Zach Maggia and Clay Dobbins, both 2019 Gibbs College graduates now working full-time at TAP Architecture, have partnered with AIA Oklahoma, Bishop McGuinness STEM students, Positive Tomorrows and TAP Architecture to provide Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) Oklahoma first responders with ear savers to wear with their protective masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3D printed ear saver. Image credit: Zach Magia
The idea, which originally came from Ian and Hailey McDermid, owners of The Pump and The Bunker Club in Oklahoma City, was to create ear savers for EMSA Oklahoma first responders to wear during the pandemic. Maggia and Dobbins got involved with the project when their boss at TAP, Anthony McDermid, mentioned that his son, Ian, knew someone at EMSA that needed ear savers and asked if they could help.
EMSA Facebook post. Image credit: Zach Magia
The ear savers move the point of contact for medical masks from behind the ear to the back of the head, so instead of the elastic resting behind the ear, it has hooks that transfer the strain and make masks more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. The team has completed approximately 250 ear savers for EMSA so far, with a goal of providing 600.
During the Spring 2026 semester, students in Interior Design Studio IV and Graduate Studio IV gained hands-on experience in educational facility design through a semester-long partnership with MA+ Architecture.
The Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture congratulates Dr. Tammy McCuen, Robert E. Busch Professor of Construction Science, on beginning her term as president of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC), an international organization dedicated to advancing construction education through teaching, research and service.
Following years of contributions to the College’s research and strategic initiatives, Gibbs College shares that Associate Dean for Research and External Engagement Angela M. Person, PhD, will step down from her position at Gibbs College as she moves to Tucson with her family, effective June 30, 2026.
