Darnell L. King, Jr. Changemaker Fellow ('26, BA in Psychology with a minor in Economics). To foster deeper student engagement in iZone programming, he conducted in-person informational interviews and administered online surveys to better understand how student needs and interests align with iZone programming. Using these insights, Darnell developed targeted social media strategies and in-person marketing initiatives to effectively reach library stakeholders and student organizations.
Miles E. Vilke. XR Developer Fellow ('25, BA in Digital Media Studies and Computer Science). Miles led workshops and enhanced accessibility for a VR educational game through Studio X. In partnership with the Strasenburgh Planetarium, he also organized the 360 Film Festival. As part of this collaboration, Miles oversaw logistics, developed marketing strategies, and facilitated workshops for participants on using the planetarium’s technology. The festival received eight project submissions from teams at the University of Rochester, RIT, and SUNY Potsdam.
Elizabeth K. Hogrefe Narrative Designer Fellow ('25, BA in English/Creative Writing, and Digital Media Studies). Liz conducted research on narrative design for XR for an advanced collaborative VR project in StudioX. Her research explored the unique capabilities of XR in narrative contexts, including its effects on immersion, cognition, and overall impact.
Varuni Hazra ('26, BS in Neuroscience) helped Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprises build capacity and improve their competitiveness. Using systems thinking, Varuni mapped key resources and outcomes across community partners and campus stakeholders, connecting organizations to new opportunities for partnerships, resource sharing, and future capacity building.
Liz and Miles also partnered with staff from Robbins Library to host Studio X's first Xcaliber Game Jam. During the 32-hour event, teams competed to create a medieval-inspired game from start to finish. The event had 22 participants and four board games and four video games were created.
