There is an acute need for personal protective equipment (PPE) on all levels of the healthcare network and Kent State’s Design Innovation network is addressing this need in a collaborative way.
The Design Innovation network of makerspaces has the capacity to quickly prototype, print, cut, and produce PPE. By supplying local healthcare professionals with more PPE than may be needed, it is easier and quicker to distribute those supplies “upward” than it is to wait for the trickle down of supplies from the top levels of government.
The PPE production team currently consists of about 25 people working on this collectively on the Kent, Stark and Tuscarawas Campuses. Partners include Library Makerspaces, EHHS, College of Public Health, the College of Architecture & Environmental Design, the College of Aeronautics & Engineering, and the College of Nursing. Working with local first responders (including Kent City Fire), the team will be utilizing the 3D printing and laser-cutting resources already in place at Kent State to produce much-needed PPE for local first responders including face shields and face masks.
How do I participate? Send an e-mail to J.R. Campbell, Executive Director of the Design Innovation Initiative, at jrcamp@kent.edu.
Questions? Send an e-mail to J.R. Campbell or visit the Design Innovation COVID-19 Response webpage.