FAU gets grant to continue production of face shields

Since the pandemic began back in March, Florida Atlantic University’s Jeff Huber has been hard at work, helping to meet the growing demand for personal protective equipment.

Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Broward, Huber and his volunteers will be able to continue the production of face shields using 3D printers at the university’s Fabrication Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale.

With the $19,367 grant, Huber and his team will be able to purchase four new 3D printers and supplies. Before the grant, they were working with only two 3D printers, filament and transparency film, which were purchased with school funds and monetary donations from faculty.

“The Ultimakers [3D printers] will be a game-changer to mass-produce larger parts of the headpieces that are currently being created at a slower and more costly rate on the existing printers,” Huber said in a statement. “We have the manpower, but this new equipment will mean many more face shields going to those who need it. Not to mention serve the school and its students for years to come.”

Huber, who is the interim director of the School of Architecture at FAU in downtown Fort Lauderdale, has made modifications to the face shields based on user feedback to ensure more comfort. Through an open-source design from Cornell University, Huber opted to make the PPE more hygienic and eco-friendly by using a biodegradable 3D printing option.

“Huber and the faculty at the School of Architecture continue to show tremendous leadership as they have adapted normal school operations to meet the evolving needs of the community during the pandemic,” said Michael Horswell, Ph.D., dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “We are very thankful to the Community Foundation of Broward for their support of this vital mission.”

Over the past 35 years, the foundation has distributed over $119 million in grants, assisting families, individuals and companies to create personalized charitable funds that deliver a philanthropic impact to the area.

The grant was provided by the Community Foundation of Broward with the support from the Humana Foundation.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY Florida Atlantic University’s School of Architecture received a $19,367 grant to help continue production of face shields for frontline workers and first responders during the COVID-19 pandemic.