October 28, 2025 — Marist’s own maker space, the Maker Lab, is booming with activity this semester. Students engage in a variety of activities there: from workshops, to homework, to personal projects.

Located in Steel Plant, the Maker Lab is open to all Red Foxes. It includes state-of-the-art equipment free for students to use for class, work, or even personal projects. Faculty and staff may also utilize the lab.

“It's a goal of mine to be a space that people come in and say, 'This is one of my favorite places on campus,'” said Ais Oisín, the Maker Lab's manager. “We want it to be a place that encourages experiential learning and let that look many different ways.”

Attending the workshops is a great way to get introduced to the space. So far, the Maker Lab has hosted four different workshops with more to come this semester. These workshops have included activities such as stamp carving, screen printing, pennant making, and laser engraving.

“We try to come up with a lot of different ways to bring people in, starting with more accessible activities and then branching into more of the machines,” said Ais.

 
Ais Oisín works in the Maker Lab. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

The workshops are run by Ais and their student workers. There are three machine-specific specialists, but all of the Maker Lab techs are well-versed in the equipment that the space provides. 

“We are all so knowledgeable in our own things that we are passionate about,” said Elsie Mele '26, the textile specialist. “This job challenges me to experiment, and through that I found a lot of self-discovery.”

Student Support
Through hands-on learning in a peer-to-peer setting, students of all majors and experience levels can develop new skills and explore creative possibilities in the Maker Lab.

“It's a big range from wanting to allow students to push the limits, and also allow students to meet the space where they're at,” said Ais. 

Today, the Maker Lab techs have created a community among themselves, and they aim to extend that sense of community to students who come in. 

“It's so inviting and welcoming,” said Elsie. “I have made really good friends here because everyone is so fun and open to meeting and having new experiences with people.”

Hannah Bell '28, a Maker Lab tech, shares this sentiment. She loves helping students with their projects. “It's like a collaboration,” said Hannah. “It's less of me telling them what to do and more of us figuring it out together.”

Community Involvement
The Maker Lab isn’t only about personal and academic projects, either. It can be used for a variety of purposes across the campus community.

An example of this consists of redesigning the bands used on chairs at Commencement that indicate accessible seating. 

Ais and a team of student workers have worked to make them more clearly marked and easily understood, with the goal of enhancing visibility and improving the overall experience for guests.

On left: Dimitri Rios '26 works on the accessibility bands in the Maker Lab; On right: a collection of completed bands. Photos by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

"I thought the bands were just decoration the first time I went to graduation — I don’t know if people who needed those seats knew where to go." said Dimitri Rios ’26. "The goal was to make it as simple as possible for universal understanding of accessibility, creating an easier experience for those who need accessbile seating and is more inclusive."

The bands will make their debut at the 2026 undergraduate commencement ceremonies in May.

Resources
The Maker Lab wasn’t always the fully formed space it is now. It started out small, with a group of professors researching the best cutting-edge equipment to increase the student experience at Marist. 

“It has been a journey over time with seeing how the community interacts with the space and understanding what people at Marist are interested in creating,” said Ais.

Many students, such as Victoria Palumbo ’26 and Elena Diamantopoulos ‘28, use the materials provided by the Maker Lab. Victoria often uses the camera equipment and backdrop for her photo shoots, while Elena uses various resources for her crafts.

Summer pre-college students work in the Maker Lab. Photo by Carlo de Jesus/Marist University. 

Although the Maker Lab provides materials for class projects, students may need to purchase some materials for their own personal projects. Matteo DeVito ’26 shared where he obtains these resources.

“I usually thrift them,” he said. “I like to support the local community, so I often go to an upcycling fabric store in Peekskill.”

Not sure where to get materials? Check out the Maker Lab’s Instagram post highlighting local businesses with additional resources.

Upcoming at the Maker Lab
The Maker Lab’s Third Annual Gallery show, titled “Value(s),” is set for February 4th. In order for a submission to qualify for the show, 50% of it must be made in the Maker Lab. More information and the submission form can be found in the QR code on the flyer below.

 
Go to the Maker Lab’s Instagram to find out about more upcoming events and workshops, including the Halloween craft event on Oct 29, Laser cutter dice making workshop on Nov 4, and more!