S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the School of Engineering at historically Black Tennesee State University in Nashville, is leading an effort by students, faculty, and staff to manufacture protective face gear for doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission asked Tennessee State to use its 3D printing machines to help design and produce a portion of the mask, which has three components: plastic shield, headband, and elastic band. Tennessee State is focusing its efforts on the headband component.
“We have faculty, staff, and students involved in making this product from four different sites at TSU,” Dr. Hargrove noted. Dean Hargrove is a graduate of Tennessee State University, where he majored n mechanical engineering. He holds a master’s degree from the Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.
In addition to helping with the production of the protective masks, the College of Agriculture is also making hand sanitizer and sharing instructions on how individuals can make their own. The college is also producing an alcohol-based solution for campus police.
