upcoming campus event focused on "hardware development"
Blaise J Thompson
The open source program office is putting on a conference focused on hardware development. They are bringing in some keynote speakers and creating a space for various hardware designers around campus to share their projects. Personally I'm really excited for hardware to have the spotlight. Please consider attending this unique event. If you're on the shoptalk listserv, I promise your work is hardware focused enough to attend ☺️
The event is free! Details attached, and below.
I played a very small role in organizing this event---if you have any questions feel free to ask me.
Best,
Blaise
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Registration is now open for Build, Create, Share: Fostering Innovation and the Role of Open Source Hardware—a one-day, builder-focused gathering.
Join us for a day centered on hands-on creation, shared learning, and open source hardware. The event brings together builders, engineers, designers, researchers, and open hardware enthusiasts for talks, discussion, and community connection.
Event details
📅 Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: Alumni Lounge, Pyle Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison Campus
👉 Registration is now open: https://forms.gle/beyQLXCGX25RbhcF9
Registration Deadline: February 27, 2026
Featured speakers & sessions include:
Katherine Scott, Vice President of the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), as a keynote speaker on open source hardware, innovation, and community (with live Q&A).
Paul French, as a keynote speaker, discussing innovation, building, and the role of open approaches in advancing research and technology (with Q&A).
Kevin Eliceiri, Professor of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Center for Quantitative Cell Imaging at UW–Madison
Stephanie Whitehorse, Director of Intellectual Property for Physical Sciences at WARF
Lennon Rodgers, Director of the Grainger Engineering Design Innovation Lab, College of Engineering
Emily Bick, Department of Entomology
Timm Murray, representing The Bodgery, Madison’s member-run makerspace and community workshop, highlighting community-based building and collaborative creation.
Sector67, a Madison-based non-profit collaborative makerspace, sharing lessons from supporting community-driven hardware, software, and creative technology projects.
Additional speakers and session details will be announced soon, along with a full agenda.
Please feel free to share this invitation with colleagues, collaborators, or community members who may be interested. We hope you’ll join us for a day of building, learning, and connection.