The Sun, The Stars and The Moon 

While the sun was nearing blistering temperatures, the College of Innovation and Design (CID) was keeping its cool planning, prepping and growing.

Ashe Patel working in the Open XR Lab

 

Utilizing grant funding, the CID supported six rising star students from different segments of the university in an applied learning environment. CID has also committed to ten more stars this fall with student assistantships and tuition funding.

 

Gensler partnership with the College of Innovation and Design

 

During this time, CID expanded its program with a new First year Seminar course called WUtopia-The 15 Minute City. The course is a partnership with Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm. CID also partnered with the Cohen Honors College to create a pathway to the Master of Innovation Design (MID) program that takes advantage of the university’s 4 +1 senior rule that allows for dual credit courses in your senior year to count toward a Master’s degree, and CID announced a new graduate certificate in Agile Product Management.

 

One of the greatest feelings is when you’re able to bring back an MID grad to be part of the program. This summer we announced that Maggie Koops Goering would be joining the MID team as an industry consultant.

 

Kristyn Waits in Houston Ion District

 

All that and CID was just warming up, submitting three grant applications, issued one patent, submitted two academic papers, and communicated with seven new MIDers anxious to grow their digital mindset and skills.

 

Earlier this year upped the ante by committing to makie sure every student gets the support they need to be a start in their own right, with the renovation of Clinton Hall to the new Shocker Success Center opening Summer 2024. The Shocker Success Center will bring together in one location, a host of university services that are currently spread across campus. To support the process of integrating the services the College of Innovation Design (CID) hosted a successful one-day workshop that brought together all the organizations who will be part of the Shocker Success Center to identify core values and work towards building a culture of collaboration and community.

 

Maggie Schoonover using VR at a NASA Lab

 

CID was over the moon when faculty Maggie Schoonover and Kristyn Waits who run the NASA Suits team and CosmoShox research group, traveled to the NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to present on VR research which is supported by CID’s new Open XR Laboratory in Devlin Hall. The lab is available to students working in AR and VR. The CosmoShox Research Team wrapped up the summer with a week-long game jam where they created a phase 1 alpha map, learned Unreal Engine 5 and how to work in an agile sprint. In other technology news, CID made multiple community presentations on Artificial Intelligence (AI) including to the City of Andover, National League of the Cities Colorado Springs, and Kansas Fire Chiefs Roundtable.

 

Cessna Stadium Demo

 

As if the summer was not exciting enough, CID also had a front row seat to the deconstruction of the east side of Cessna Stadium. A few loud bangs, crashing concrete and steel, and a small pile of dust later, the view has greatly improved, and made way for the next phase of the redesigned stadium.

 

Think Big.
Take Risks.
Make It Matter.

 


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