Beading Workshop

Join Prof. Trevor Jones (Mechanical Engineering) and Lauren Dreier (PhD candidate, Princeton University) for a hands-on exploration of angle weave beading, covering both technique and creative shape programming. The workshop also offers a glimpse into recent research on how these traditionally crafted structures balance stiffness and flexibility, and how those properties can be programmed into various beaded designs—with potential applications in new materials, architectural systems, soft robotics, wearable tech, and beyond. Expect an engaging mix of making and thinking, encouraging experimentation and inspiration from soft matter mechanics.

This event free with food provided, no RSVP required, first come first served. Hope to see you there!

This event is made possible with support from the 2025-2026 Steiner Speaker Series.

Bios

Lauren Dreier is an artist, scientist, and designer whose work moves between experiments and simple theory to reimagine the material world. Her research investigates how nonlinear mechanics give rise to emergent structures in materials, spanning additive manufacturing, mechanical metamaterials, and textile systems. She is currently a PhD candidate at Princeton University.

Trevor Jones heads the Mechanically Intelligent Engineered Structures Laboratory (MInEnS*Lab) at CMU. Reimagining natural phenomena and human expression as tools to build and design materials, his research is inspired by understanding the physics of everyday objects to inform and develop new technologies. On the day-to-day you will find him playing with beads, bubbles, and balloons as a craftsman’s tools to build new materials.