Meet Our IDeATe Student Workers
Fall 2025 Course Assistants
By Sarah Elizabeth Bender
Student workers are an essential part of the IDeATe team that help keep classes running, makerspaces open, and equipment available. These students monitor laser cutters and 3D printers, staff the IDeATe Lending Office, take inventory of materials in the Soft Technologies Studio, and more.
Please join us in celebrating some of our talented Course and Lab Assistants this fall, who assist IDeATe classes under the direction of course instructors.
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences senior Zarmond Goodman, who is majoring in film and minoring in art and physical computing, works as a Lab Assistant in the Physical Computing Lab. They inventory, restock, and maintain the physical computing classroom, which includes everything from sweeping the floors to restocking every drawer and component.As an IDeATe student, they appreciate the diversity of the program, which enables students to engage with people from every single college and department at CMU. They also value the relationships they’ve been able to build with their mentors in the program.
“I feel like everyone is so quick to talk about the material resources and neglect the true value of IDeATe that no other place on campus has: its staff/faculty. Robert Zacharias, the primary physical computing instructor is one of the most amazing teaching professionals I’ve ever had the privilege of learning from and working with. He is so good at what he does, and making it digestible for the masses. It’s unmatched anywhere else on campus — and I’m on my third major and have taken a class in every single school imaginable.”
As a Course Assistant for 53-323: Storytelling Through FX Animation, College of Fine Arts senior Ria Itty helps students learn Houdini, one of the industry standards for effects work in both feature animation and live-action VFX. She spends most of her time helping students troubleshoot their Houdini setups or answering questions about how to achieve a certain look, and is always wowed by the creativity and ambition they bring to class.Itty, who is majoring in fine arts and minoring in animation & special effects and game design, is also enrolled in the class 53-451: Research Issues in Game Development: Designing for XR, where students work in teams to build augmented and virtual reality experiences. She finds it super satisfying to watch all the individual components (from programming, art, level design, and sound) finally come together into an actual experience.
“I appreciate how accessible the program is for beginners. When I first came to CMU, I hadn’t even heard of any of the industry-standard tools we use in IDeATe, but these classes helped me build a solid understanding of what’s “under the hood” and how the things we see in games and films are actually made. It’s a community that lowers the barrier to entry and encourages lots of exploration for sure.”
To Ebba Shim, who works as a Course Assistant for 99-360 IDeATe: E-Textiles, her job is exciting because she gets to see other people excited about their work, along with all the activity happening around the classroom. The College of Fine Arts sophomore, who is pursuing a BFA in the School of Art and minoring in sonic arts and soft technologies, appreciates the way classes promote a student’s ability to be both a strong leader and a passionate collaborator by pushing creativity in a world of tech.She loves thinking about how creatives can challenge rigid structures, considering space and volume in the line of dynamic movement, malleability, change, and ephemerality. Taking an inflatables class with Olivia Robinson changed how she thinks about structure and hard architecture.
“The material taught all around is all so inspiring, and has opened views of technology in the world as really something in our own hands as young creatives. Learning with people across disciplines is absolutely rewarding in this way! The studio is a familiar space brightened by the community — there's always new conversation going around and all the different passions and ways of thinking in one room is the best experience there is in IDeATe.”
College of Engineering junior Ylia Thumann, who is studying mechanical engineering and engineering and public policy, assists students in 99-361: Patterning, Construction and Experimentation with patterning and preparing materials for the class. She loves watching as her students figure out how to make alterations to their projects.She wants people to know how creative IDeATe is as a space, and how collaborative the labs are. In particular, she thinks the Garments Construction class is amazing.
“As an engineer the projects I do are important for my learning and my degree. But the projects I work on in IDeATe feed the soul. They keep me passionate and going through the semester. IDeATe courses are a good balance to the STEM courses I must take.”
College of Engineering senior Amanda Witt, who is majoring in mechanical engineering, is a course assistant for 62-150 A: Introduction to Textile Media and 99352: Soft Fabrication Skills (a three-week mini course). She helps prepare or clean materials (for example, cutting out fabric for student projects or cleaning squeegees), and also assists students in their classwork.Witt used a loom for the first time in an IDeATe textiles class, and wove a tapestry like her ancestors might have, walking away with both patience and an art piece she proudly displays. Now, she gets to see the hard work other students contribute as she lends her assistance to the same classroom.
“IDeATe is a really open and welcoming community. It doesn't matter your experience or what you're majoring in; you will find people who are happy to teach you whatever you want to know. It helps that IDeATe is so helpful in lending out and giving away materials to its students, which makes it very accessible.”
We are always in need of enthusiastic students to help staff our Lending Desk and labs and to work with faculty as Teaching Assistants. To apply for available IDeATe positions, fill out an application on our Work With Us page.