CO-FOUNDERS
Lizabeth Arum, Co-founder — Artist, tinkerer, and educator, Arum, a graduate of NYU ITP, taught in the Computer Department at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights for 14 years. In addition to teaching full-time, she worked for MakerBot and Tinkerine as their first Education Coordinators, and in January of 2016, she worked with Professor Laura Taalman from James Madison on a 6-month research project for Ultimaker which explored the needs of educators wanting to use 3D printing in their classrooms. In the summer of 2016, she helped launch the Ultimaker Pioneer Program, an initiative to help North American educators integrate 3D printing into their K-12 classrooms, college courses, makerspaces, and libraries. From September 2016-August 2019, she worked full-time for Ultimaker North America as the Education Community Strategist, managing the Pioneer Program and maintaining Ultimaker’s education landing page. From 2019-2023 Arum was the Education Partner Manager at nTop and for 2021-22 school year, the Dwight School’s Maker in Residence. Arum currently works at Voltaic Systems in Hardware Developer Relations. liz@construct3dconf.com
Chip Bobbert, Co-founder — Bobbert is a Program Officer with the Charles Koch Foundation. His portfolio interests are in pedagogical and edtech paradigm shifts that have the potential to modernize post-secondary education. Chip has defined his 20-year career in higher ed as a futurist, where he has identified and developed key emerging technologies into impactful, operational services. During nearly a decade at Duke University as a Senior Technologist and Innovation Program Architect, Bobbert converted his lifelong passions for 3D design, drafting, robotics, media, industrial automation, infrastructure, and vocational training into one of the largest and most recognizable innovation programs in higher ed. His efforts led to his labs being listed among the Top 50 by Newsweek Magazine.
As a design expert and practitioner, he has contributed to numerous patents, licenses, and journal publications covering a gambit of disciplines, from medicine to science to manufacturing. Devices he has created are currently in use by tens of thousands of healthcare workers and dozens of research studies. Bobbert has also contributed to the classroom as teaching faculty within the Pratt School of Engineering’s design program and as a guest lecturer and trainer for scores of other courses. Prior to his tenure at Duke, Chip served as an Emerging Technologist and Director in the UNC system, where he focused on pioneering efforts surrounding the then “crazy idea” of streaming media. For his work, he was given the Staff Excellence Award, the highest honor available at the institutional level and given to one person annually. He was also nominated for the Governor’s Award for Excellence, the highest honor in the North Carolina system, and bestowed to one state employee each year. Bobbert has also focused heavily on entrepreneurial efforts outside of his institutional roles, where he has co-founded one of the largest national conferences on Makerspaces, Construct3D. He is a frequent speaker, collaborator, and commenter on the potential of Industry 4.0 and the integration of maker technologies into educational ecosystems.
Bobbert is formally educated at the graduate level as an Instructional Designer and Technologist, where his studies focused on the economics of education, technology paradigm shifts, poverty, and mental health. He is also a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he served at first in combat arms and later in command operations. chip.bobbert@ckf.org
Matthew Griffin, Co-founder — Griffin was the Director of Community for Ultimaker North America for seven years. He has completed a lecture series on 3D Printing Hardware for Coursera, and writes, teaches, and consults on a range of topics including 3D printing, 3D design and modeling, DIY electronics, and more. He has taught digital fabrication at the Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA). He is a frequent contributor to MAKE Magazine, including the annual Make: Ultimate Guide to 3DP series. Previously, he was the community manager at MakerBot and director of community & support at Adafruit. mattgriffin00@gmail.com
Matthew Wettergreen, Partner — Matthew Wettergreen, Ph.D. is the Director of the Global Medical Innovation Master of Bioengineering program. He is also an Associate Teaching Professor at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen at Rice University, where he teaches engineering design and prototyping. He is the co-author of the forthcoming book, Introduction to Engineering Design, a workbook designed to guide the instruction and execution of engineering design courses in K-12 and higher ed.
2020 HOSTING INSTITUTION
Rice University — Houston, Texas. Rice University is a leading research university with a distinctive commitment to undergraduate education. Rice University aspires to pathbreaking research, unsurpassed teaching, and contributions to the betterment of our world..
Matthew Wettergreen—Matthew Wettergreen, PhD has a formal education in bioengineering with a specialization in biomechanics and organ printing and an informal education in non-profit/arts management and marketing, community organizing, and digital strategy. Matthew's work (Caroline Collective, Do713, Chicago Mayoral Campaign, Bandcamp, and Record Monsters) leverages technology to deliver products, solutions, and platforms that help people connect, collaborate or work effectively together. He is currently a lecturer at Rice University in the OEDK, working with undergraduate education in engineering, mentoring undergraduate students in engineering design projects, and instructing students in the physical prototyping of objects. Professor Wettergreen's specialties include Rapid Prototyping, Engineering Design Process, Information Design, Visualization, Product design, implant design, FEA modeling, CAD modeling, social media marketing, artist management, event production, live sound engineering, conference and event planning, community building.