Gift to Alfred University establishes Student Media Lab
Thanks to the philanthropic investment from Alfred University alumnus Dr. 安东尼·罗素，1974年, 还有他的搭档, 布拉德Prunty, renovations have been made to the space in Powell Campus Center that houses facilities used by student media clubs and organizations.
ALFRED, NY – Thanks to the philanthropic investment from Alfred University alumnus Dr. 安东尼·罗素，1974年, 还有他的搭档, 布拉德Prunty, renovations have been made to the space in Powell Campus Center that houses facilities used by student media clubs and organizations.
Prunty-Russo学生媒体实验室, located in a suite of studios and meeting space on Powell’s first floor, will host an open house on Saturday, 9月. 24，上午9:45-11.m.在返校节/家庭周末期间.
The gifts from Prunty and Russo have been used to renovate three studios, including two used by student radio station WALF and the AUTV club and another dedicated to audio and video production; offices for the Fiat Lux student newspaper; and a common meeting room that houses thousands of vinyl record albums used by WALF over the years. New flooring and ceilings have been installed, 墙画, and new equipment and furniture has been acquired.
Russo earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Alfred University and is CEO and chairman of Russo Partners LLC, which provides public relations services to the healthcare industry. He and Prunty are parents of Alfred University senior Pablo Prunty-Russo. They made the gifts funding the media lab to support the Alfred University Communication Studies program and “to create a hands-on, experiential learning facility to enhance student-run media organizations” like the Fiat Lux, WALF, 和AUTV, 艾琳·马丁诺维奇说, vice president of University Advancement.
“There is a lot happening in that space,” Martinovich commented. “Tony and Brad have seen the program, and the progress we have made (in developing the media lab), and they’re enthusiastic about the changes they’ve inspired.”
The Communication Studies program is housed in the College of Liberal 艺术 and Sciences. 罗伯特•斯坦, 班级院长, said the Prunty-Russo Student Media Lab will enhance the Communication Studies program but will also benefit students and faculty across a wide range of academic disciplines.
“The Communication Studies program is very connected to the lab,斯坦说. 例如, 他注意到尼克·施莱格尔, associate professor of communication studies, 教视频制作课. Students in that class can take advantage of the video editing software available in the lab. Stein envisions students and faculty outside the program making use of the facilities. He pointed to a workshop on creating podcasts which will be offered next week by Alfred University alumnus John Lewis ’03, former director of Student Activities. 几位老师和学生, some outside the Communication Studies program, have signed up to take the workshop.
“We’re hoping faculty will use the facilities to become more familiar with the technologies available and then integrate them into their coursework,斯坦说.
彼得·冯·斯塔克尔伯格, visiting professor of Communication Studies will supervise the Prunty-Russo Student Media Lab. Stein expects as word gets out about the facility, student involvement in media-related clubs will increase and there will be more opportunities for collaboration between students interested in various forms of media.
“The hope is that this will give (clubs) more visibility,斯坦说. “随着这些俱乐部变得更加活跃, 学生们将见面, 分享想法, and explore the intersections of the different media. 例如, students coming in to work on a podcast may decide to get involved with WALF, or write an article for the Fiat Lux.”
Other plans for the media lab include creating a new entrance from the main corridor of Powell Campus Center’s first floor, with glass doors providing a view into the lab. Currently, visitors must circle around past the mail room to enter the lab area. “The goal is to allow people to see the activity and ask, ‘What’s going on in there?’”斯坦说。.
Stein thanked Prunty and Russo for their generosity in making the idea of a media lab come to fruition. “This concept has been in the works for three or four years. Only when Tony and Brad donated the money did we have the resources to make it a reality,” he said.
冯Stackelberg, 施莱格尔, 和丹妮尔·加涅, chair of the Division of Psychology and Communication Studies, 将参加9. 24开放日. The event will include a tour of the new facilities and demonstrations of the lab equipment by student ambassadors, including a green screen “selfie” presentation. “We want to create a buzz for the media lab. This will be a fun, informal get-together,” Martinovich commented.