Team

Meet the Clubhouse Team

The CHIP team is dedicated to helping student organizations have impactful experiences, from equipment training to project guidance to leadership development.

We're here to support students as they design, build, collaborate and innovate.

Clubhouse Leadership

J.D. Sassaman

(she/they)
Executive Director

J.D. Sassaman provides strategic leadership for the Clubhouse for Hardware Innovation Projects (CHIP), guiding its growth as Stanford's home for student-led hardware innovation. She cultivates partnerships, expands opportunities, and fosters a collaborative community where students have the resources, mentorship, and support to design, build, and lead.

Steve Collins

(he/him)
Faculty Director

Steve Collins serves as Faculty Director of CHIP, helping shape its vision for hands-on engineering and student innovation. An Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, he also leads the making@stanford initiative, connecting makerspaces across campus to expand opportunities for collaboration, creativity, and experiential learning.

Isabella Carrera-Newport

(she/her)
Lab Manager

Isabella Carrera-Newport oversees CHIP's daily operations, providing training, technical guidance, and project support. Drawing on her experience as a Stanford Mechanical Engineering graduate and Student Space Initiative Rockets Team alumna, she helps shape CHIP into the collaborative hardware community she wished existed as a student.

Ria Tan

(she/her)
Administrative Assistant II

Ria keeps CHIP running behind the scenes, supporting the team with purchasing, finance, and all the details that keep a busy makerspace moving. When Stanford’s administrative processes get complicated, she's the one who knows how to make things happen—with patience, kindness, and remarkable efficiency.

Clubhouse Assistants

Our Clubhouse Assistants (CAs) are graduate student engineers, designers, and makers who are at the heart of the CHIP community.

Working alongside student clubs during evenings and weekends, they provide equipment training, technical guidance, and project support while creating the welcoming, collaborative culture that makes the Clubhouse special.

Ashley Raigosa

(she/her)
Clubhouse Assistant

Ashley is earning a Masters in Computer Science. She works in embedded systems, PCB design, and electronics for aerospace applications, and was previously part of the Stanford Space Initiative and Radio Club. Besides helping you with your next coolest project, she enjoys pottery, photography, snowboarding, and Thai tea.

Lawton Skaling

(he/him)
Clubhouse Assistant

Lawton is earning a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and is passionate about club leadership and connecting students with resources to support their projects. He’s been deeply involved in engineering project teams and is always excited to help with mechanical design, analysis, and fabrication.

Matthew “Maddie, Madeleine Butterfly" Nguyen

(he/him)
Clubhouse Assistant

Maddie is earning a Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics with expertises in composites and 3D printing. He likes building computers and rockets and has his own personal ranking of epoxies. Maddie is able to advise on crazy and outlandish projects and has plenty of experience with flaming objects. Outside of CHIP, Matthew enjoys planespotting, exploring cities, credit cards, travel, and matcha.

Sal Hernandez

(he/him)
Clubhouse Assistant

Sal is earning a Master's in Mechanical Engineering and loves to work on design projects that start from 0. Whether you're sketching your first design, refining a project iteration, or are unsure how to use a tool/machine, he's excited to meet you halfway. Beyond design, talk to him about sports, manga, music and food recommendations.

Javier "Javi" Luna

(they/them)
Clubhouse Assistant

Javi is earning a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for art, design, and fabrication. They enjoy helping others learn new equipment—and learning alongside them. Outside the Clubhouse you'll find them learning new artforms, polishing old skills, singing, gaming, or running a calisthenics group.

Advisory Board

The Clubhouse Advisory Board brings together leaders from academia, industry, and the innovation community who share a commitment to advancing hands-on engineering education.

Their guidance helps shape the Clubhouse's strategic vision, strengthen partnerships, and ensure CHIP continues to provide exceptional opportunities for student organizations to innovate, collaborate, and lead.

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Team

Meet the Clubhouse Team

Clubhouse Leadership

J.D. Sassaman

Steve Collins

Isabella Carrera-Newport

Ria Tan

Clubhouse Assistants

Ashley Raigosa

Lawton Skaling

Matthew “Maddie, Madeleine Butterfly" Nguyen

Sal Hernandez

Javier "Javi" Luna

Advisory Board

Claudia Dorn

Jeff Gordon

Catherine Gorle

Marlo Kohn

Philip Levis

Snehal Naik

Maria Sakovsky

Mark Skylar-Scott

Dan Somen

Jeff Stribling

Ross Venook