A pilot competition at Stony Brook University (SBU), called SBU Inspirations, will bring together students and staff in an effort to showcase student projects and experiential learning through the use of innovative technology.
SBU Inspirations invites students to create a brief multimedia presentation that showcases a project, talent, idea or academic experience through the use of different technological resources available to the Stony Brook community.
“The concept [for SBU Inspirations] was the ideas that students have that will inspire others to adopt technology,” Diana Voss, director of academic technology services and planner of the event, said.
The submissions will start on Feb. 24 and conclude on April 3. Judges will then narrow down the results to a final list between April 8 and 16. Voting will be available on SB Engaged between April 22 and 24, where the SBU community will be able to select their favorite submission from the final list.
The creators of the final list would attend an awards ceremony on May 6 during Campus Life Time, Voss said. Students and staff would gather to recognize the submissions and formally announce the winner. The location for the awards ceremony is yet to be announced.
Although the prizes for the winners are undecided, Voss said that a Bluetooth printer, Wolfie Wallet dollars or digital badges — which can be displayed on LinkedIn profiles — are on a short list of potential rewards.
David Ecker, the director of iCREATE, said SBU Inspirations is meant to be a fun activity that helps to both educate faculty on how technology could help their classes and help students showcase their projects to peers and potential employers.
He encourages the use of the iCREATE’s innovative technology, such as One Button Studio in the Educational Communications Center and the Green Screen in Harriman Hall, to craft the SBU Inspirations submissions. iCREATE and other resources available to the student body are compiled on an SBU Inspirations website.
“We were trying to figure out how we get [the technology] out there and make a buzz about it so that people know what’s going on,“ he said. “[Stony Brook has] a number of services that students don’t know about.”
Community members are also encouraged to nominate students to showcase their work through Inspirations, and staff members to participate in the judging process.
“There’s all this learning happening not only in the classroom but also outside [the classroom] that Stony Brook is giving to our students, that we want to make sure that [students are] recognized,” Ecker said. “This is a way of highlighting and helping others.”
Victoria Wander, a junior psychology major and development coordinator for SBU Inspirations, said that the event will allow her peers to share cool ideas, gain potential collaborators and “spread creativity around campus.”
She has also been advertising in the Student Activities Center to help generate interest in SBU Inspirations, in addition to making a video that will be up before submissions, about the competition.
“We want to get as much participation as we can so that people really start spreading their ideas and sharing their creativity,” Wander said. “We want to be a collaborative event so people can grow from their own and everyone else’s ideas.”
