This spring, the Genomics Shared Resource VR Tour did what it was designed to do: reach people where they are. Tracie McGinnity brought the tour to three very different events over the course of a single week, introducing over 140 people to the research happening inside Wilmot's Rochester Genomics Center.
Fairport SPARK Night
On April 13th, Wilmot's Shared Resources joined Fairport Central Schools' annual SPARK Night, an event aimed at igniting student interest in STEAM. Tracie ran the VR headsets while Elizabeth Pritchett brought the Mantis liquid handler, together offering students a two-pronged look at what biomedical research actually looks like.
About 100 students cycled through the Shared Resources tables over two hours, with a steady queue of kids eager to step inside the Wilmot lab virtually. A recently deployed update to the tour made managing the crowd significantly easier: when a user removes the headset, the experience now automatically resets to the lobby, so the next person can start fresh without any staff intervention.
Wilmot Discovery Ball
A few days later, the tour appeared at a very different kind of event: the Wilmot Discovery Ball, the cancer institute's annual gala fundraiser, which raised over one million dollars this year. Approximately 15 attendees gave the tour a try. As Tracie noted, that's a solid turnout "considering attendees were dressed in their gala best and might not be willing to mess up their hair and/or makeup." The moment spoke to the tour's versatility: it can hold its own in a gymnasium full of middle schoolers just as well as a ballroom full of potential donors.
WeMoCo BOCES 2 Career Fair
The week's final stop was the Western Monroe County (WeMoCo) BOCES 2 career fair, where 27 students from across the district's vocational programs took the VR tour. Students came from a wide range of programs, including:
- Nursing and phlebotomy
- Exercise science
- Computer science and digital/visual communications
- Criminal justice
- Cosmetology
- Baking and food services
- Heavy equipment
The visit also opened doors for future collaboration. Teachers from the Computer Science and Digital/Visual Communications programs expressed interest in coordinating visits to Studio X and partnering on projects this fall.
Looking Ahead
That range of venues and audiences is a testament to the project team’s vision and commitment to bringing the tour to new communities. The team is also continuing work on expanded interactive elements, with more to share as the project develops. Looking ahead, the Genomics Shared Resources team and the Mary Ann Mavrinac Studio X are collaborating to further expand the tour and explore new opportunities for engagement and education.
