--- title: You Can Make It at Maryland date: 2021-11-05T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/you-can-make-it-at-maryland" section: Articles --- # You Can Make It at Maryland *November 5, 2021* — by [Liam Farrell](/author/liam-farrell) > 8 Campus Makerspaces Where Terps Turn Out the Next Big Thing *ENGR Terrapin Works 02062020 JC 7596 1920x1080 — Engineering students work to create a 3D-printed Testudo in the Advanced Fabrication Lab in A. James Clark Hall. Across campus, students of every major can take advantage of a range of UMD's makerspaces for class assignments, personal projects or just for fun.* From the furniture in a campus café and a replica of a Baroque marble statue, the University of Maryland community can go forth to every corner of campus to take its futuristic ideas and make them into a finely wrought plastic, wood or metal reality. Seventeen “[makerspaces](https://view.publitas.com/umdclarkschool/2021-makerspace-impact-report/page/1)” across UMD feature cutting-edge design software and technology like 3D printers and laser cutters to quickly and efficiently build new objects—facilities that *Make:* magazine [recently highlighted](https://makezine.com/2021/10/21/best-maker-schools-university-of-maryland/) in naming the university one of the nation’s “best maker schools.” While makerspaces are a necessary resource for students completing assignments and building resumes in some STEM disciplines, every Terp can benefit from taking a “thing you’ve dreamed up on the computer to something that’s in the real world,” said Jim Zahniser, assistant dean for strategic operations and information technology at the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Matthew Kirschenbaum, professor of English and digital studies and co-founder of the BookLab makerspace, said engaging with physical objects is a way to get students of all disciplines, including the arts, to think differently. “Our students spend a lot of time reading books. It’s also a good thing for them to learn a little about how books are made,” he said. “It’s creative, it’s experimental, it’s both retrospective and future-oriented.” Here’s a rundown of some the spaces offered at UMD. [Advanced Fabrication Lab](https://terrapinworks.umd.edu/facilities/advanced-fabrication-lab) (2123 A. James Clark Hall) The centerpiece of the Clark School’s Terrapin Works facilities, this lab has more than $2 million worth of equipment to support projects from beginning to end. The lab is divided into three spaces: a design studio for scanning and computer-aided design prototypes; a mechanical prototyping room with advanced manufacturing technology; and an electrical prototyping room for circuit board fabrication and other electronics work. --- *Student works with 3D printer in architecture FabLab* --- *wooden printing press in UMD's BookLab* --- [Instructional Fabrication Lab](https://terrapinworks.umd.edu/facilities/instructional-fabrication-lab) (1119 A. James Clark Hall) If you are new to the makerspace world and its collection of drills, mills and saws, this is one good place to start. The IFL provides hands-on education on machining to any UMD student or faculty member, and offers work space and tools for those who have gone through lab-provided safety training. --- [Keystone Woodshop](https://terrapinworks.umd.edu/facilities/keystone-woodshop) (1212 J.M. Patterson Building) Why buy a new table when you can make one yourself? The woodshop has state-of-the-art methods available to tackle decidedly retro materials, and no prior experience is necessary to start training and working on your next family heirloom. --- *Students working in the Singh Sandbox facility* --- *welding stage scenery in Clarice scene shop* --- *Person works with computer mapping in STEM lab* **Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Tags:** [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience) **Units:** [A. James Clark School of Engineering](https://today.umd.edu/topic/james-clark-school-engineering), [Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center](https://today.umd.edu/topic/clarice-smith-performing-arts-center), [College of Arts and Humanities](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-arts-and-humanities), [College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-computer-mathematical-and-natural-sciences), [School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-architecture-planning-and-preservation), [University Libraries](https://today.umd.edu/topic/university-libraries)