Background: Awarded funding from the National Science Foundation, Diablo Valley College (DVC) proposed to create a Digital Modeling, Analysis and Fabrication (DMAF) Lab and associated curriculum as a community college resource. The program was envisioned to incorporate digital design, fabrication, materials testing, sustainability and construction fields in an environment that would benefit the broader campus by establishing a resource for design and fabrication curricula benefiting multiple programs and departments.

From Fall 2013 through Spring 2018, the program supported the development of a career pathway for technicians and transfer-oriented students, providing education and technical training in digital manufacturing, digital modeling, research and development, and the sciences; and created a substantial impact across multiple curricula and student groups.

Findings: The DMAF program:

• purchased state of the art equipment  including four 3D printers, one CNC 3-axis Haas mill, one CNC Haas lathe, one CNC 5-axis ShopBot router, and related software;
• updated course curricula for at least 16 new or revised classes;
• developed a core curriculum for a new Industrial Design certificate;
• had more than 3,000 enrollments in DMAF-related classes;
• had higher than expected enrollment rates of traditionally underrepresented student groups;
• and saw an increase in persistence rates for students enrolled in DMAF classes.

Broader Impact and Outreach: Advances during the course of the grant resulted in more sophisticated student work. This work was showcased across multiple venues including the annual Design Village competition at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the San Mateo Maker Faire, and Elon Musk's Hyperloop competition.  Other outreach included displays at the campus art gallery, development of a website, and attendance at the annual NSF conference in Washington DC. 

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Art and Art Digital Media faculty have enrolled in DMAF courses to increase their own exposure to the technology. Within the Architecture department, a number of interdisciplinary projects were conceptualized and executed, and the ceramic 3D printer was digitalized for collaborative work with ceramic artists. Also, collaboration with Engineering and Electronics students took place for the Hyperloop competition.

Cross-institutional Collaboration: Efforts in this area included student projects utilizing digital fabrication for the Cal Poly Design Village competition, and the Hyperloop competition which ultimately culminated in a final presentation at Texas A&M University. These opportunities allowed students to overcome preconceived limitations and try out new ideas in life altering ways. As described by one student:

"The Hyperloop helped me to understand the 'ins and outs' of what goes into a project in Engineering. Also, it gave me the opportunity to think outside of the box, where I could pioneer some of the interesting ideas others and I had on related topics. Thirdly, the Hyperloop changed my perspective on the academic integrity of projects, and that Engineering is not the only way to get involved in such a project such as using Computational Physics to aid in the analysis of the Engineering applications. I loved what I was programming and modeling for the Hyperloop so much that it influenced my choice in major [at UC San Diego]. Lastly, it changed my whole understanding of what it means to be in Engineering and to not only be concerned with the ideas, but the implications of the results."  -Ross Pappas, Hyperloop Team Leader

Capturing Industry Trends: Regular Advisory Committee meetings were held to capture and address industry trends and needs in manufacturing, prototyping, design, and related fields. Partners included AutoDesk, Bitta, Mountain Hardwear, and a variety of architectural firms.

Integrating Sustainability: As part of our ARCHI 207 Environmental Control Systems class, students conducted energy analysis projects utilizing Sefaira energy and lighting analysis software.  Results were shared in student portfolios and printed material, and placed on display to help expand the knowledge of all students. Several of the new Industrial Design classes also focused heavily on sustainability and the use of green product materials.

Increasing recruitment and retention of students: The broader mission of Diablo Valley College in general is to reach underserved populations of students. We did see a small increase in the percentage of underrepresented minority and female students in DMAF classes, from approximately 42% at baseline to approximately 45% by the end of the project.

Lessons Learned: Having this grant was a major boost for our department's intellectual and research activity and was embraced with enthusiasm by the architecture department and across other disciplines. Having grant funding available for intellectual pursuits and technological and research advances was enormously constructive. Collaboration, interdisciplinary outreach, and technician support were keys to our success, and the documentation of our work through our website and other channels is of paramount importance.

This project leaves behind a legacy of advancement in student design and technological knowledge. We developed a space in which students and faculty can work together to prototype, revise and push technology further, which bodes well for the development of our future workforce.

Last Modified: 07/27/2018
Modified by: Daniel Abbott