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39 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 2018 2018 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 39 it's developing is a digital experience (DX) lab, exploring emerging technologies and methodologies. This year, the focus will be on design for large-format interactive displays, improving engagement with the community through computer vision, and software development designed to improve user experience of the Internet of Things (IoT). UConn is seeking research partners to collaborate on the DX lab, she said. New Horizons Elliott-Famularo – a documentary filmmaker and digital media professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio for 18 years – was approached by UConn last year after the founder of its Digital Media & Design Department, Tim Hunter, announced he was retiring. "I was on sabbatical and wasn't really looking to leave Bowling Green," she recalls. But after learning about UConn's five-year- old program and the responsibilities of the position, she thought it represented a fresh and welcome challenge. Because the program is new, she said, "we have the ability to create a really cutting-edge model." In addition to the more traditional courses involving animation and gaming, the department now offers digital humanities and business strategies. She said UConn is not just producing "button pushers," but leaders in both content creation and distribution. Graduates will be well trained to work in a variety of fields, and not just in traditional sectors. "We have two faculty who specialize in scientific visualization who are training students to help support Connecticut's biotech sector," she said. And because print textbooks are becoming obsolete in a world where information is updated so quickly, there will be a need for people to create the education tools of the future, including interactive web design. While many freshmen arrive with traditional notions of their potential career path, "we really work with them to expand their ideas about how digital media impacts them on a daily basis, and help them to explore other career fields." she said. The department's five-year track record has been excellent. "Seventy-five to 85 percent of our students are getting jobs in their field within six months of graduation. I came from a state university, and so I really feel we have obligation to contribute to the Connecticut economy and Connecticut society. Most of our students are staying here and helping Connecticut grow." She said there is more opportunity to do digital-media work in the state than most people realize, from medical laboratories to manufacturing-design facilities. At UConn's Stamford campus, faculty members are working to forge connections with digital-media giants like NBC Universal and NBC Sports, along with smaller video companies. The department is also developing forums where talent, employers, mentors and job seekers can come together to make connections. One example is an intensive summer program created in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Film, Television and Digital Media. Dubbed Digital Media Connecticut, or DMCT, the program's goal is to assist high school students, veterans and professionals who want to gain the basic skills needed for entry-level work in the industry, and to help recent college graduates find jobs. A one-day conference on the subject will be held on June 22 in Stamford. This will be followed by a lecture series in Hartford and Stamford. These initiatives will not only involve UConn "but all of the higher education institutions, including community colleges," said Elliott-Famularo, adding, "it's important for high school students to understand that they can have a career in digital media right here in Connecticut." DMD alumna Steph Orts is now an art director at Sequel International, the marketing licensee for Guess watches. [Photo courtesy of Steph Orts] ENTERTAINMENT & DIGITAL MEDIA