7/19/2022
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The MechSE Department welcomed the Jackson family to campus on July 15 to celebrate the naming and official opening of the Jackson Innovation Studio.
The newly dedicated educational laboratory is in room 0100 of the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building. It is the largest lab in MechSE MakerWorks, the suite of labs that expand throughout the Lu MEB’s entire lower level. The Jackson Innovation Studio provides MechSE students incredible hands-on learning with a vast set of CNC machine tools, 3D printers, laser cutters, waterjets, and more.
“This is a moment of great excitement for us because this studio opens up a chance for students to come in, make it, break it, do it again, and try to fulfill their dreams,” said MechSE Department Head Tony Jacobi.
The Jackson family, including Discovery Partners Institute Director and MechSE alumnus Bill Jackson (BSME 1982, MSME 1983), donated to the Lu MEB construction and renovation project. They expressed a wish to honor two family patriarchs.
“Just a little background on why we’re celebrating these two people [Charles Woodrow and William Charles Jackson],” Bill Jackson said. “My uncle was pretty special. He was a professor at Georgia Tech, but he got his undergraduate degree here. And my dad was kind of like MacGyver.
“This gift is from our whole family. The university has meant a lot to our family and this is just a small way to say thanks.”
Dean Rashid Bashir attended the event on behalf of The Grainger College of Engineering and expressed his gratitude to the entire family for providing a student-focused facility that compares favorably with other top programs.