SSMC 2026 Speakers
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | July 6–9, 2026
Tuesday – July 7
Safety & Professional Practice
“Safety isn’t Rules. It’s Culture” - Keynote Speaker Alexandra McNamara
Keynote Blurb: "Shop safety is often approached through policies, procedures, and enforcement, but lasting safety is built through culture, not rules.
In this keynote, Alex McNamara examines the gap between written safety standards and real-world behavior in shops and on site. Through stories from high-pressure build environments and educational settings, she highlights how communication, training, and psychological safety directly influence physical safety outcomes.
Attendees will gain practical insights into fostering environments where safety is understood, adopted, and sustained - not just enforced.
About Alex:Alex McNamara is a technical director, rigging expert, and welder whose career spans from Broadway stages to massive music festivals in the Saudi desert. Based in Nashville, she recently managed over 35 sponsor builds at Governors Ball and led VIP site builds for Soundstorm, one of the world’s largest electronic festivals.
Alex holds an MFA from Yale in Technical Design & Production and is ETCP certified with additional credentials in welding, fall protection, and site safety. She's also the author of a groundbreaking thesis on gender inequities in workwear, which combines industry interviews, historical research, and a survey of over 700 tradespeople.
On social media, Alex is the voice behind Built Pretty, an educational platform dedicated to tool literacy, construction history, and empowering underrepresented workers in the trades. Her viral videos on screwdrivers, hammers, and “how not to use a drywall screw” have earned her a devoted following across TikTok and Instagram, where she’s known for her witty, deeply knowledgeable takes on tools, tool history and job site culture.
Chemical Risk Assessment & Hierarchy of Controls - Roxane Strobel, Cal Poly EHS
“Understanding Chemical Hazards and the systems in which to control their risks”
Using Risk and Safety Solutions (RSS) to Enhance Machine Shop Safety and Compliance - Melonee Cruse, MS CSP, Occupational Safety Programs Specialist, Environmental Health & Safety, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA
This presentation introduces how the Risk and Safety Solutions (RSS) system supports machine shop technicians and managers in maintaining a safe, compliant, and efficient work environment. RSS is a practical tool for identifying hazards, documenting safety controls, managing inspections, tracking corrective actions, and maintaining chemical and hazardous waste records.
Participants will learn how RSS supports everyday machine shop operations by simplifying hazard assessments for equipment, tracks corrective actions, and maintains accurate documentation for audits and regulatory compliance.
Wednesday – July 8
Training, People & Practice
7:30 – 9:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration - E & J Gallo Building, Swanson Center of Effort Events Center - H1 Parking Lot
9:00 – 9:45 AM
Training the Trainers - Eric Pulse Cal Poly, Moderator
Cal Poly Student Shop Techs Panel
9:45 – 10:30 AM
Crafting Accessibility:Making Space for Everyone - Inclusive Woodshops and Makerspaces - Heather Durand, NC State
10:30 – 10:45 AM
Break & Industry Networking
10:45 – 11:05 AM
Board Candidate Introductions & Voting Opens
11:05 – 11:45 AM
Training at Scale: Managing Large Cohorts Across Multiple Years - David Kempken, Cal Poly Architecture
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM
Industry Spotlight - Autodesk
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch, Posters & Industry Networking
1:00 – 1:30 PM
Facility Tours: Orientation & Group Departures
1:30 – 4:30 PM
Facility Tours
4:30 – 5:00 PM
Tour Return & Informal Networking
Thursday – July 9
Systems, Strategy & the Future
7:30 – 9:00 AM
Breakfast & Registration - E & J Gallo Building, Swanson Center of Effort Events Center - H1 Parking Lot
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Computerized Maintenance Management System Using Limble - Dennis Tapella, Washington University, St Louis
9:30 – 10:00 AM
Fab Nights: Learn it, Make it, Keep it…In 3 hours or Less - Jacob Misch, UNC Asheville
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Tools in Practice: Industry Solutions for Academic Shops - Industry Sponsors
10:30 – 10:45 AM
Break & Industry Networking
10:45 – 11:05 AM
New Board Member Announcements
11:05 – 11:20 AM
SSMC Website Launch
11:20 – 11:50 AM
Making Makerspace Value Visible: Journey Mapping as an Advocacy Tool - Matthew Briggs, University of Arizona
11:50 AM – 12:00 PM
Lunch & Learn Committee Update
12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 PM
Facilitated Roundtable Discussions
1:45 – 2:30 PM
Closing Discussion: The Future of Academic Shops & SSMC