As the saying goes, our youth are our future. And judging by the efforts of students from Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology’s (CEAT) ENDEAVOR lab, our future is very bright.
With an urgent shortage of PPE caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of faculty, staff and students quickly worked to prototype and manufacture protective masks and face shields that were donated throughout the state of Oklahoma. Killian Bussey, a senior in electrical engineering technology who works at ENDEAVOR, saw a Twitter post where individuals from Italy were making protective masks for medical professionals and first responders. He talked to his supervisors and fellow electrical engineering technology student Jordan Fogg about the idea.
“I believed making the masks could have a fantastic impact on the community,” Bussey said. “The entire team here really cares about what we are doing, and wants to help as many people as possible.”
Dr. Hitesh Vora, matrixed professor at ENDEAVOR’s Digital Manufacturing Makerspace, and Dr. Brad Rowland, professor and manager of operations at ENDEAVOR, advised the team of students on their mask design and production.
“We are always inspiring engineering students to be adaptable and ready for the biggest challenges,” Vora said. “Their response to a challenge like COVID-19 really demonstrates this adaptability.”
When brainstorming the first prototypes, students worked to figure out what types of masks were really needed.
“When the pandemic hit, personal protective equipment quickly became hard to find,” Rowland said. “This was particularly true for the N95 mask. Our local first responders and medical professionals needed N95 quality masks.”
The team at ENDEAVOR used 20 3D printers around the clock to create printed filtration masks. The ENDEAVOR lab had such a large demand for masks that they asked Edmon Low Creative Studios, a studio that has 3D printing capabilities located in OSU’s Edmon Low Library, and the OSU College of Education, Health, Aviation and Human Sciences to assist with the project.
