Northern Virginia Community College opened an engineering tech fabrication lab

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) opened up an engineering tech fabrication lab at the end of last month.

Coined the “Fab Lab,” this new space located at the college’s Manassas, Virginia, campus will serve as a hub for engineering tech programs, including its STEM outreach program. The creation of the lab came after NOVA was approved for a first round of project grants back in the fall of 2018. The space is open access and includes a computer control and computer design center, makerspace and 3D-printing workshop.

The lab was celebrated with a weeklong series of events, including an official ribbon cutting. NOVA opened the Fab Lab as a response to the amount of tech companies expanding in Northern Virginia, such as Amazon’s second headquarters, according to a press release.

“What we are celebrating is more than a cool learning space,” said NOVA President Dr. Anne Kress in a statement. “What we show is industry-aligned, and industry required training labs. The facility represents our dedication at NOVA for industry pathways that drive our regional economies.”

As part of celebrating the new space, the Fab Lab hosted lunch and learn events for faculty and staff, an open house for current students, STEM field trips and a robotics open house, which allowed attendees to learn about five different robotics systems.

NOVA is hosting a Community Fab Lab Open House on March 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for community members to come and explore the new space and participate in hands-on tech activities.