Where the circulation desk of a former library once stood, a different kind of knowledge center now buzzes with activity. In Spring 2024, the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) at UT Austin opened Hello Maker Studio, a free, student-staffed makerspace in Welch Hall, steps from the college’s main gathering space known as The Nucleus. Built to serve students, faculty, and staff across multiple scientific disciplines, from Physics to Human Ecology, Hello Maker exists to help anyone turn an idea into something you can hold, test, break, and improve.

A Culture of Access, Belonging, and Productive Failure

Hello Maker Studio is open to all UT students at no cost, regardless of major or experience level.

“One of the cornerstones of our studio is the culture we are creating, which is centered around the idea of designing for belonging. Makerspaces, which typically include high tech equipment like laser cutters and DIY electronics, can be incredibly intimidating for people unfamiliar with them. However, by providing a welcoming environment where people from all backgrounds, majors, and experience levels feel valued, we’re able to help people see themselves as creators,” Assistant Professor of Practice Patrick Benfield said.

The inspiration for this stems from my experience as a co-founder of a non-profit fabrication space, Co.Lab Community Makers. “During my time there, I saw firsthand how establishing a positive culture impacts both the perceptions and experiences of visitors,” Benfield said. “In fact, many of our community members sought us out because of their negative experiences at other area makerspaces.”

Before using equipment, learners complete a Safety and Basic Use course: part online (software and safety protocols) and part in-person, which trains them to safely operate tools like laser cutters and 3D printers. Benfield says the ethos is deliberately low-pressure: a printed sign on the wall of the space reads, Consider Everything an Experiment. Benfield explains, “I encourage them to risk failure, and I want them to consider everything about the process, not just the outcome. It’s about learning how to learn.”

Tools to Prototype Anything, From Chess Boards to Assistive Tech

Inside is a full ecosystem for making: a 3D printing room (including resin printers), sewing and textiles space, Cricut machines, laser cutters, and electronics workstations for Arduino and sensor builds. Recent student projects range from prosthetic arms and prototype wind turbines to protein shock models and an inventory robot. The lab even collaborates with CNS faculty to fabricate custom replacement parts for broken research equipment.

Promotion Through Events and Student Voice

Hello Maker maintains an active Instagram presence, runs tabling and button-making events, hosts thematic pop-ups (like a Halloween build party), and is plugged into CNS channels for student outreach. Benfield, who joined the team in August 2024, also teaches an undergraduate Signature Course on DIY assistive technology, an example of how the space doubles as both a learning space and workshop.

In less than a year, Hello Maker has already become what any academic makerspace hopes to be: not a room full of machines, but a culture, a place where experimentation, iteration, and community fuel the next round of scientific imagination.

See what’s going on in other makerspaces in Red Oak, Texas, and at Austin Public Library.