Saddleback College’s Advanced Manufacturing program offers its students hands-on experience with real-world projects. “I did not want this to be just a course on 3d printing and model making. It had to grow into something that was much broader, you know, using jigs and fixtures and designing your own parts and making those to make other things work – the real-world application of it,” said Stevenson. As a result, students have provided valuable resources and support for the local community by creating prosthetic hands for young children, incorporating additive manufacturing into a local food-tech company, supporting local businesses with training, innovation and more.

An unexpected and fascinating find on campus added another dimension to the program’s real-world experiences. During the construction of the Saddleback College campus, a prehistoric dolphin skull was unearthed. The skull was initially used in the college’s art and science programs until it was accidentally dropped and damaged. Stevenson used the accident as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of technology in preserving valuable artifacts. He and his students meticulously 3D scanned the skull in color and printed life-sized replicas on the ProJet printer. The replica skulls were then given to the art and science departments, allowing students to continue studying its unique features, while the original remained safely in storage.