4/17/2026
The Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab will be led by a five-person team of students in its inaugural year. Executive Director Mia Mikolajczak and teammates work with department family and staff to ensure smooth planning and provide training opportunities for the students who will use it for projects.
A dream of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering has been fulfilled. The long-planned Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab, located on the first floor of the Materials Science and Engineering Building at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, is open for use.
“I'm excited that I get to set the stage for how future materials students use the space safely and efficiently. ”
Mia Mikolajczak, executive director of the Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab student leadership team
This hands-on maker space, made possible via a generous gift from department alumnus Atef Eltoukhy ('76 PhD) and his family in 2022, is meant to ensure students have access to high-end equipment and a place specifically designed for them to collaborate. It's going to be managed by students, too, and a five-person management group was announced in April 2026.
Mia Mikolajczak, a senior in materials science and engineering, is executive director of the inaugural student leadership team. She is joined by Estella Wang (operations lead), Isaac Pinkus (technical lead), Krisha Sampat (communications and logistics coordinator) and Sebastian Lostaunau (training lead).
"As an undergraduate researcher in materials science and engineering, I've witnessed the Eltoukhy lab's construction since the beginning," said Mikolajczak. "I'm excited that I get to set the stage for how future materials students use the space safely and efficiently."
Nicole Robards, the materials department's associate director of facilities and operations, keyed the organization of this team. She expects students to set the direction for the lab and help build the best use and structure of activities the space houses. The students will meet with Robards and Senior Lecturer Matthew Goodman, who leads the materials senior design program, every week to ensure everything from equipment and signage to training sessions are properly organized.
"We all possess unique skillsets and think differently," said Lostaunau. "I think the best way to maintain a productive working environment is to be in constant communication and to be bouncing ideas off each other. While we all were given a specific title, I think it's important that we all provide input to everything from the day-to-day operations to the technical training processes."
The team sees what's possible in the space and is enthusiastic about what may come from it. Wang, who leads a DIY club on campus, knows well just how important it is for students to have hands-on opportunities where their ideas can become reality.
"The most exciting thing about the lab is that it has the equipment that helps with both fabricating things and material observation. The 3D printer and laser cutter make it possible for students to turn ideas into prototypes, test designs and improve them. The optical microscope is especially exciting to me because understanding microstructure is just as important as constructing the material."
Estella Wang, operations lead for the Eltoukhy Family Innovation Lab student leadership team
The lab's reach will extend beyond current students. The space will serve course-based projects during the fall and spring semesters and will be open for summer programs, such as Mid-GLAM, GEMS and the ASM Materials for Teachers Camp.
"A lot of these tools are practically the essentials of materials investigation. That's always been frustrating to me because they are far too expensive for any student to afford for passion projects," said Pinkus. "The fact that these tools are available to us now is an absolute game-changer and will allow students to gain skills with industry and research-level equipment that were previously locked behind specific lab classes."
Mikolajczak's own senior design team is already putting the lab to work. Her group is developing a lead-free alternative to weighted lead tape used in sports applications, using the UltiMaker 3D printer, Keyence microscope and fume hood to build their prototype.
"Using the equipment has gone smoothly," she said, "and we see a lot of potential as other teams complete their projects."
"I can't thank the Eltoukhy family enough," said Pinkus. "Everybody knew this lab space would be special, but I think we are all going to be surprised with just how special it will become."
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Matthew Goodman is an Illinois Grainger Engineering senior lecturer of materials science and engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He leads the department's senior design capstone program.
Nicole Robards is an Illinois Grainger Engineering staff member in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She serves as associate director of facilities and operations.