Charles R. Goulding and Nimra Shakoor examine how Cornell University is redefining interdisciplinary innovation with 3D printing across engineering, design, medicine, and clean energy research.
Cornell University, a prestigious member of the Ivy League, is widely recognized for its academic excellence—particularly in engineering. Unsurprisingly, the university offers a wide range of additive manufacturing and 3D printing resources across multiple disciplines and campuses, not limited to the College of Engineering. Most of these facilities are located on Cornell’s main campus in Ithaca, New York, though there is the Cornell Tech Tata Innovation Center and others in New York City as well.
College of Engineering
Cornell Engineering offers extensive 3D printing resources through the Rapid Prototyping Lab in Upson Hall, operated by engineering students and maintained by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). The lab provides free printing for engineering project teams and MAE courses, as well as reduced rates for other Cornell-affiliated labs. It features nine different types of 3D printers, with detailed specifications available online.
The Rapid Prototyping Lab collaborates with the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) to support micro- and nanoscale printing. CNF offers printing services using its own staff or through approved independent contractors. Users are charged based on materials and machine time.
Also within the College of Engineering, the Cornell Maker Club (CMC)—affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering—provides additional hands-on opportunities. Partly based in the Hui Family Maker Lab in Phillips Hall, the club offers access to 3D printers and other fabrication equipment for personal and academic projects. Access is free for club members and requires completion of safety and equipment training specific to each lab.
College of Human Ecology
The College of Human Ecology is home to the Department of Human-Centered Design, which supports the Digital Design and Fabrication Studio (D2FS). This facility offers students access to advanced 3D printing and design tools, available with the supervision of approved faculty or technicians. Usage is billed based on time and materials. The studio also features D2FS-Lite, a smaller space equipped with three 3D printers, available exclusively to members of the Human-Centered Design community.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
CALS houses a fabrication lab in Kennedy Hall, which supports landscape architecture students with tools for digital design and material research. Additionally, the Albert R. Mann Library has hosted 3D printing resources. In 2019, the library featured six 3D printers in what was called the “CUL Makerspace,” distinct from the “MannUfactory Makerspace,” also located in Mann Library at that time. However, it is unclear whether these resources are still available today.
New York City Campuses
Beyond Ithaca, Cornell also supports 3D printing at its campuses in New York City. The Cornell Tech MakerLAB, re-opened in May 2025, provides prototyping tools—including 3D printers—to the campus community. The lab is open seven days a week for approved users, with “Super Makers” granted 24/7 access.
At Weill Cornell Medicine, the Clinical and Translational Science Center’s 3D Printing Core Facility offers 3D printing for medical applications. This resource allows students and researchers to print models and participate in workshops related to healthcare and biomedical innovation.
3D Printing Applications at Cornell
Cornell’s 3D printing efforts reflect its cross-disciplinary strengths. Here are select applications in active use:
Soft Robotics
In the field of soft robotics, Professor Robert Shepherd employs Carbon Digital Light Synthesis 3D printing to produce flexible smart wearables and robotic components. His lab develops innovations such as soft robotic arms that mimic human sweating, enhancing potential applications in healthcare and biomechanics.
Ceramics
Cornell also excels in ceramic 3D printing, especially through the work of Professor Jenny Sabin in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning. Her lab uses 3D printed clay to explore new structural geometries and biologically-inspired design and utilizes 3D printing as a core design tool, rather than just a prototyping method. Her work merges art, architecture, and computation into innovative building systems.
Alternative Energy
Ceramic 3D printing also plays a pivotal role in clean energy research. Professor Sadaf Sobhani of Cornell’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department partnered with Lithoz America on multiple projects to 3D print ceramic reactors designed to convert CO₂ into clean aviation fuel, utilizing ceramics for their thermal and corrosion resistance. These energy-intensive projects align with federal funding priorities under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), linking academic R&D to scalable industrial solutions.
The Research & Development Tax Credit
The now-permanent Research & Development Tax Credit (R&D) Tax Credit is available for companies developing new or improved products, processes and/or software.
3D printing can help boost a company’s R&D Tax Credits. Wages for technical employees creating, testing and revising 3D printed prototypes can be included as a percentage of eligible time spent for the R&D Tax Credit. Similarly, when used as a method of improving a process, time spent integrating 3D printing hardware and software counts as an eligible activity. Lastly, when used for modeling and preproduction, the costs of filaments consumed during the development process may also be recovered.
Whether it is used for creating and testing prototypes or for final production, 3D printing is a great indicator that R&D Credit eligible activities are taking place. Companies implementing this technology at any point should consider taking advantage of R&D Tax Credits.
A Model for the Future of Making
In a world increasingly shaped by additive manufacturing, Cornell University exemplifies how 3D printing can be integrated across disciplines. From engineering and human-centered design to agriculture and medicine, Cornell’s distributed ecosystem of makerspaces, labs, and faculty-led initiatives illustrates how innovation thrives at the intersection of disciplines. Its commitment to hands-on learning and cutting-edge research continues to set a global benchmark for the future of making.
