​Ultimaker is proud to participate as a Founding Sponsor of the Construct3D 2017 academic 3D printing conference, which is underway today and through the weekend at Duke University.

This conference is a meeting of educators, pioneers, and industry leaders who actively use 3D printing in their work, with the aim of highlighting and cultivating the role of this technology as it contributes to academic and research achievement.

The conference steering committee and Founding Sponsors Ultimaker [a 3D technology company], Duke, and Autodesk believe that the 3D printing field offers unprecedented opportunities for education pioneers to break new ground and help shape the trajectory of implementation and intentions around this technology for the coming years.

The aim of this conference is to raise the level of discourse and deepen the value of this technology for all of those engaged in this practice through a series of keynote talks, educator and technology innovator presentations, context-specific track activities, and hands-on workshops and demonstrations.

The speakers

We have a superstar set of keynote presentations lined up, one for each of the three educator contexts represented by the event:

  • Skylar Tibbits, Co-Director and Founder of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab
  • Dale Dougherty, Founder & CEO at Maker Media, Chairman at Maker Education Initiative
  • Pamela R. Moran, Superintendent of Schools at Albemarle County Public Schools
  • Ira Socol, Director of Learning Technologies and Innovation at Albemarle County Public Schools

Skylar Tibbits, 4D printing innovator, Founder and Co-Director of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab will present the University Educator Keynote.

Dale Dougherty, the Maker Movement’s most passionate and warm-hearted proponent, instigator of both MAKE: Magazine and a global network of Maker Faire events, founder, and CEO of Maker Media, Inc., will present the Informal Educator Keynote.

Pam Moran, Superintendent, and Ira Socol, Director of Innovation and Learning Technology, from Albemarle County Public Schools will co-present the K-12 Educator Keynote.

Why attend?

Over the next few decades, the entire digital fabrication field is expected to shift into a central position in the academic and educational curriculum. Advances in 3D printing in the last year alone have brought digital practices around 3D making and fabrication into more classrooms and instructional contexts than ever before. However, many of these developments have only been recognized locally or within particular disciplines. Construct3D 2017 aims to expand these advances beyond the silo, to accelerate adoption and exploration of this important area.

Chip Bobbert, Media Engineer at Duke University and Conference Co-Chair, says:

We believe that there has never been a better time to bring together thought leaders and practitioners in this evolving field under one roof to share stories of successes and challenges with this technology.

“Construct3D 2017 offers an unprecedented opportunity for university faculty, K-12 educators, and informal education leaders to learn from each other and share best practices, which means that everyone attending will leave with new skills, new perspectives and deeper connections to other practitioners throughout North America,” adds Conference Co-Chair Lizabeth Arum of Ultimaker.

Learn more about the event at:

https://sites.duke.edu/construct3d/