Southern Utah University received an innovation grant in April 2022 to begin researching and integrating augmented/virtual reality into the curriculum. In this episode, host Tony Pellegrini sits down with Aundrea Frahm, Director of AR/VR at SUU to discuss the grant, how AR/VR can be integrated into the curriculum, and what the future holds for XR at SUU.

Aundrea Frahm, SUU's AR/VR Director, shares, “Teaching is one of my very favorite things mainly because I love working with college students. They are brilliant and I love learning from them. As an art education professor, I looked forward to teaching students the power of unity and inclusion in the classroom. Now, more than ever, it is important that all students have a voice, are heard, and loved. A good teacher does that.”

Aundrea believes that the classroom is a space where each voice is important and valuable. The classroom does not revolve around competition, status, or favoritism, but it is an open forum where every member of the community is able to communicate, grow and learn to the best of their individual ability and to give and receive support. The classroom community is a place where discussion facilitates question-asking and answering each other’s questions, investigating relevant issues and exploring the world at large. Aundrea will be opening SUU's first AR/VR Studio during Spring 2023, as well as hosting southern Utah's first XR Summit on March 15, 2023.