Creative Combinations Breakdown Barriers to Space

What happens when you create space for creative combination and recombination? The results can far exceed the sum of the individual parts. That is a core tenet of the work at the SEED Innovation Hub.

Over the past year, a group of dedicated Physics and Engineering students have been working alongside Dr. Chuck Ross, Dr. Bjoern Ludwar, Evan Jones, and Jacob Dolence to make mapping space more accessible.

As part of an Engineering capstone course held at the SEED Innovation Hub, students identified real-world problems and, working with Biology professor Dr. Bjoern Ludwar, envisioned a low-cost radio telescope that could be built for a fraction of what anything on the market costs. With the mentorship of SEED Director Evan Jones, they got to work using SEED's prototyping equipment, including a 4-by-8 CNC router, to develop a digital model and produce a functional prototype. Jones provided critical expertise in 3D modeling and fabrication that turned the concept into something tangible.

Along the way, two students enrolled in Jacob Dolence's CTZN 410: Lancer Launch Pad course asked whether they could take on the business model side of the project. Their reasoning was compelling: the team was building something with real potential to expand access to space and technology for K-12 students, other universities, and hobby astronomers worldwide. The focus of that course is for students to take what they've learned throughout their time at Longwood and apply it toward something real that contributes to the common good.

Weaving together expertise in physics, biology, innovation, and entrepreneurship produced something far greater than the sum of its parts. The students went on to win $1,000 at SEED's annual Demo Day, presented at the undergraduate research symposium, and installed the prototype at Dr. Ludwar's home for testing. As an added bonus, the research papers they produced are now playing a critical role in supporting accreditation for Longwood's newly formed engineering program.

"This is the type of creative serendipity that was always the vision of SEED," said Professor Dolence. SEED Director Jones added "it's amazing to see what students can build with access to the SEED equipment. We hope to have many more large scale projects like this in the future."

These kinds of engaged, hands on experiences involving professors, staff, and community members are exactly what make Longwood stand out in a crowded higher education marketplace. Having access to the caliber of technology that SEED offers, at an institution that isn't a major R1 research university, is genuinely rare. It makes Longwood a top choice for students who want to build, create, and future-proof their degrees. In a rapidly changing world, employers want to hire people who can speak to real projects they've worked on, not just theoretical exercises.