Student Spotlight: Annie Forgette

By | November 23, 2021

This week we caught up with Annie Forgette, a Senior double majoring in Computer Science and Computing in the Arts with a digital media concentration! Annie and her mentor, Dr. Bill Manaris, received a SURF 2021 Grant to create an Interactive Participatory Music Environment where artists are able to host interactive musical and artistic experiences!

Our goal is to create an environment where everyday people are able to engage meaningfully with and contribute to shared musical and artistic experiences by making simple choices on and interacting with their smartphones! Some of my favorite memories from this experience have been the little a-ha moments that I’ve shared with my professor and colleagues along the way. Whether it’s when we finally debug a difficult error in our code or when we reach an interesting new concept for an artistic piece after much conversation and research, it’s super rewarding to have that shared moment of clarity,” Annie shared.

I’ve learned a lot from this experience! I think one of the most valuable things I’ve gained is the knowledge of what work in my field can look like. There are so many interesting intersections between art and programming, and this opportunity has been such a valuable chance for me to explore those intersections in a hands-on, real way. 

It is so important to explore within your field and department! I never really imagined myself doing research during my college career because I didn’t fully grasp what research in my field could look like. Research can be creative, collaborative, and artistic! I’d encourage others to be curious and explore the wide range of opportunities that are available to you!” Annie told us.

 

Attached are photos from Annie’s project. Thank you to Annie for sharing your SURF 2021 experience!