The Next Fab Lab

Design Challenge is Here!

Fabricate an innovative product or enhance

an existing product for the human head.

Ready to dive into a head-spinning adventure? Your mission is to create or revamp a product that’s all about the noggin! Whether you’re thinking helmets, headpieces, or any bold and imaginative concept that honors the human head, we want to see your wildest ideas come to life. Students ages 10 and above can participate, including post-secondary. You can submit individually or as a team of up to 3. Submissions are being accepted starting September 1 through November 17. There are 2 age divisions, 10-15 and 16+. Win up to $500!

DCO PD Educators from Across

the Nation Complete Fellowship

Fellows returned to their home institution to complete a five-day externship at a local data center.

This summer, post-secondary faculty and staff from NOVA, fellow VCCS colleges, and community colleges from across the country completed a fellowship in data center operations (DCO), funded by an NSF ATE grant.

The first cohort of the DCO Program Development Fellowship (DCO PD) kicked off with a 3-day professional learning (PL) series at NOVA in June. During their time at NOVA, they learned about NOVA’s DCO program, toured the STACK data center in Ashburn, and explored topics in the Introduction to Data Centers class...

Wall Street Journal Highlights

NOVA Grad in Data Center Operations

Deborah Martinez Castellanos studied DCO at NOVA

and 2 years later is making $90K per year. 

To get one of the hottest jobs in tech, Deborah Martinez Castellanos didn’t need a bachelor’s degree. She needed a flair with a screwdriver - and a high tolerance for artificial lighting. 

The 24-year-old works the night shift at a giant, mostly windowless data center in Ashburn, part of a fast-growing legion of workers who keep the nation’s internet running. From 6pm to 6am, she monitors screens that track the temperature and humidity of halls storing thousands of servers. 

If a server becomes at risk of overheating, alarms ring on her phone and flash on screen. When that happens, her job is to fix the problem. Left alone, such glitches can keep countless users from logging onto their bank accounts or put their email service on the fritz. 

“I don’t want to say you have a sense of fear, but you do have a sense of, Ok, you can’t panic,” says Martinez Castellanos, who also does checks on foot, clocking 10,000 steps a night...

ET Career Scholars Complete Bridge Program and Start Fall Classes 

22 ET Scholars now starting their free year at NOVA

in data center operations or semiconductor manufacturing.

The inaugural cohort of Engineering Technology (ET) Career Scholars began their year-long, tuition free journey at NOVA by completing a 4-week bridge program. For the first two weeks of the bridge, students engaged in hands-on learning in topics like AC-DC principles, pneumatic systems, and mechatronics. Scholars also toured STACK Infrastructure data center and semiconductor manufacturer giant Micron. They received college credit, and a head start into the fall by completing SDV-101 and OSHA-10.

During the second half of the program, students focused on interpersonal skills and were trained in communication, public speaking, and professionalism.

Many students described ET Career Scholars as an exciting, hands-on, rigorous program designed to help them navigate their career path. Some have already decided the pathway they want to follow, whether it's DCO or engineering technology. Some are attempting both, which will make them even more valuable job candidates in the industry...

CTE Educators Complete Professional Learning in Engineering Technology

8 Local Educators trained to increase awareness

of ET and DCO career pathways

Last month 8 CTE educators from Northern Virginia completed an Engineering Technology Professional Learning (ETPL) program. Educators participated in a four-day training in June on using LJ Create desktop trainers to introduce students to pneumatics, industrial controls, electronics, and the engineering technology career pathway. Then, in July, ETPL educators practiced their skills by co-instructing one of four 1-week high school bridge programs, held on a NOVA campus. These bridge programs, called ET Ready, focus on training 9th to 11th graders in ET pathways...

AFCOM Internship Leads to Job Offers for NOVA Students

13 of 14 Interns were from NOVA, many receiving job offers.

The AFCOM summer internship concluded on August 6 at Topgolf in Ashburn, capping off a successful season where job offers were extended to NOVA students. During the internship, students had the opportunity to work at 2 or 3 different companies, providing them with a broader understanding of their role as DCO technicians and the critical impact they have in ensuring vital infrastructure remains operational 100% of the time.

Many interns received job offers. While some students chose to continue their education, 5 offers were accepted, with 2 interns joining Iron Mountain, 2 going to Vantage, and 1 to CompuDynamics...

New Employee Spotlight

Patrick Waters, Fab Lab Technician

Patrick Waters is a veteran educator and maker with a wide range of experiences in K-12, collegiate and non-profit settings. Throughout, he continues to follow his twin north stars: making is for everyone, no matter age, background or ability, and makerspaces can be the workbenches on which people build their dreams. He’s thrilled to join the Fab Lab and continue following his north stars. 

Outside of the Fab Lab, Patrick can be found diving headfirst into his creative pursuits – from woodworking, renovating houses, 3D printing, listening to Americana roots rock, BBQ & cooking – but most likely supporting his family, especially his two teenage boys, finding their own passions and interests. 

Patrick can be reached at pwaters@nvcc.edu

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NOVA Fab Lab

Junior Makers Registration is Open!

NOVA’s Junior Makers program creates a fun, social environment for our youngest generation of makers to build confidence in fabrication and problem-solving skills! We offer a wide range of topics and activities for 4th-8th grade students to create a unique project with their parent or guardian. Fall 2024 sessions are now available on Saturday mornings from 9am-12pm.

Fall Schedule

Sept 21 | Rocket Launch Challenge

Oct 5 | Sewing with Circuits

Oct 19 | Fall-themed Woodcrafting

Nov 2 | Casting Candy Legos

Nov 16 | Holiday Picture Puzzle