A 3D printer that always seems to be making something new sits at the end of the counter. There are screens everywhere, a 360 camera, an Oculus Rift virtual reality system and countless possibilities for what Scott Griffith (’06), coordinator of the Next Gen Tech Bar in the John J. Hemmingson Center called “micro-collisions.”
“Picture it this way: a business student in the same space with a mechanical engineering student—in the day-to-day coursework, they’re not typically interacting unless they’re friends,” he explained. “We can facilitate these types of connections and see what they can come up with.” Griffith went on, “We want to be facilitators of learning, developing content and getting technology in the hands of everyone in the Gonzaga community.”
In the year since the space opened, it has become an exciting, accessible, experiential collaborative space where people can simply walk in to use and learn about technologies they might not have otherwise encountered.
“It’s an exciting vision that’s only possible because of the support we get from the greater community,” said Griffith. “This space isn’t just for students. It’s for the whole community—donors, too! If they have an interest in what we’re doing, we welcome them to come check it out!”
You can connect with the Next Gen Tech Bar team on their Facebook page, or drop by the North side of the first floor of the Hemmingson Center from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.