FHSU University Relations and Marketing
On Wednesday, August 26, Fort Hays State University’s Institute for New Media Studies kicked off the year with an open house in its new media lab. The four-hour event saw nearly 400 people visit the Institute.
The event was attended by faculty, staff and students from every FHSU college, most departments and a number of university administrators. Off-campus community members also came to see how the Institute’s resources can serve Hays and the entire Tiger Community.
Attendees participated in several demonstrations of the Institute’s machines led by the Institute’s Director, Dr. Gordon Carlson. The event included a 3D movie screening, hands-on interaction with the Institute’s interactive Smart Table, and an exhibition of its 3D Printer and scanning capabilities. Visitors were able to the experience the Institute’s virtual reality system, Oculus Rift, exploring outer space, the deep sea and an interactive virtual Forsyth Library.
The open house welcomed a number of classes who visited during the day. Students explored many ways to integrate resources from the Institute’s new media lab into their own coursework and research.
Students hailing from Asia, Africa, Europe and North America all visited the Institute. Dr. Scott Robson, Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, commented, “Seeing students’ excitement about using new media to communicate was very encouraging.”
The Institute consistently grows with a number of new projects and will continue to serve as a resource for FHSU students, staff, faculty and community members.