In a September 17th visit to the Hamel Family Digital Media Lab, Department of Communication Arts donor George Hamel (BA ’80) and his parents met with Hamel Family Professor Sabine Gruffat,Professor Vance Kepley, and Faculty Associate Erik Gunneson to visit the Hamel Family Digital Media Lab in Vilas Hall.
The Hamel family has a special interest in the Communication Arts teaching mission, and they took the initiative to fund implementation of the Hamel Family Digital Media Lab, a state-of-the-art instructional laboratory in Vilas Hall. With the support of Dean Gary Sandefur and the College of Letters & Science, construction and installation on the high-tech facility took place over summer 2007, and it was ready for service at the beginning of fall classes.
Since then, the Hamel Lab has allowed the Department to offer new courses in computer animation, interactive media, and basic web design. The lab has also provided a more effective teaching space for existing courses. The facility features sophisticated computer work stations where students can simultaneously learn about digital media practices and develop their own creative skills. High speed interconnections allow students to view each other’s work and to cooperate on projects, part of an intimate and collaborative learning atmosphere sustained by the lab’s careful design. Courses taught in the Hamel Lab since the fall of 2007 include:
- Comm Arts 368: Theory & Practice of Persuasion
- Comm Arts 465: Editing & Post Production for Video & Film
- Comm Arts 609: 2D Computer Animation
- Comm Arts 609: 3D Computer Animation
- Comm Arts 609: Interactive Multimedia
- Comm Arts 610: Folklore in a Digital Age
For such support and good will, the Department of Communication Arts reaffirms its deep appreciation to George and Pam Hamel and their family.