In Cal Poly’s Gene Haas Advanced Machining Lab, rows of CNC machines line the walls, each capable of carving metal parts with extraordinary precision. Standing beside one of his favorites, a Haas ST-15Y Lathe paired with a Haas Cobot, Will Graham explained how it can be programmed to pick up a finished piece, load the next and run an entire sequence automatically.
“It’s like claymation,” said Graham, a manufacturing engineering senior and student lab technician, describing how each movement is programmed step by step. Once it’s set up, the robot does the rest. This is the future.”
For Graham, that future feels close at hand. He spends his days helping other students learn to operate the same high-tech machines used in production shops across the country. His role — teaching, troubleshooting and guiding peers — exists thanks to the Gene Haas Foundation, which recently renewed its Earn by Doing grant to Cal Poly’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department for the ninth consecutive year.
The grant, which typically provides between $40,000 and $50,000 annually, funds student lab technicians who support faculty in Cal Poly’s manufacturing labs. Student techs keep the labs running safely and efficiently while helping classmates gain practical skills on complex equipment.
Graham said the experience has deepened his understanding of the work. “You learn a lot from teaching,” he said. “Explaining things in detail helps you really understand how each tool interacts with the material.”
A hands-on multiplier
In Cal Poly’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department, lab techs are essential to the Learn by Doing process. Students begin in the Gene Haas Material Removal Lab, where they learn machining fundamentals, before moving into the Gene Haas Advanced Manufacturing Lab for more complex work.
“It’s our ninth year of having student lab techs,” said Trian Georgeou, an IME lecturer who oversees the program. “Before that, there was one instructor running around the lab. Now, we can split up the class because you have a mini-instructor in the room. That means more hands-on time and deeper curriculum.”
Together, the two labs serve about 700 students each year, supported by roughly 25 student lab techs. Their presence allows faculty to spend more time mentoring students on design and project work while maintaining the safety and precision required in a machining environment.
Sustaining a strong partnership
For Scott Coventry, district manager for the Central Coast and Valley region with Haas Factory Outlet Anaheim, supporting Cal Poly has been a meaningful part of his work for more than a decade.
“The goal is to help students learn,” Coventry said. “This program gives them the kind of experience that lets them walk into any manufacturing shop and contribute on day one.”
The Gene Haas Foundation’s Earn by Doing grant has helped hundreds of Cal Poly students gain paid lab experience, a critical step in preparing them for industry. Many have gone on to work for top manufacturers, including Haas itself.
“Cal Poly students with this kind of background could go anywhere,” Coventry said. “They might work with Haas Racing, an aerospace company or start their own shop, and the demand for people with these skills is only growing.”
Building experience that lasts
Graham grew up around machining. His dad, a service-disabled veteran, owns a machine shop in Oakland called Hawk CNC, and his mom’s side of the family works in industrial sales at Selway Machine Tool. “There was no way around it,” he joked.
After graduation, he plans to return full time to Hawk CNC, bringing what he’s learned at Cal Poly back to the family business.
“Working here taught me so much, not just how to use the machines but how to teach others and get more out of each day,” he said. “It’s changed how I see the work.”
For IME Department Chair John Pan, that’s exactly the point.
“This grant has supported many IME students over the years,” Pan said. “It strengthens our Earn by Doing model by giving students hands-on experience that translates directly to industry. We’re deeply grateful to Haas for continuing to make that possible.”
As the lab quiets between classes, rows of machines stand ready for the next group of students. For Graham and those who follow, they’re more than tools — they’re a bridge between learning today and leading tomorrow’s manufacturing world.
To help expand Earn by Doing opportunities for Cal Poly’s Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering students, click here to give.
By Emily Slater
