Purdue Opens Entertainment and Engineering Center
Purdue created the Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering. (photo provided)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe fields of engineering and entertainment may not seem like a traditional match for a career path, but Purdue University students who enjoy both have an opportunity to see where the two come together.
The university has recently launched the newly created Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering.
The school says the FSEE connects the two fields and highlights a partnership between the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Engineering.
The interdisciplinary center will create a curriculum for students to learn about cutting-edge work on emerging technology and the interconnection of engineering and live entertainment.
Purdue says from theme parks to the theater, live entertainment is relying more heavily on technology.
“The Fusion Studio will connect faculty and practitioners from institutions across the U.S. and beyond, driving the development of best practices for teaching students the skills they need to create entertainment experiences we have not yet imagined,” said Rich Dionne, an associate professor of theatre practice and a co-director of FSEE.
Dionne says audiences are increasingly demanding greater spectacle and more immersive involvement in the performances.
Purdue says the Fusion Studio comes at a time when live entertainment events are facing challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
FSEE Co-director Mary Pilotte, who is an associate professor of engineering practice, says opportunities in the merging of acoustics, augmented performance and virtual reality have increased.
“This is not only gaining ground because it is safe, but because it is able to access a global audience like never before,” said Pilotte.