TOM @ ��

�� is immensely proud of the contributions of the Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) chapter on our campus. TOM is an assistive technology organization that matches students with people living with neglected disabilities (no government or market solutions).

We know that 1 in 6 people in the world live with a disability and we are committed to using our talents to help as many as we can. Student teams create assistive tech solutions free-of-charge to help those in need. All of our solutions are open-source to reach others around the globe!

From its Hebrew origins, Tikkun Olam or "to heal the tears in the souls of the world," students embrace knowledge acquired from the classroom and can critically apply those skills to aiding underserved communities.

We are looking for Makers!

Do you want to put your maker skills to use creating positive change in our community? Globally? Attend our next meeting and see what projects we are working on and how you can get involved. TOM is looking for students from all majors, all levels of making experience, or no experience at all! Bring your drive, your creativity, and your willingness to help others to be a part of the this amazing group of students!

Are YOU ready to MAKE a difference?

Meetings

TOM at �� hosts weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 12:00pm. We are located in the Hunters Design of VEP building.

Contact

Students interested in joining or learning more about TOM are encouraged to contact the TOM Faculty Advisor, Reza Kamali or TOM Fellow Brayam Hernandez.

Collaborative Effort Helps SLP Alumna's Daughter

llyra

For Lorin Keehr, Cal State San Marcos is more than the university
where she earned her master's degree in speech-language pathology. It's a community where she continues to find support nearly a decade later.

Keehr, who graduated in 2016, now works as a speech-language pathologist in the San Marcos Unified School District (SMUSD). She
has remained closely connected to ��, regularly supervising SLP graduate students working as interns in the district.

In somewhat of a full circle moment for Keehr, she now sends
her daughter to the �� SLP clinic where she once trained as a
graduate student.

Keehr’s daughter Lyra was born with Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects how a child grows and develops. It can cause learning difficulties, seizures, delayed speech, and unique physical features like coarse facial features or small hands and feet.

Though Lyra will turn 3 years old in September, she weighs just 15 pounds and is still learning to walk independently. When Lyra's physical therapist recommended a walking device to improve her mobility, the SLP clinic was there to help. Lyra’s tiny frame meant a standard walking device wouldn’t work, and a custom-made one came with an exorbitant price tag.

One of Keehr’s SMUSD coworkers suggested she talk to �� about the possibility of developing something.

Laura Coca, ��’s director of clinical education for the SLP department and one of Keehr’s mentors while she was a student, reached out to engineering professor Reza Kamali, who is the faculty adviser for the university’s chapter of Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM), an assistive technology organization that matches students with people living with neglected disabilities.

“It was such a wonderful opportunity for students to collaborate,” Coca said. “I cannot thank Reza and TOM enough. They were just so fast and so comprehensive.”

Kamali and the TOM team had several meetings with Keehr and Lyra’s physical therapist. Less than four months later, they had created a lightweight walking device tailored for Lyra.

“These experiences offered a unique opportunity for students to engage in community-based projects where they could see firsthand how their knowledge and skills could be applied to create meaningful change,” Kamali said. “Watching their product go from an idea to a tangible device used by a child in need was an emotional and inspiring moment for everyone involved.”

Keehr said the additional support has helped Lyra in many ways, including socially, with play skills that she’s learning from the SLP clinic and in her general mobility.

“I didn’t know what to expect, and that’s why I was pleasantly surprised,” Keehr said.“Since getting the trainer, she has been able to stand by herself for a few seconds. It’s definitely been helping with her development.

"I'm just very grateful for both of those programs and what they're doing for the community. Trying to navigate the insurance world and all the paperwork and everything that comes with it, it's programs like the SLP clinic and TOM that make it just a little bit easier for families like ours. They’re people who have good hearts and just want to help their community. So I'm very grateful for making those connections and also being able to promote them to other families that I work with so that they can benefit from these services.”

SDCEC: President's Citation Award

Jazmine Pantoja with San Diego Enngineers Council President
Jazmine Pantoja with the SDCEC President, after winning the President's Citation Award.

Jazmine Pantoja, an exemplary electrical engineering student, has been honored with the prestigious President's Citation Award by the San Diego County Engineering Council at their annual award ceremony on February 19^th, 2024. This recognition is a testament to her outstanding leadership and significant contributions to the advancement of the Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) Club, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Through her dedication and initiative, Ms. Pantoja has played a pivotal role in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for aspiring engineers, thereby enriching the engineering community. Her efforts have not only facilitated greater engagement among her peers, but have also served to inspire and empower the next generation of engineering leaders.

Teri and TOM group photo

Teri Surfboard

Teri Campus of Life Project

The Teri Campus of Life is a dedicated organization providing housing and education for individuals with disabilities, ranging from 6 to 60 years of age. Their mission is to change the way the world sees, helps, and empowers individuals with special needs. Teri’s goal is to improve the quality of life for children and adults with developmental and learning disabilities, and to change the way the world sees them, allowing for inclusion within the community. Through support, advocacy, dedication, innovation, and resolve, TERI has brought opportunity and hope to countless individuals and families.

The Tikkun Olam Makers were excited to work on a project with the team at Teri to help one of their students learn to surf. Recognizing the challenges associated with learning to surf, the TOM group introduced an innovative solution: a motorized surfboard. This modification not only enhances the overall enjoyment of the surfing experience but also makes the learning process more accessible. The motorized surfboard addresses the inherent difficulty of surfing, providing a fun and simplified approach to overcoming this obstacle. Moreover, it aids instructors in teaching individuals with disabilities more effectively before transitioning to a traditional surfboard. This solution stands as an enjoyable and user-friendly alternative, contributing to a more inclusive and enriching surfing experience for individuals with disabilities.

TOM Faculty Advisor

Dr. Reza Kamali, California State University San Marcos (��) associate professor of Electrical Engineering. An Electrical Engineering educator since 1996, before joining ��, Dr. Kamali was a member of the Electrical Engineering program at Utah Valley University, where he was PI on a $703,000 NSF grant to develop a hands-on Virtual Reality course in nanotechnology. His project was featured in the 2019 NSF-ATE report as one of the most successful projects in Advanced Technology Education. Dr. Kamali holds three US patents. A member of IEEE, he was a founding member and chair of the Special Task Group for Flexible Electronics (CASS-Flexible) in the Circuits and Systems Society. He is also a member of the American Society of Engineering Education and actively publishes papers about new techniques in teaching electrical and computer engineering courses. In 2015 and 2016, two of his projects were awarded first place in IEEE’s Sustainable Technology poster competition. Dr. Kamali received in 2023 the Distinguished Engineering Leadership Award of San Diego County by the San Diego Engineering Council. His research interests are in engineering education and microelectronics systems and circuits such as the fabrication of transparent electronic circuits. He is the funding faculty adviser of several clubs at �� including TOM@�� and the �� chapter of NBSE.

Dr. Reza

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