3D Printed Prosthetic Gifted from ECPI University students to Local Girl

New Chapter at Richmond/Innsbrook Campus Gives Students Opportunity to Apply New Skills and Help Children in the Process

Like all ECPI University faculty members, Dr. Negar Ghochaghi is always looking for new ways to engage students. A member of the Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) faculty at the Richmond/Innsbrook campus, she recently learned about a non-profit organization that helps provide prosthetic limbs to children across the world.

It’s called Enabling the Future, and it caters primarily to children who live in war-torn, third-world countries with little access to healthcare, much less prosthetic devices.

Even here in the United States however, many young people have a hard time accessing these devices because they outgrow them so quickly and insurance often does not cover the cost.

Now with the help of 3-D printers, people who possess the right skills can make these devices in a highly cost-effective manner. That’s why Enabling the Future is reaching out to companies, colleges, and universities – any organization or person that has access to 3D printers. It provides the software and instructions for assembly, and its partners do the work.

Dr. Ghochaghi was so intrigued, she assembled a group of students and worked with them to start up an Enabling the Future chapter on campus. As chapter advisor, Dr. Ghochaghi says this is an ideal opportunity for our students to apply what they learn and give the world a “helping hand” in the process. ECPI University’s Graphics Communication Course, part of the EET/MET curriculum, pairs well with this effort as it prepares students for a future in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and printing industries.

“I believe that by having this chapter, we are giving our students the opportunity to apply newly-learned skills in a very practical way,” says Dr. Ghochaghi. “They will see the results when a child uses what they’ve created.” Her students got that opportunity this summer, when the first two recipients arrived on campus, eager to receive their new limbs. One of the children, Lydia, has managed fairly well with one arm, but her family is thrilled that she has been given a chance to expand her mobility. “ECPI University has told us that if we have any problems, if it were to break, or even if she wants one in a different color, they would print us another one,” says her father.

Students like Joseph Andarz are only too happy to oblige. “To give a little hope and see that hope shine through their eyes,” he says, “It’s a really wonderful feeling.”

Are you fascinated by the abilities of 3D printing? Are you interested in earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology? If so, ECPI University offers this program at an accelerated course of study. For more information about this program, connect with a helpful university admissions counselor today.

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