MakerBot CEO to discuss forecast for 3D printing technology at SUNY New Paltz

On the anniversary of the nation’s first MakerBot Innovation Center at SUNY New Paltz, the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center (HVAMC) will welcome Jennifer Lawton, CEO of MakerBot, to give a lecture titled “12 Years From Now,” on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 4:30 p.m. in Lecture Center 100.

Lawton, who joined MakerBot in 2011, was appointed CEO in September 2014 after serving for three years as president and chief strategy officer at the company. Through the years, she has worked closely with MakerBot founder and former CEO Bre Pettis in developing the company into a global leader in the desktop 3D printing industry and leading the next Industrial Revolution. In addition to her work with MakerBot, she is a respected company builder, technologist, and advocate for fostering entrepreneurship.
This event is free and open to the public.

About New Paltz’s 3D Printing Initiative
Since launching the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center in spring 2013, the College’s effort to fuse learning and manufacturing, science and the arts has continued to gain momentum. In February 2014, the College partnered with Brooklyn, N.Y. – based MakerBot, the leading manufacturer of desktop 3D printers, to open the nation’s first MakerBot Innovation Center at SUNY New Paltz. The 3D Printing Initiative received additional funding in fall 2014, including a $10 million NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant to help establish an Engineering Innovation Hub and $850,000 in capital funding for a new 3D Printing Laboratory. In December 2013, the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council and Governor Andrew Cuomo awarded the College $1M in state economic development funds. Currently, the HVAMC is providing digital design and fabrication expertise to about 50 businesses and entrepreneurs throughout the region.  The Center also engages the local community and educates the public about the possibilities of 3D printing. Workshops for K-12 educators have attracted a wide variety of teachers, from art to science, who have an interest in digital design and fabrication and are utilizing these new technologies in their classrooms.