From Lego to Carbon Fiber: A UCLA Engineering Student Turns Curiosity Into Makerspace Creations

Growing up, Pitts’ mother resold Lego sets, making the toys a staple at birthdays and holidays. Pitts and his brother would spend hours building the strongest structures they could imagine, testing which ones survived the most dramatic “attacks.” The experience led to an enduring fascination with problem-solving and inspired him to join a robotics club in high school. Pitts was also captivated by Theodore Gray’s “Elements,” a book exploring the periodic table. He recreated its chemistry experiments at home, including electroplating, lacquer coating and hydrogen gas production. 

By high school, Pitts was no longer satisfied with learning fundamental science; he wanted to know how to apply scientific knowledge to real-world problems. His aunt suggested pursuing a degree in materials engineering, and when it came time to choose a major at UCLA, that was exactly what Pitts did.

“After I took my first materials engineering class at UCLA, I was smitten with the subject, and have been ever since,” he said.

“The Makerspace has single-handedly kept me interested in engineering at UCLA,” Cooper Pitts said. “I would often find various projects and topics interesting, even outside of engineering.”

For Pitts, UCLA’s large student population was initially overwhelming. Huge lecture halls and thousands of students in constant motion made it easy to feel lost. But a small, 25-student seminar in materials engineering introduced him to a close-knit group, which made the campus feel more personal.

It didn’t take long for Pitts to find his creative home in the UCLA Engineering Makerspace, where he learned to turn ideas into real objects with the support of staff and the abundant tools and materials. One such creation is a carbon-fiber Stormtrooper helmet, built almost entirely from recycled scraps left over from structural testing for a project with the Materials Research Society at UCLA.

“Carbon fiber is hard to conventionally recycle and environmentally damaging when thrown away improperly, so nothing was stopping me from doing a project with it,” he said.

But it wasn’t an easy process. He collected scraps for a year, 3D-printed the helmet shell, then sanded and painted it before beginning the labor-intensive process of carbon-fiber skinning, layering thin sheets of salvaged fiber onto the curved surface with store-bought resin, then smoothing, trimming and curing them to achieve a seamless finish. He also laser-cut the lenses, 3D-printed custom accessories and reinforced the interior.

The result — a carbon-fiber take on the iconic Star Wars helmet. It remains one of the most challenging and rewarding projects Pitts has taken on in the makerspace.

Pitts brought that same resourcefulness to a zero-budget escape room he built for MSE at UCLA. What began as a simple volunteer task quickly turned into an all-consuming challenge — complicated by the fact that he had only one week to design and build the entire escape room from scratch.

With no budget, Pitts once again turned to the Makerspace.

“I had to get creative,” he said. “Instead of having a lock, I would use cardboard, tape and markers. Instead of buying premade puzzles, I created a puzzle using a breadboard, wires and resistors, and 3D-printed gears that, when spun correctly, revealed a secret code.” 

The finished escape room was fully functional and built almost entirely from improvised materials.

“The Makerspace has single-handedly kept me interested in engineering at UCLA,” Pitts said. “I would often find various projects and topics interesting, even outside of engineering.”

Pitts is also one of four student co-creators of Engineering 1: Casting and Metallurgy, a hands-on introductory class that gives first-year and prospective engineering students direct exposure to materials science. Noticing that their major wasn’t represented in the E1 program, Pitts and his teammates decided to change that. Previously known as Engineering 96, E1 is a collection of student-led courses that provide unique learning opportunities for both the students and instructors.

They met with Jacob Schmidt, a professor of bioengineering and vice chair of undergraduate affairs who oversees the E1 program. Pitts said that first conversation helped the team define a clear goal, after which they began designing the course. They built a beginner-friendly curriculum centered on accessible, informative projects in casting and metallurgy.

Pitts’ involvement on campus extends beyond labs and workshops. He joined the Student Philanthropy Committee in his first year, continuing similar work he did in high school. One highlight came during the 2024 donor celebration, when he spent the afternoon connecting with alumni across generations, including a 92-year-old electrical engineering graduate and a materials engineering alumnus whose child was preparing for college.

To balance his time, Pitts rotates priorities each quarter. Some terms he focuses on UCLA Club Boxing, where he is vice president. Others center on MRS, the Engineering 1 course or personal projects. He acknowledges that his system may not work for everyone, but it keeps him engaged without burning out.

For new engineering students, Pitts’ advice is to do things that interest them. “Life has a funny way of rewarding people who do what they are passionate about,” he said.

On track to graduate in 2027, Pitts is exploring multiple career paths, including semiconductors, and is eager to try different specialties before choosing a long-term direction. He has also broadened his horizons internationally. A recent global internship program in Kyoto, Japan, sparked his interest in possibly pursuing graduate school or a career overseas.

One thing is certain, Pitts will continue to explore new frontiers, a reminder that engineering is as much about curiosity as it is about knowledge.