Written By: T. Vanukuru UNT Graduate Data Science

Hello Mates! My name is Sai Teja, and I am a graduate student from the Data Science department. I have been at UNT for 7 months and the total university experience is one which I liked very much, and the campus has a very good Willis Library and POHL recreational center where I like to spend most of my time. My hobbies and interests are playing badminton, table tennis and I also like to play video games.

It’s been a month since I started working in the Spark as a technology engagement specialist and I am extremely honored to get hired for this position, right from the first day of my work each and everything present in the Spark has fascinated me and created a zeal in me to learn mainly about 3D printing and laser printing. I enjoyed the mandatory boot camp where we all had some useful sessions that are necessary for this job and apart from these sessions, we all had a great interaction with all the coworkers, leads, and managers. On the last day of our training, we all had a pizza party which was so much fun and ended our training camp by playing many technical games. The most interesting thing about this job is that we can gain skills technically and professionally by the way we interact with the patrons. I used to always try my best to give the best solutions to the patrons for their doubts and queries for which I have been awarded the best employee of the month.

Written By: H. Preetham Pukkalla UNT Graduate Computer Science

Ahoy! I am Harsha Preetham Pukkalla, a graduate student majoring in Computer Science at UNT and currently working as a Technology Engagement Specialist at the Spark Makerspace. I have always been that kid that goes around and messes up anything and everything within their eyesight. Well, that is one way to look at it, but I was and am always curious about how things function/work. To know so, I can proudly say that I dismantled every electronic toy I ever had to the last part, built a dam using thermocol sheets and buildings using cardboard, enrolled in electrical classes to mess around with circuits, and a lot more (I don’t want to occupy much space over here). Yes, all of that until I was 15 when my interest turned towards computers. Out of curiosity, I wanted to know how computers work (You guessed it right, I even dismantled an entire CPU, not the monitor though), and somewhere in this process, I learned to design websites and started coding. It is then that I finally felt I found what I want to pursue as a passion and career. Today, I am proud to say that I am well-versed in the top programming and scripting languages and still learning more.

Although I am doing what I am passionate about, at times I feel maybe I am overdoing it and not learning anything new as I did earlier in my childhood. This is where the Spark came in, and they provided me with opportunities to learn multiple skills (I learned to use Blender, TinkerCAD, and 3D Printers until now), all as a part of my job role. How many jobs provide you with that? All my teammates with alike mindsets are the icing on the cake.

Apart from all this, my hobbies are going on long rides on my motorcycle, reading novels, cooking, and playing badminton.

Written By: N. Singa UNT Graduate Information Science

Hello everyone, my name is Neela Ram Singa, and I’m a technology engagement specialist in The Spark Makerspace at UNT libraries. I’m currently pursuing my master’s in Information Science. I enjoy spending time drawing cartoons, and whichever picture seems interesting to me, I’ll try to replicate it. The Spark has allowed me to showcase some of my talents, so I drew a few art pieces as shown below:

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Written By: B. Wilson UNT MS Biomedical Engineering

Hello! My name is Brianna Wilson, and I am a second-year graduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Even though this is my first semester working at The Spark, I have enjoyed my time here so far. I have met a lot of really cool people with a variety of different majors and backgrounds.

I have already learned a lot about 3D printing and look forward to learning about other manufacturing methods, including CNC and laser cutting! I enjoy working with my hands and hope to have more time to work on projects. I also hope to gain more skills in computer-aided design (CAD) programs and programming languages.

I feel like a lot of people are intimidated when trying to learn something new, which is why the space is so cool – having a supportive environment where you can get feedback is helpful when you’re first starting! Regardless of whether you have no background in a subject and want to start learning, or have a background in a subject and want to further your skills, I recommend using the space to develop your knowledge and skillset.

Written By: S. Singh UNT Graduate Business Analytics

Hello! My name is Smridhi Singh. I am an MBA student and majoring in business analytics. I have started working at SPARK as a ‘Technology Engagement Specialist’ from the Fall 2021 semester and enjoying my work every day. The things which interest me most at SPARK are sewing, embroidery, and 3D printing.

I enjoy designing and I got this from my mom as she used to run a boutique during my childhood, and I enjoyed seeing her design clothes. I have designed many dresses for myself and wearing my design gives me immense happiness. The first training I took at SPARK was 3D printing followed by sewing.

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I love to play with colors whether it’s for designing my clothes, my room décor, or creating a dashboard using visualization tools for my work.

I am looking forward to learning Cricut and embroidery in the coming months. I encourage everybody to come and explore SPARK. There is something for everybody.