Levi Tox, a senior anthropology major, rides his skateboard to his job as a digital fabrication specialist at BeAM, a fact that is impressive even before finding out he made this skateboard — from scratch — at the very place he works.
“I hadn’t skateboarded until I made this,” Tox says with a laugh, gesturing at his finished skateboard that boasts neon wheels, glossy, sanded edges and a customized stingray design etched onto the board by way of the makerspace’s laser cutter.
But what he might have lacked in skateboarding experience, Tox more than made up for in design thinking, curiosity and problem-solving, three aspects that have led him and countless other Tar Heels to call BeAM home.
A history of making
Tox was first introduced to the maker mindset by his grandfather who was an engineer and had a workshop in his house where he would share his creations…