Lisa Collander

Background

About Lisa Collander

Lisa Collander most recently filled the role of Lab Manager for the Industrial Design program at Western Washington University. Days were filled with helping students make their product design projects come to life both physically and conceptually. WWU's Engineering & Design department is know for its hands-on approach for learning. Lisa was responsible for teaching and supervising students through the safe use of a wide array tools in the shop and studio spaces. Equipment includes: woodworking tools (bandsaws, drill presses, saws, sanders etc.), a CNC router, sheet metal tools (breaks, shears, punches, rollers etc.), laser cutters, 3D printers, industrial sewing machines, plastics processing tools (thermoformer, sheet presses, heat guns, ovens etc.) and a more. Beyond the shop, Lisa also provided project mentorship. She helped guide students through the many phases of the creative process from ideation, research, story telling, prototyping, presenting and more. Her strengths lie in her ability to encourage creativity, provide critical feedback, and push her students to solve real problems with thoughtfulness towards people and the environment. Beyond her work in education, Lisa also runs her own small business: Lisa Lisa Made. Many of her projects and products comes from the concept of creating viable products out of waste stream materials, or restoring value and function to existing damaged goods. She currently sews home goods out of wool felt scraps sourced from an industrial manufacturing process. More recently she has also fallen head first into the world of 3D printing and is excited to explore all the possibilities it offers. The name Lisa Lisa Made was born from the sentiment of keeping the door open to her ever changing flow of passions.