BUILDing a community of female makers through hands-on experiences in a university MakerSpace

This full innovative practice paper presents data and the framework for implementation of BUILD, a women’s Maker initiative that dynamically weaves together female faculty and students to build engineering identities. Presenting one semester of activities and findings, this paper proposes a model for academic institutions and other stakeholders to launch similar initiatives. In the context of our program, female students and faculty gain expertise in machining and manufacturing while also building support systems through peer-to-peer and student-faculty mentoring that we expect will enable persistence through engineering and will illuminate the pathway to professorial careers.