Cameron Watanabe
HELLO, I'M CAMERON
AND I'M A
MAKER
ABOUT ME
I am a senior Mechanical Engineering Student in the Honors Concentration at Rowan University. Despite the impressive connotations typically associated with such a technical degree, I feel it more appropriate to refer to myself as a "Maker," a term introduced to me by the legendary Adam Savage, of Mythbusters (my favorite childhood show) in his book Every Tool's a Hammer. Although I excel in both academics and leadership, I pride myself on my ability to seamlessly combine engineering with art and aesthetics. I thrive in a creative and hands-on environment and have extensive experience in everything from CAD Drawing, to 3D printing (FDM and SLA), to manual machining.
For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by the sheer act of making things. I was obsessed with any sort of DIY kits, tutorials, and videos I could get my hands on. Whether it be, polymer clay, origami, video editing, music, baking, or costume making, I was driven by the sense of pride and accomplishment I felt not only by completing the finished product, but in the novelty of mastering these skills and being "self-taught." When I earned my first paycheck at age 16 (working the counter at the bagel shop down the road), I was finally able to fund my own ventures, and my dinky little crafts evolved into elaborate projects. When it came down to choosing a college, I was drawn to Rowan University for its extensive hands-on portion in the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. Because of the resources available to me through Rowan, I've built an automated claw in my freshman year, machined my own metal multitool as a sophomore, designed and manufactured an air engine from scratch as a junior, produced beautiful and elaborate centerpieces for extracurricular projects, and much much more. You can view my full portfolio below.
WHAT I DO
I am currently employed as a Lab Technician in the Mechanical Engineering (MechE) Projects Lab at Rowan. I specialize in 3D printer and laser cutter maintenance, in addition to fulfilling typical lab tech duties like helping students, keeping the labs organized, and overall enforcing safe operation of the machines and equipment.
I am also the Build Shop Center Manager, a small MechE shop located in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department. Here, is where we house Rowan's newest and most advanced 3D SLA Printer (and also where I spend most of my free time between classes). As one of the only people on campus authorized to use this printer, I fulfill print requests for the department, faculty, and student projects while also getting to experiment and tinker with it on my own.
Both of these positions I obtained through my avid involvement on the A-Team, formally know as the Apprentice Engineering Team. The A-Team is a multidisciplinary group of students dedicated to challenging themselves outside of the classroom and pursuing unique hands-on experiences that professors simply cannot provide in class. Through this team, I've received an unparalleled education learning new technical skills, professional soft skills, and developing priceless bonds with students ranging from Engineering to Computer Science to Art and Theater. This organization is unique to Rowan and is unlike anything that any other University in the area has.
Outside of the Engineering Department, I also work as a Center Manager for the RCA Heritage Museum in the campus library where members of the A-Team work on restoring antique media players, documentation, and other odd jobs for the Museum. Additionally, I spend a good chunk of my time working on the A-Team's Giveaways Team as the Manufacturing and Design lead. This is a multidisciplinary team of engineers and artists challenged with designing and fabricating beautiful gifts and trinkets for clients. Since it's conception, I've been involved in virtually all of the Giveaways team's projects. Some of my work can be found in my portfolio below.
Click an image below to learn more about that project
Crafted from brass, copper, and nickel silver sheetmetal. Texturing, polishing, rivets, and petinas were all done by-hand in the Rowan University Metals Studio | Intro to Metals/Jewelry, Spring 2020
