Quadrax history and university question

From: Elaine Hunt (elaine.hunt@ces.clemson.edu)
Date: Mon Jul 07 1997 - 15:55:44 EEST


>From: Ryan Hartwich <hartwichr@asme.org>
>Subject: Quadrax history and university question
>Thanks for that bit of history. I have just recently (past year or so)
>been reading up on the RP industry.
>>On a different note, you are obviously a student or professor at Clemson,
>and you are as good as anyone to answer my next question: Where would you
>consider to be some of the 'better' or more respected universities offering
>RP research and/or graduate programs in the US? Do they offer true RP
>type degrees, or are these modified mechanical engineering and
>manufacturing degrees?

Ryan,

Keep reading....that's the best educational method......

I am not a student nor faculty. I am a lowly female staff member who holds
a research position here at Clemson. I hope that I qualify to answer your
questions because of my RP experience which started in the spring of 1989
and continues today.

I hold little faith in "better" nor "respected" universities since
education lies within the individual not the institution. I would seek a
university that matched my educational needs where my abilities would be
nurtured rather than a degree from a lofty ivory tower. But if you insist
there are over 200+ places you can choose from....starting at MIT,
Stanford, down to technical schools and even high schools.

Why would any one want a degree in RP that would limit their future? I
firmly believe that a degree that gives broad possibilities to an
individual is always the best. A student should seek to capitalize their
innate ability and enhance it with exposure to cutting edge technology not
build a degree around it. My daughters are math majors which enhance their
natural ability to solve problems and both have little difficulty in the
work environment.

The RP industry is not ready for a RP department within any university as
of today. I firmly believe than ANY student should have the use of
3D-printing. Can you imagine a business student giving a professor a 3d
graph of where the RP industry is going; a medical student presenting a
case study with 3d artifacts; a teacher using 3d printing to help students
better grasp mathematical concepts; a agriculture student using 3d terrain
to prevent soil erosion; a physic's major printing out the radio waves from
Pluto and beyond? I was not joking about the "Kodak moment" but rather
realizing that RP can become as useful as a camera and can record images
that go far beyond a flat picture. I'll probably have the first RP
tombstone........

As far as education goes.....it's current use is limited by faculty
exposure, imagination, and resources....unfortunately for students the time
for RP is NOW.

Elaine

*******************************************************************
Opinions, suggestions, and other controversial matter VOID where prohibited.
******************************************************************
Elaine T. Hunt, Director
Clemson University Laboratory to Advance Industrial Prototyping
206 Fluor Daniel Bldg. Clemson, SC 29643-0925
864-656-0321 (voice) 864-656-4435 (fax)
ehunt@clemson.edu
http://chip.eng.clemson.edu/rp/persall/elaine.html



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