At Staten Island Technical High School, a top STEM school in New York, educator Joe Buro is shaping the next generation of innovators through an extraordinary approach to teaching CAD and 3D design.
Under Buro’s guidance, hundreds of students earn professional certifications in AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max, and Autodesk Fusion every year. His classes go beyond theory, offering a robust curriculum, advanced skill-building, and projects with real-world applications. But one course stands out for its unique blend of technology and humanity: “3D CAD and Biomechanical Engineering.”
In 2019, life took an unexpected turn for Joe when he was diagnosed with a rare tumor that required removing part of his own skull and replacing it with a custom implant.
Fully recovered today, Buro transformed this personal experience into a powerful teaching moment. His students now work with 3D scans of his own skull, creating implant models as part of a curriculum he calls “Fix Me.” This hands-on project not only teaches advanced design and engineering principles but also underscores the profound impact technology can have on human lives.
“Biomedical engineering doesn't just occur in a multimillion-dollar company,” Buro says. “We can do it in the classroom…I can say legitimately that I give my students experience.”
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