The university has hired an assistant professor of English at Lubbock Christian University to serve as the next director of the Maker Lab. Micah Heatwole started work as the new director earlier in January.

Heatwole said this role is a natural extension of his creative talents that he can display.

“I think my background… as a student and as a professor gives me the ability to see how the MakerLab can benefit the campus community,” Heatwole said. “As a professor, I can think of many ways I could have had my students use a place like this… to experiment and learn in creative ways.”

He said he hopes the MakerLab will become an even more useful tool to professors and students alike in the future.

“Being able to think as a professor will help me find ways to encourage other classes to get involved in the MakerLab and encourage other professors to incorporate it into their courses,” Heatwole said. “My big goal right now is to find more ways to get the campus involved in what we have to offer.”

Heatwole has experience in working with physically creative mediums as well. As a young man, he would often work with his father, who owned a home remodeling business. He believes this experience will allow him to help students as they bring their own projects to life.

Going forward, Heatwole plans to find creative ways to develop the MakerLab space.