Technology a Big Part of SSU's Future

As part of Shawnee State’s $12 million Poised for Tomorrow capital campaign, the university is promoting a bold technology agenda that will better prepare its graduates for the future and foster the economic revitalization of the region.

     Central to the university’s technology agenda is the creation of an Immersive Technology and Arts Center, a complete facility that will provide all aspects of digital simulation. This is the same technology used to create video games such as “Tiger Woods PGA Tour,” and simulations in which surgeons practice procedures, to name just two applications.

     Dr. George White, who with his wife, Sandra, has donated $50,000 toward this initiative, said that high-tech is the future.

     “We are very excited about technology that emerges from Shawnee State,” said White. “Without progress in technology, the school will not grow.” The Whites made their donation through a gift of stock.

     Because there are few comparable facilities in the United States – or the world, for that matter – ITAC will attract to the region companies for whom the potential applications of the technology are almost unlimited. And Shawnee State students who receive training in the operation of this advanced equipment will be equipped with highly marketable skills and experience.

     Dr. Wayne Wheeler and his wife, Saundra, have also made a donation to support the technology agenda through a five-year pledge commitment of $50,000. The first $10,000 came from appreciated stock.

     Dr. Wheeler said he is excited about the status ITAC would bring Shawnee State.

     “This would put Shawnee State in the company of such universities as the University of Texas, The Ohio State University and a very few others who have developed this technology.”

     Mrs. White agreed. “It’s thrilling that Shawnee State will be giving people around the world a run for their money with finely qualified people in that area.”  

     ITAC will house all the components for planning, designing and creating a virtual world. The heart of the facility will be a motion capture lab, in which digital cameras and equipment record the movement of subjects. Computers then transform the data from the cameras into animated figures. Along with a motion capture lab, ITAC will have advanced video and sound editing studios, space for computer workstations, offices and a conference room.

     Shawnee State President Rita Rice Morris said that because of the countless applications for this new technology, ITAC will serve as a catalyst for economic growth in the region.

     “High-tech facilities like ITAC are idea engines,” said Morris. “Inspired by their work at ITAC, professors and students will devise new products and start their own companies. As their businesses expand they will hire other Shawnee State graduates. The growth can be incredible. Some of the largest computer and software companies in the U.S. began as one or two people with an idea.”

     Morris said that other Shawnee State programs would be able to utilize the technology to better facilitate their training, including occupational and physical therapy, sports medicine, dental hygiene and nursing.

     Both the Whites and Wheelers are thrilled to be able to help make these new technologies a reality. “We’re just so happy that Poised for Tomorrow is allowing us to have this opportunity,” Mrs. White said. “It spoke to us immediately.”

     “Shawnee State is a very important economic engine for our community and an important part of the future of Southeastern Ohio,” Dr. Wheeler said. “Saundra and I are proud that we are able to make a pledge of support to the university.”

     Poised for Tomorrow is a $12 million capital campaign to support a broad array of campus initiatives. Those initiatives include undergraduate research, new technologies, specialized studies, faculty development, scholarships, enhanced clinical experiences and an enhanced quality of life for the region.