Occurring June 3-6, 2024, this summer institute allows a cohort of faculty and graduate students to explore the pedagogic possibilities of three exciting large-scale immersive visualization display platforms available at MSU:

• The Abrams Planetarium
• 360 Degree Panoramic Display Space in the Library’s Digital Scholarship Lab

• Science On a Sphere at the MSU Museum

Immersive Visualization Institute (IVI) Graduate Fellows will learn about the affordances and limitations of each technology and how they are best suited for different types of visual representation. Participants will learn techniques for producing content for these displays and explore interdisciplinary ideas for capitalizing on one or more of the platforms. Participants are expected to produce a participation outcome using one of the technologies (e.g., teaching module, research study design, outreach program element, work of art) by August 18, 2024. The time commitment for producing a product varies, but participants should plan time during June-August for consultation with an IVI facilitator, draft, editing, and final version.

Applicants are invited from across the entire university, and all disciplines and interdisciplinary perspectives are welcome. Graduate students may apply individually or with a faculty member mentor. Selection is competitive and limited to 10 graduate students. A $500.00 stipend is awarded to participating students. Students must be enrolled for Summer 2024 semester in order to participate. Please consult with your academic and financial aid advisors before applying to determine potential impacts related to your enrollment and receiving a stipend.

In the workshops, participants will:

• Assess and compare the learning and other affordances of different immersive display platforms

• Explore ways to experience and teach complex natural and/or cultural phenomena through immersive representations and narratives

• Practice designing digital products for display using the three projection spaces

• Develop a final product
• Submit their product to the IVI Summer Institute facilitators by August 18, 2024


Participants will experience the capabilities of the Abrams Planetarium, the 360 immersive display space in the Digital Scholarship Lab at the Main Library, and Science On a Sphere at the MSU Museum to engage people in a wide range of phenomena, including immersion in macrocosmic, environmental, and social spaces as well as renditions of microcosmic phenomena.

Apply Now for the Immersive Visualization Institute

Co-conveners include MSU Graduate School, Abrams Planetarium, MSU Libraries, and MSU Museum.

Applications are due by 11:59 PM on Monday, April 22, 2024. Applicants will be notified of acceptance decisions by April 30, 2024. Please email questions to Carrie Wicker (Museum); Amanda Tickner or Justin Wadland (Libraries); or Shannon Schmoll (Planetarium).