Written by Daniela Rios
The Premier of Ontario recently took an afternoon tour of the University of Ottawa’s Richard L’Abbé Makerspace and Maker Mobile facilities. Premier Wynne had expressed an interest in getting to know the Faculty of Engineering’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Engineering Design (CEED) facilities where students have the resources to turn their ideas into reality. Helmed by the NSERC Chair in Entrepreneurial Engineering Design, Hanan Anis, the Makerspace is a lab where students have free access to cutting-edge 3D printing and modeling technology. The Maker Mobile, a makerspace on wheels, takes this approach to the next level by providing hands-on workshops to K-12 students to introduce them to engineering and design. Most remarkable of all is that these spaces are managed and run by students.
The Premier had the chance to interact with engineering students, listen to their ideas and learn about their ongoing projects. She was joined by uOttawa President Jacques Frémont and the Associate Vice-President Ruby Heap. Faculty Dean Ioan Nistor and the NSERC Pratt & Whitney Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Catherine Mavriplis were also in attendance to accommodate the Premier and her team. The Faculty of Engineering will be holding a Design Showcase at their CEED facilities on November 4 where students will display their projects and demonstrate their work.
