Think Tank Reopens!
Attention STEM lovers and craft enthusiasts alike! The Think Tank is now open… again! After being closed due to Covid, the Think Tank — located at DMF 151 — is open for business. For those who are unfamiliar, the Think Tank (open every Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is an amenity open to any BSU student where you can build and create pretty much anything you set your mind to.
Inside the Think Tank are 3D printers, soldering irons, circuit board printers, wood burners, an embroidery machine, a vacuum former, 3D scanners, a lightbox, and that is just scratching the surface.
The Think Tank “is part of a greater hub system. All projects start here and then we branch off into other labs around campus,” said Robert Monteith, director of the Think Tank.
Monteith went on to explain some of the other spaces they use, like the academic machine shop, the wind tunnel, the electronics lab, and the art center labs. Some more advanced projects that may require the use of these adjacent spaces or equipment may require scheduling.
Monteith explains that students can do “Basically whatever they put their mind to. With some rare exceptions, we don’t limit what they want to do for projects.”
Students who utilize the Think Tank can go in and explain what they want to do for a project. From there, the faculty will show them how to use the technology and equipment necessary so that they can complete the projects on their own.
“We’ve done away with the membership fee and we charge based on materials cost… students and staff will come in and figure out how much material they need and they purchase it directly from the space,” said Monteith. “We try to make this as accessible as possible with everyone on campus… so even if you haven’t used a 3D printer before or you don’t know how to use CAD software, come down, tell us what kind of project you want to do, and we’ll teach you how to use the equipment to do it.”
Monteith plans to start workshops up again within the next few weeks where students can come in and complete a project led by a faculty member within the Think Tank.
Monteith says he is “looking forward to seeing the new projects students bring in!”
For any further inquiries, reach out to BSUthinktank@bridgew.edu.
