Students, staff and faculty from the College of Engineering turned out in force March 1 to support Tucson's first maker festival, Maketopolis. Students from the Baja, Formula, IEEE and video game developers clubs, plus student advisors and faculty-supported teams from the Tucson Pumpkin Toss and Bit Buckets robotics club, all pitched in to help put Southern Arizona's biggest maker fair firmly on the map.
In addition to UA Engineering students, Maketopolis featured local do-it-yourselfers, roboticists, inventors, hobbyists, artists, metalworkers, potters, hackers, steampunks, builders, woodcrafters, sculptors, tinkerers, programmers, and more -- all united by the same rallying cry: "Out of the Workshop and Into the World." Beyond the fun and games, Maketopolis addressed issues critical to Arizona's future, such as STEM education and workforce development and retention.