Jacobs Institute Student Newsletter: February 13th, 2025
Sabrina Merlo
UPCOMING@JACOBS
Jacobs Institute-organized events, news, and announcements—straight from the source!
Holiday Hours Update for Maker Pass Holders: This Saturday–Monday (2/17–2/19) the Jacobs Makerspace will be closed.
Career Conversation with Dave Dawkins: On Wielding Informed Hope and Embracing ProtopiaFriday, Feb 21, 12-1pm | Jacobs 310
Dave Dawkins believes Informed hope is a designer’s most powerful tool— the key to creating the immediate, tangible improvements that pave the way for multiple possible desirable futures. Drawing from his diverse experience in human-centered visual and UX design, including work at IDEO.org, On Friday at our next Career Conversation, Dawkins will share how embracing protopia—the practice of making the immediate future just a little better—can drive meaningful and lasting change.Lunch included; RSVP required!
Next up on Design Field Notes: Corinne Okada Takare
Wednesdays 10 AM via Zoom
Corinne Okada Takara is a Hawai’i based artist/STEAM educator. She works with museums, libraries and after school programs to create workshops that elevate and empower community voices in conversations centered on civic spaces, identity, and technology. She conducts workshops on sustainability design and biomaterial design that celebrate existing cultural and community knowledge.
Join the open-to-public conversation about design practices on Zoom!
RoboDRAW
Friday, February 21, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Maker Pass required
Can robotic arms help us produce works of art? Learn the basics of 6-axis programming while co-producing unique and striking drawings with your favorite robot arm tag-team: Lucy and Ethel. Bring a simple vector-based drawing with you and learn how to make a robot draw it for you. Taught by Cody Glen. Seats are limited; register here.
Intro to Grasshopper
Friday, February 28, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Maker Pass required
Dive into the world of parametric design! This educational session is tailored for beginners and design enthusiasts looking to enhance their 3D modeling skills through the powerful, algorithmic capabilities of Grasshopper, a visual programming language integrated with Rhino 3D. Taught by Cody Glen.Seats are limited; register here.
Advanced RoboDRAW
Friday, Mary 7, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Maker Pass required
This workshop is an advanced version of the "RoboDraw" workshop, and will take a deeper look into multiaxis drawing with robots. We will use Rhino and Grasshopper to make drawings with our Industrial robots, Lucy and Ethel. Please have Rhino + Grasshopper installed prior to arriving. Taught by Cody Glen. Seats are limited; register here.
Maker Pass registration is open to ALL UC Berkeley students, staff and faculty and is only $125 per semester (fee waivers available!). Personal projects welcome; the opportunities to design, make and fabricate are practically endless! Plenty of support is available to learn how to operate exciting tools and achieve the results you desire. Attend workshops (see below) and get hands-on training! Learn more here.
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES DIGEST
non-Jacobs Institute-affiliated events, opportunities, and programs—at your fingertips.
Want to make a real-life impact? Looking to unleash your creativity? Interested in creating implementable designs? **Invention Corps of Berkeley** is the organization for you! We are a community of innovators, designers, and creators who aim to make our world a better place. By partnering with social good startups, nonprofits, corporations, and academia, we create tangible solutions in health, poverty, the environment, and society. No resume, previous experience, or essays are required. We accept all Berkeley students, both undergraduate and graduate. We value passion, creativity, and growth above all! If you’re looking to find community, build your skillset, or expand your network, you’ve come to the right place. If any of this interests you, we invite you to see what we’re all about: check out our website, past projects, or come to one of our info sessions! Stay up to date with our recruitment process by filling out our interest form.