Elias Marcopoulos, E19, a triple major in computer science, English, and applied physics, had been making their own Rubik’s cubes, building them by hand with plastic sheeting and a mix of sculpting clay and epoxy called Apoxie. Then a friend told them about the Nolop Fabrication, Analysis, Simulation and Testing (FAST) Facility on campus, with its 3D printers, other tools, and strong support system. “He brought me here, and I haven’t left yet,” Marcopoulos said.
Marcopoulos is not the only one. At the Nolop FAST Facility, a large collection of tools and ample support are stretching student imaginations and honing design skills as students solve problems and deepen their confidence as makers, all with the support of staff and other students.
That support is pivotal, because among the various makerspaces across Tufts, this space, which opened in January, is considered a…