MiXR Studios Podcast

In the final episode for season one of the MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Tom Finholt, the Dean and a Professor of Information at the University of Michigan’s School of Information. Dean Finholt was instrumental in the early work in collaborating with faculty and other deans at the University of Michigan to explore what the University should be doing in terms of XR for research and pedagogy. Dean Finholt was strongly encouraged by alum and external advisory board member, Jamie Voris to invest in XR technologies broadly across the University to enhance teaching and learning. As we wrap up our first season, I couldn’t think of a better person to share his insights and thoughts about where we have been and where we should go with the XR Initiative.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Simone Sessolo, a lecturer IV at the Sweetland Center for Writing and the Digital Studies Institute at the University of Michigan's College of Literature Science. Simone discusses his work in teaching composition and narrative writing with augmented reality. His work focuses around the interactions that exist between computers and traditional media. In talking with Lisa Nakamura from the Digital Studies Institute, he was intrigued by the University’s investments in augmented and virtual reality. This led him to create a 200 level writing course at the University of Michigan called Creating Narratives in Augmented Reality. We explore how he thinks about storytelling and digital technologies and what he would like to see the future look like at the University.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Jan Stewart, the Lead Academic Technology Strategist for the University of Michigan’s LSA Technology Services. Jan shares his experience and input in creating the first VR classroom for Humanities at the University. Jan was instrumental in helping shape the design and delivery of the VR courses created by UM faculty Sara Blair and Lisa Nakamura. The technology isn’t the only thing that should be considered in a VR classroom and Jan thinks critically about how to deliver the safest and most effective experience for students.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we have a special opportunity to hear Professor Sara Blair interview Barry Pousman, the COO and Lead Producer at LightShed.io about his transformative work in VR storytelling at the UN and Discovery Digital Networks. Professor Blair taught a course in the fall of 2019 where students explored the perspectives of VR and the novel and her students experienced some of the work that Barry created. In this unique conversation, we hear from two experts in the space of digital storytelling and how that relates to bringing about social change.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Alex DaSilva, an Associate Professor of Dentistry, the Director of Learning Health Systems, and the Director of the HOPE lab at the University of Michigan's School of Dentistry. We discuss Alex’s ground breaking research in the area of dentistry and pain. His lab is exploring how to use Augmented Reality to visualize pain in real time to help with the treatment and management. In addition to AR, the team is using Virtual Reality to help explore how VR meditation can help manage pain and anxiety for dental emergencies. Alex is working on the cutting edge of pain research and using XR to visualize treatment in fascinating ways.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with J.J. Bouchard, the manager of patient technology program at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. J.J. helped create this amazing program at the children’s hospital and is charged with bringing recreational, educational, and extended reality technology into patients’ rooms. As a child life specialist, J.J. uses these technologies to connect with patients and volunteers to support these technologies in the hospital. The Mott Golf Classic donated a number of Xboxes to the hospital one year, and J.J. saw that as an opportunity to advocate for a funded position to have him manage devices and build out a program to transform how children can access life-altering technologies while they are in the hospital.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Michael Nebeling, an Assistant Professor of Information at the University of Michigan’s School of Information and the XR Innovator in Residence for the XR Initiative. We conducted a podcast recording in front of a live audience where we discuss Michael’s new “XR for Everybody” MOOC set to come out on 11/9/2020 on the Coursera platform as well as the first year of the XR Initiative. We covered a number of topics from Michael’s history of teaching AR and VR design to the incredible amount of work that he and the team at the Center for Academic Innovation put into the creation of this new MOOC specialization.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Rebeca Pagels, the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the University of Michigan’s School of Information, and Amy Klinke, a Senior Director for the University of Michigan’s Business Engagement Center. Both Rebecca and Amy were instrumental in bringing together the XR community at the University of Michigan and helped set the stage for what would ultimately become the XR Initiative. In their work, they engaged alumni and individuals at corporations such as Disney, Lenovo, Microsoft, and Oculus to develop mutually beneficial relationships with the University of Michigan. In this episode, we explore the XR journey the University has taken over the last 4 years and what the future may look like.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Dr. Prashant Mahajan, the Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Professor, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, and Division Chief, Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Michigan's Medical School. Dr. Mahajan has been an early adopter of XR technologies within Michigan Medicine to explore how augmented reality could be used to assist emergency medicine practitioners in treating pediatric patients in the Emergency Department. In this episode, we will discuss his work with the HoloLens and some of his exciting work to aid the healthcare team to save lives.

In this week’s MiXR Studios podcast, we talk with Joanna Millunchick, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of Michigan's College of Engineering. Joanna teaches courses in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and explores crystal structures in virtual reality. She is also the associate dean of undergraduate education and is interested in understanding how we can advance undergraduate curriculum to include XR technologies to support teaching and learning.