When the pandemic was declared, the Mount’s School of Business began searching for a way to use 3D printing technology to aid healthcare workers, explained Tiffany Gagliano ’02, dean of the Mount’s School of Business.
A breakthrough came when Peter Gregory, instructor of Business, designed and printed mask extenders. The extenders fit on virtually any mask and help to alleviate discomfort caused by tight straps. They allow essential workers to wrap the mask around the back of the head instead of strapping it behind the ears.
With the help of the Information Technology department and Alex Valentin, director of Technical Services, Gregory was able to retrieve several 3D printers from the college and start creating the extenders at home.
Gregory has been using a 3D printer to educate students for years. His experience helped the process to run smoothly, he said. To date, the School of Business has printed and donated 350 extenders.