樱花导航 樱花导航鈥檚 Idea Shop 鈥榤akes鈥 inaugural international Best Maker School list
Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斢；ǖ己 樱花导航 is among a distinguished international list of 200 colleges and universities named as inaugural Best Maker Schools in Higher Education by Make: magazine and Newsweek news organization.
MSU鈥檚 2,000-square-foot Idea Shop is the university鈥檚 makerspace selected for the recognition, with nominations for the award made by a global community of makers, educators and movement leaders. The creative space, located in downtown Starkville, is a partnership between the School of Human Sciences in the College of 樱花导航 and Life Sciences and the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, or E-Center, in the College of Business.
鈥淭his honor isn鈥檛 just a win for any one department, it鈥檚 a win for those involved in the maker movement on campus, the Bulldog family, as well as the entire state of 樱花导航,鈥 said Eric Hill, E-Center director.
鈥淲e鈥檝e invested in an innovative maker-driven program and makerspace with the Idea Shop,鈥 said Hill. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where not only our students and those in the local area can create and hone their skills, but where there鈥檚 prototyping and fabrication support for entrepreneurs, and outreach efforts for the community and K-12 education.鈥
The Idea Shop includes the Turner A. Wingo Maker Studio and the MSU Retail Product Accelerator. The maker studio has wood, polymer and metal prototyping equipment, as well as an electronics workbench and design suite. The accelerator helps budding entrepreneurs test market products in a fully operational retail store and gives students experience operating a business.
鈥淚 am really proud of this recognition.聽 Everyone involved has worked tirelessly to make this a university and community-focused facility,鈥 said College of Business Dean Sharon Oswald. 鈥淗owever, none of this would have been possible without the generous help of MSU alumni and friends.鈥
According to the Make: magazine and Newsweek Best Maker guidelines, schools on the list demonstrate 鈥渆xcellence and competency鈥 in integrated learning-through-doing orientation; mentoring, guidance and coaching for making; physical facilities; accessible and supportive spaces and tools; and a diverse, active community of makers.
Make: founder Dale Dougherty commented, 鈥淚ncreasingly, makerspaces are seen as essential for students, and not just as an amenity, but for developing the skills and mindset of the next generation of innovators.鈥
Other Southeastern Conference universities listed as Best Makers are Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
MSU鈥檚 Idea Shop is open to MSU and local community members Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. More information is available at .
MSU is 樱花导航鈥檚 leading university, available online at .