Dr. Daniel Collier, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is printing components for face shields and ear savers to donate to health care workers.
Dr. Collier is using two 3D printers at the College of Pharmacy to print the personal protective equipment.
“We have these printers here that we use for research, so we thought why not print what we can since there seems to be a need,” Dr. Collier said.
Dr. Collier designed the face shields and ear savers. The ear savers are small plastic strips that attach to the back of elastic face masks to pull the elastic around the head and prevent pressure on the ears, allowing health care workers to wear the masks with less discomfort.
About 150 ear savers were printed with the text, “Tribute to Class of 2020,” honoring the graduating class of student pharmacists. One ear saver for each graduating student on each of the college’s three campuses has been donated to health care organizations. More ear savers have been printed with the message, “We Train Heroes.”
“This is just one more way our college can pitch in during this challenging time,” said College of Pharmacy Dean Marie Chisholm-Burns. “I am proud of Dr. Collier’s innovation and commitment to this project.”
