SUNY New Paltz has launched a new graduate program in Digital Design & Fabrication (DDF), an interdisciplinary curriculum at the intersection of art, engineering, design, manufacturing and computer science.
“The DDF program will enable students to take full advantage of advanced manufacturing and fabrication techniques through an approach that blurs traditional boundaries between art, engineering, design, fabrication and science,” said Dan Freedman, dean of the School of Science & Engineering. “Modern methods of fabrication, such as 3D printing, have changed not only how objects are designed but have also changed what can be designed and manufactured.”
The new program is founded on the beliefs that technology and design are complementary; that studio practice can be enhanced by digital processes; and that industrial production can be beautiful. Graduates will earn industry-recognized certifications in software and hardware that are in high demand in design, prototyping and fabrication.
“Our blending of design and technical know-how is more than just an aesthetic philosophy – it’s also a pathway for our students to attain success as they define it,” said Jeni Mokren, dean of the School of Fine & Performing Arts. “Mastering these skills puts our graduates in position to design for a wide range of arts and industries, including manufacturing and custom fabrication – truly, any discipline that involves the creation of objects. It also sets them up to be great communicators within a team of experts, equally fluent in the principles of good design and in the science of digital fabrication.”
According to alumna and former HVAMC intern Lori Jockers ’17 (Mechanical Engineering), the new program promises to set graduates up for success.
“I’m so excited for SUNY New Paltz, the HVAMC, and all the students who choose to participate,” said Jockers, who now works as a project engineer at Natech Plastics in Farmingdale, New York. “I think it’s a perfect blend for people like me, who like art and designing, but also enjoy problem solving and mathematics. Being in the industry for almost four years now, I know from experience that having knowledge of CAD, 3D printing, and even microprocessors can set graduates looking for jobs as designers and engineers up for success.”
