Getting the job at the Fab Lab in 2017 wasn’t Hartsock’s first time calling CSUB home. After graduating from Centennial High School and starting at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as an engineering major, Hartsock transferred to CSUB to earn his degree in business administration with a concentration in management information systems. As a student, he worked at the help desk.
“It was a lot of fun working at the help desk, and I really enjoyed everyone on campus, all the staff and faculty,” Hartsock said. “Everyone was really helpful and really nice.”
Following graduation, Hartsock worked for Aera for five years and did fabrication projects in his free time. When he was laid off from Aera, he looked back on his time working at CSUB fondly, wondering if there might be any open positions for which he would be well suited.
“Then I saw the Fab Lab posting and was like, ‘Wait, this is all the stuff I do for fun at home, but I would get paid for it,’” Hartsock said.
Dr. Andrea Medina — director of grants and outreach for CSUB’s School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering — was part of the hiring committee for the position and has worked closely with Hartsock over the years as she oversees the Fab Lab.
“Bobby’s a true tinkerer at heart,” Dr. Medina said. “He was like a kid in a candy store being in the lab.”
With the Fab Lab opening in 2014 thanks to sponsorship from Chevron, Hartsock has been a fixture of the makerspace for the majority of its existence. Though he wasn’t there from the very beginning, he’s had a large impact on it.
“Bobby has made the Fab Lab what it is today, a place where people are comfortable and can hang out and get stuff done,” Dr. Medina said. “He’s made it a welcoming place where the imagination is the limit.”
Hartsock said he and Dr. Medina always had the same vision for the Fab Lab, leading to a great working relationship between the two.
“We wanted it to be open, accessible and easy to use,” he said. “I’m really happy to have been involved in building the Fab Lab into the great place that it is today.”
The Fab Lab gives students and members of the public access to machines like 3D printers, a laser cutter and a ShopBot CNC router, among others, to create all kinds of items. As the Fab Lab specialist, Hartsock was ready to help with any kind of project, as were his team of student interns who continue to staff the lab.
“People usually come in saying, ‘I want to make something; here’s my project idea,’ and whatever their experience level is, we work from there and get them to a point where they can use the equipment and feel comfortable with it,” Hartsock said. “We always say that we don’t do anything for anybody — we teach everyone how to do it for themselves.”
Dr. Saeed Jafarzadeh — associate professor and chair of CSUB’s Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science — said he would regularly encourage his students to check out the Fab Lab. Dr. Jafarzadeh has benefitted from Hartsock’s expertise himself, too.
“Starting the Fab Lab on the CSUB campus was a true blessing for me,” he said. “I learned how much I love fabrication, and Bobby had a major role in that. Long story short, his passionate guidance encouraged me to buy five 3D printers, two laser cutters and bunch of other tools. I will be forever grateful for what I learned from Bobby, and his friendship.”
Engineering students regularly use the Fab Lab for class projects, but anyone is welcome to use the space. Because of that, Hartsock has made connections all across campus.
Tony Velis, part of the CSUB art department’s technical staff, has worked with Hartsock on several projects over the years. The two bonded over their love for creating. Velis said working alongside Hartsock has been “very inspirational.”
“The guy can build intricate, delicate electronics and still tear apart his Unimog,” Velis said, referring to a green military truck Hartsock would often drive to campus. “Many members from CSU Bakersfield and I will miss Bobby and wish him the best at his new adventure.”