student work 

Learning Through Making

My teaching and work in the Engineering Studios @ Venture Lab center on using fabrication not simply as a means of producing a finished object, but as a way to experiment, test ideas, understand materials, and develop creative confidence. Across courses, workshops, and independent projects, I aim to create opportunities for students to move fluidly between design, engineering, craft, and entrepreneurship.

ChompShop

I supported the student founders of ChompShop across several stages of their development at Penn, from taking How to Make Things (MEAM 4110), to working as Studio Technicians in the Engineering Studios, to returning as TAs for the course. As their cardboard fabrication tool developed into a venture, the Studios provided an environment for continued prototyping, iteration, and mentorship through the product’s development and launch.

Laser-Cut Jigsaw Puzzles

The laser-cut jigsaw puzzle project is a cornerstone of How to Make Things. Students design and manufacture a functional puzzle while learning about materials, kerf and tolerances, engraving, coatings, color, and surface finishing, while also developing a concept that is thoughtful, functional, and visually resolved.

The project intentionally combines digital fabrication with hand processes. Techniques such as duotoned engraving and backpainting acrylic encourage students to think beyond the laser cutter as simply a cutting tool, and instead use it for image-making, material experimentation, and highly refined production.

From Projects to Practice

Other projects extend this approach across materials, technologies, and scales, including moldmaking and casting, resin 3D printing, AI-assisted modeling, electronics, interactive objects, and small-batch manufacturing. Projects often move beyond the classroom through student-run pop-up markets, applied research , and new ventures.