Their proposal focused on redefining makerspaces around the needs of graduate students, particularly those navigating the learning curve of graduate research.

“We wanted to help define spaces that were built with the average graduate student in mind while also leveraging existing programs and infrastructure that further empower and support our peers,” said Thomas, a third-year Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering.

The team envisioned graduate students serving as subject-matter experts who could lead short, targeted crash courses that foster collaboration and shared ownership.

“The Ph.D. learning curve can be a beast,” Thomas said. “Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know, and having a makerspace built to foster collaboration and judgment-free deep dives would greatly lower the barrier to entry for a lot of students.”

In addition to the Innovation Fellows, 13 students were recognized as TechMade Graduate Makerspace Ambassadors: Yang Chen, Shae Cole, Brian Epstein, Max Erpelding, Kaushik Godbole, Anthony Lim, Zihao Lin, Matt McCoy, Christian Molina-Mangual, Mayur Singh, James Wateska, and Guangxing Zhang.

For Singh, a fifth-year mechanical engineering Ph.D. student, his team's project focused on broadening the definition of a makerspace. Drawing on experience using Georgia Tech’s Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) high-performance computing resources, Singh and his team advocated for an AI-driven makerspace model that supports large-scale simulations and advanced data analysis.

“It can be difficult to communicate the usefulness of a makerspace that technically has no space,” Singh said. “We wanted to illustrate how the AI makerspace can help our peers with data analysis challenges and simulation needs.”

Singh said the project reinforced the importance of student leadership in making these resources visible.

“Without student stewardship, making these capabilities visible to the larger community is more difficult than it should be,” he said.

Cole, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in nuclear engineering, and his team explored how XR technologies could expand access for students in nuclear and radiological engineering and medical physics. Since many laboratory tools in these fields are expensive and accessible only in controlled settings, the team proposed using XR and modeling technologies to help students safely engage with complex concepts outside the lab.

“This allows them to visualize complex phenomena that cannot be observed with the naked eye, develop innovative solutions, and expand their understanding of this critical learning space,” Cole said.

Amit Jariwala, director of design, innovation, and experiential learning, said the proposals offered a strong foundation for future growth.

“We are proud to recognize our exceptional graduate student teams for their innovative proposals, which introduced new approaches to advancing research, collaboration, and skill development,” Jariwala said. “At TechMade, we are excited to build on these student-driven ideas as we work toward a more integrated and future-ready research ecosystem.”

Collectively, the projects highlight a shared vision of makerspaces as scalable research infrastructure that supports innovation, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and student success across graduate education.