeah. Awesome.

Yeah. Thank you for having me. Yes. It's been great. Well, we'll see you next time on the junk files. Bye y'all. Bye.

Theme use section was composed, performed and produced by James Husney.

Theme use section was composed by James Husney.

John Roth

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Maggie Hohne

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