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Since Michael Riggi was about six years old, his father and brother would take him to a “Cars and Coffee” show in Great Falls, Virginia, on weekends. Being around classic automobiles and luxury vehicles, Riggi said he developed an appreciation for cars, and other machines that go fast, including planes, boats, and rockets.

Now, as a junior at George Mason �鶹����, his career path has also been racing forward.

Most people with access to a 3D printer find themselves creating small objects or gadgets. But one student group working at the MIX at George Mason �鶹���� each Friday is driven by a different dream.

“We build, design, test and plan to compete in solar-powered car competitions,” said Michael Riggi, president of Mason’s solar car team, HyperNova Solar. “[We believe] our car, when complete, will be the world’s first and only 3D-printed solar car.”

The Honors College Connects Hackathon gathered students in George Mason �鶹����’s MIX at Horizon to solve problems faced by local nonprofits.

The new MIX space is open in the brand-new state-of-the-art Horizon Hall.  MIX stands for “Mason Innovation Exchange” and is a place for creators, makers, innovators and entrepreneurs.

When Denys Kuratchenko began working at Northern Virginia Community College’s 3D printing lab in 2017, he didn’t anticipate that his projects would change lives. But the expression on a young girl’s face made him realize he could.

In response to COVID-19, a group of George Mason �鶹���� students had planned to create 3D printed personal protective equipment (PPE), such as face shields and masks for health care professionals and their patients. When the announcement came on March 22 that Mason campuses were closing, they knew they had to move fast.

When Amanda Jarvis was a child and her school in rural Oklahoma lost its arts funding, it was an immediate disappointment, she said. But it also had ripple consequences.