Chevron Corporation has been working with California State University Bakersfield for 30 years, claiming donations to the university totaling $15 million over those years of collaboration. On Monday, July 24, Chevron, joined by students and school officials, held a press conference at CSUB to announce the creation of the Chevron Maker Space, a new campus facility intended to allow engineering students to conduct work on big projects.
Josue Estrada is an engineering major at CSUB, and he works at the Fab Lab, another on-campus engineering lab funded by Chevron in 2014.
"I think it's an amazing opportunity to have the Maker Space here just because normally, we do have to borrow items or go towards the art department area, which is quite a bit of a walk away from the campus," said Estrada.
There is currently no room on campus for this essential part of an engineering student's education, but that's where the Chevron Maker Space comes into play.
"It's going to be really beneficial just because it actually gives us a hands-on experience with machines, with mechanical designs," said Estrada. "When I first started, it was more of a concept, and now with it being made it's actually a hands-on experience."
Molly Laegeler, Vice President of the San Joaquin Business Unit for Chevron, says the partnership with CSUB has been great for developing new facilities and skills within the community and county.
"We need to keep our university strong. Strong in core engineering curriculum as well as new lower-carbon technologies that are coming, and so these gifts that Chevron supports help enable the students to have real-world activities within their education and curriculum," said Laegeler.
Laegeler says there is no current estimated time for when construction on the Maker Space will start, but they are excited about what it will bring to the students and what the future holds for their partnership with CSUB.
"The engineering students here are going to continue to have an amazing education and allow them to apply that education to our energy transition here in Kern County," said Laegeler.
Estrada says he is not sure that the Chevron Maker Space will be complete before he graduates, but it will be beneficial to support his future dream career as a mechanical engineer in the United States Air Force.
"I want to work on the planes, any of the satellites, any of the ships to build and, like, design," said Estrada. "All that."
When it's completed, the Chevron Maker Space will be covered with a gabled roof and will house 2 bays of 6 columns where benches, electrical hookups, and a welding station will be placed for students to work and assemble their ideas.
