A Maker in the Making
From a young age, I have always been taking things apart and putting them back together to understand the inner workings. Currently, these are the things I’m taking apart.
3D Printing and CAD Modeling
My latest curiosity has been with 3D printing and CAD modeling. So far I have been using a fleet of one Prusa MK4 with the MMU3, learning the ropes of CAD using free software like Tinkercad and FreeCAD, and contemplating starting a 3D printing business, starting with decor then branching out to functional prints in the future. A sampling of my prints and files are below. I’d appreciate a follow on my Printables page, too, if you’re on that platform. My Etsy shop for original designs and products is coming soon.
Original Design by CutCutePaper
Original Design by jellywildhoney
Furniture Making and Woodworking
From 2015 to 2020, I took on commissions from clients for pieces ranging from outdoor furniture to workshop enhancements under the banner of Szabo Woodworks. This video from 2017 is a sampling of some of my projects that year.
Travel Blogging
Many years ago now I started a travel blog to document my travels across the United States called the Daoist Academic. Even today my love for travel continues, though, with less structured documentation. Perhaps one day I will return to the writing/blogging that I started.
I also wrote, directed, and edited a trailer for a television series I wanted to pitch to Iowa Public Television called 99 Counties, 1 Iowa. A year or so prior, I had also storyboarded a plan for another series called Momentum, but that series did not move past a few trailer videos(#1 and #2).
All of these travel-related projects were foundational to my development of content delivery and management.
Virtual Reality
There are few technologies that have taken me to a complete state of awe and wonder quite like virtual reality (VR). Growing up during a time between the great shift from the analog world of old to the heavily digital world we live in now, I feel like diving into VR was a very natural transition for me. Prior to my first experience with VR in the mid 2010’s, I could say a pixelated plumber prepared me for quite a bit over the three decade using computers and gaming systems. Since then, my enjoyment of the tool has led me to use it beyond simple immersion or gaming and instead teach the potential of the medium to future educators as an instructional technology. The video below as from a Tech Talk I did during my doctoral program and highlights what at the time were some of the earliest applications I explored prior to my dissertation study. To this day, the moment I stepped into a virtual world like Altspace VR, Half Life: Alyx, Anne Frank House, or Rec Room was a pivotal moment in my keen interest in the technology as a practical training and powerfully emotional empathy technology. Also, I use VR to look at my 3D modeling files in a virtual space, which complements my 3D printing and CAD experience.
Consulting, Evaluation, Teaching, and Learning
Much of my experience as an evaluator, research scientist, and faculty member has come from nearly 15 years serving in public higher education. As an educator, I strive to have my course content or deliverables as easily accessible and engaging as possible. Education has been the path of my trade to make a living, and I could not have gotten here without my academic preparations and professional experience. Feel free to view my Academics page to learn more about my professional background. Alternatively, please visit my previous position profile at the Research Institute for Studies in Education at Iowa State University (archived on WaybackMachine). In late February 2025, I began a new role as an Export Control Administrator within Iowa State University’s Office of Research Ethics.