As I graduate this May, I’m finishing my third year as a part of Aurum, our interdisciplinary project with the Robbins Library. Having worked on the project from both sides as an employee in both Robbins and Studio X as well managing the project for two years, I have plenty of material to look back on.

Introduction

Extended reality’s unique ability to construct a spatial environment allows it to place the user in an infinite number of contexts. As part of my Karp Library Fellowship last semester, I conducted research into a specific aspect of this wide world of possibilities: how these environments affect and enhance storytelling. For the purposes of this research, “narrative contexts” refers to any kind of storytelling, be that news, story-based games, VR films, recreating memories to share with others, or the conveyance of any other kind of narrative.

This past semester, I had the exciting opportunity to work on the Object Biometrics platform—a web-based prototype designed to analyze and compare 3D-scanned objects. The project blends technology, design, and storytelling, making it possible to highlight subtle but meaningful differences between physical artifacts. My role focused on creating 3D models, building visualizations, documenting workflows, and coding the site—all while learning from leading researchers and digital scholarship experts.

This April, thousands of organizations received word that their federal grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) were abruptly terminated as part of a broader effort to reduce federal spending in certain program areas, including arts and culture. Yet, these organizations are doing vital work that may not be possible without these grants.

What happens when you mix cutting-edge immersive tech, a planetarium dome, and serious creativity? You get Rochester’s very first 360° Film Festival, a new event brought to life by a Karp Library Fellow—and hosted by Studio X!

Studio X Launches Its First Game Jam: XCalibur

Introduction