A combined endeavor by faculty members from Ohio University's Scripps College of Communication McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies, Eric R. Williams and John Bowditch, together with Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service Faculty member John Born, has been honored with the prestigious 2023 FBI National Academy Associates Science and Innovation Award.
The team developed two impactful 30-minute cinematic virtual reality (cine-VR) experiences aimed at enhancing police officer training across the state of Ohio. The award-winning work was part of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service's Appalachian Law Enforcement Initiative (ALEI), which allowed faculty to collaborate with numerous Ohio University students and community members. Using resources from the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab in the Scripps College of Communication, which serves as an innovative and creative center for students, faculty, and staff research and project development.
The project was a true collaborative effort, featuring contributions from Lieutenant Tim Ryan of the Ohio University Police Department, Commander David Malawista from the Athens Police Department, Captain Aaron Maynard from the Athens Sheriff’s Office, Tia Jameson, Director of Ohio University’s Bobcats Lead Change, Adonis Durado, Assistant Professor in the School of Visual Communication, John Born, Visiting Assistant Professor and Executive in Residence at the Scripps College of Communication and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, Eric R. Williams, Professor in ECT, and Jordan Herron, Sound Designer.
https://www.ohio.edu/news/2023/08/ohio-university-faculty-honored-2023-fbi-national-academy-associates-science-and