Written By: R. Ramini Technology Engagement Specialist, Master’s in Data Science UNT

My name is Rohit Ramini, and I am pursuing a master’s in Data Science at UNT from Spring 2021. I have completed my bachelor’s in Mechanical Production in the year 2014. I am interested in designing and machines. After my bachelor’s, I have started my career in the software industry and worked for around 6 years. Working at The Spark Makerspace gave me an opportunity and recollected my bachelor’s knowledge and my interest in working with machines such as cutting, milling, laser, and 3D printing.

I would like to travel and explore places and do some adventurous activities. I love mountains, hill stations, and spending complete nights at beaches. I would like to share a few pictures of a waterfall rappelling in India, Paragliding in the Himalayas, and the Northeastern part of India.

Written By: H. Bui UNT Graduate Cybersecurity

Hello everyone (Xin chào mọi người), my name is Huy Bui, but you can call me HB if it is easier for you. I’m currently an international student from Vietnam and am pursuing a Cybersecurity degree. As for the SPARK Makerspace, I currently work as a Technical Engagement Specialist, which allows me to interact with both patrons and SPARK technology at the same time.

Up until now, my main motivation in life has been driven by my curiosity, even if it sometimes gets me scolded or involved in some awkward situations. With that being said, thanks to my curiosity, I have learned many highly valuable skills such as basic photography, programming, culture awareness via traveling, and many other soft skills. (These are some of my pictures from a collection).

Personally, working in the SPARK is equivalent to a dream come true to me because this is such a unique job that provides me with both hands-on experiences on many technologies such as 3D printers, advanced DSLR cameras, laser cutters, CNC machines, and many more. As for the SPARK team, I cannot find a single bad word to describe my coworkers. Everyone in the team, regardless of their rank, will always jump to help another with their best, thus, spending their after-work time to mentor others seeking support.

As for my personal project at the SPARK, I made a lithophane print for my cousin during her wedding anniversary with a coworker’s support (credit Danielle Da Costa) and expect more to come in the near future when my curiosity kicks in. (Hope it does not destroy anything 0-0).

Written By: R. Veda UNT Graduate Computer and Information Sciences

Hey! This is Rohan Veda, a Graduate student at UNT pursuing Computer and Information Sciences. Working for the Spark Makerspace has been pretty exciting for me, I got to meet a lot of people who share different cultures and experiences. Since childhood, I’ve been interested in troubleshooting and fixing things around me. Working as a technology engagement specialist at the Spark puts me in new challenges every day, different patrons with different problems show up, and fixing/troubleshooting them makes me happy because that’s what I’ve been good at since childhood. I’ve got to know about a lot of new tools and machines after joining the Spark, learning about them was a good experience. Also, I got to know about various software used for 2D and 3D modeling such as Adobe Illustrator, Blender, and Solidworks.

The Spark Makerspace is a great place for UNT students who are passionate and creative in their professional life. The resources present at The Spark are really useful for students to excel in their passion.

Written By: M. Pakanati UNT Graduate Data Science

Hello all, my name is Manoj. I am a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Data Science here at UNT. It’s been just one month since I started working at The Spark Makerspace and I am having a wonderful experience. I get to access a handful of technologies and tools. The best part of working at The Spark is that it allows you to expose yourself to diversified people. They also allow you to utilize first-class resources that no other place at the university can provide like 3D printing, DSLRs or video cameras, sewing, printing and scanning, laser cutting, etc. One of the types of equipment I am more interested in and love to use is a DSLR camera.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I had been working for 2 years and had no free time for my hobbies. Again, being at school in UNT gave me time to explore my hobbies and with the help of The Spark, I have access to the best performing cameras, so I started to explore my photography skills once again. These are a few photos that I have photographed after being at UNT.

Outside of school, I love traveling and photography. I also like long rides and places in higher altitudes, hiking, sports cars & bikes.

Written By: L. Lujan UNT Senior Electrical Engineering

Hi, I am Laura Itzel Lujan. I work at The Spark Makerspace at UNT. I’m also a Senior in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. I’m a front desk associate at both locations Discovery Park and Willis Library. I help patrons with the use of the makerspace and inform them what The Spark is about.

I am a very artistic person. I have been drawing and painting since high school, but my artistic passions are always like the seasons. Currently, I am really into textiles, hand embroidery, and sewing. I have picked up hand embroidery the last few years. I have done a few projects on my own that take hours on end. (It’s awesome!) I have created designs on clothing, jackets, jeans, and totes. Now at The Spark, I have the opportunity to expand on embroidery. I don’t have to do it by hand anymore!

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:

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.

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.