By Braelyn Barnes, October 6, 2026
At the Cal Poly Pomona Maker Studio, students are turning ideas into physical projects while gaining experience in design, production and project management.
Through student-led commissions, the Maker Studio gives students the opportunity to work directly with campus departments and outside organizations. Recent projects include large-scale vinyl installations, signs, decals and custom awards, according to business student Jose Ramirez.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for students to get a step into entrepreneurship,” Jose Ramirez said.
The Maker Studio includes a 3D printing station and nine A1 printers. Students can use apps like Thingiverse for free. The space uses Bambu Lab software to convert 3D models into G-code, which allows the printers to read and produce the designs.
For vinyl projects, the Maker Studio uses Final Master as its design software. Students use the program to arrange designs, adjust proportions and change colors.
One of the most important aspects this commissions program offers is it gives students the opportunity to experience the entire creative process from the first design consultation to manufacturing and installation.
Civil engineering student Timothy Obole said students can take on different responsibilities throughout a project.
According to Obole, some students focus on design, while others work on production, installation or project management. This allows students to develop skills across multiple stages of a real commission.
“It’s really cool to actually have something you made displayed permanently on a building,” Obole said.
One project that took place in Building 8 involved large vinyl decals installed throughout a community room, computer lab and hallway. Some decals measured several feet across, while future work includes 5 feet tall silhouettes designed for a hallway installation.
Another commission project produced large signs for the College of Science. The signs measured approximately 4 by 5 feet and required students to participate in both production and installation.
The projects also give students the opportunity to experiment while still receiving guidance from faculty and supervisors, according to Ramirez.
Ramirez, who is also Student Innovation Idea Lab technician, expressed how these projects give students a sense of community and different ways to showcase creativity.
“The commission team was very much given a lot of freedom,” Ramirez said. “Freedom can help encourage creativity.”
According to Obole, every project looks a little different, and the size of the team depends on the scope of the commission.
The Maker Studio also offers opportunities to gain experience through its ambassador program. According to Rameriz, the space holds a call for volunteers each semester, with ambassadors working two to four hours at the front desk. In addition to their volunteer hours, ambassadors receive in-depth training on the machines in the Maker Space.
Students who demonstrate potential may later be hired as paid technicians, Ramierz said. Technicians can choose the station they enjoy working at most, while those who develop specialized experience can become lead technicians for a particular station, such as the vinyl station.
The Maker Studio is located in the University Library on the second floor but is just one of the three spaces on campus for creativity. Student Innovation Idea Labs includes the iLab in Building 1, which also operates the Innovation Orchard at Ganesha High School, which serves as a joint design and fabrication space for CPP and the Pomona Unified School District.
Yao Olive Li, faculty director of the student innovation idea labs and food engineering professor, expressed how SIIL motivates students to see their technical talents.
“At SIIL, students move from learning how to use a tool, to solving a real campus need, working with a client, leading a project and ultimately thinking like an entrepreneur,” Li said. “That is our student development pipeline, which have four stages: dare to dream, free to create, innovate to become entrepreneurs and become by doing.”
The Maker Studio has additional projects in development such as SIIL x SGV gala: the trophy, that will be Emerald City themed. The goal of this project is to create a unique looking trophy and to step away from a typical award trophy. Following meetings with the deans from different colleges, the team has begun receiving new leads and is working through the early design stages of future commissions.
