The MIX

Thirty students, from first-years to PhDs in a variety of majors, participated in the MIX's eight-week Unmanned Aerial Systems Prototyping course this fall.

Faculty and staff from the College of Engineering and Computing and the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX) hosted a toy-building event for Innovation Week that promotes engineering activities for a good cause.

As a sophomore, electrical engineering major Sai Srivatsav Gutala started a student club called the Inventors and Innovations Team (IIT) with one of his classmates, computer engineering major Nicholas Paschke.

It has been busy year at the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX). Since the George Mason University makerspace opened in its new space in Horizon Hall in September 2021, it has seen a lot of traffic—more than 9,000 visitors in spring 2022—and has some successes to report.

Most people with access to a 3D printer find themselves creating small objects or gadgets. But one student group working at the MIX at George Mason University each Friday is driven by a different dream.

“We build, design, test and plan to compete in solar-powered car competitions,” said Michael Riggi, president of Mason’s solar car team, HyperNova Solar. “[We believe] our car, when complete, will be the world’s first and only 3D-printed solar car.”