College of Arts, Media and Design Faculty Present Results of Research and Creative Activity Funded by the College’s Creative Catalyst Program.

On August 18, recipients of CAMD’s Creative Catalyst Phase 1 grants presented their findings. The body of work is a fitting representation of the College’s unique contributions to interdisciplinary inquiry. From an examination of urban underwater soundscapes to a study of how AI-assisted creativity shapes flow state, CAMD is charting an incredible path forward to meet head on the challenges and opportunities of today’s rapidly changing world.

Listening to the River – Urban Underwater Soundscapes and Microbial Life employs acoustic data collection and sequencing of river bacteria to examine how sound affects the microbiome and explore the implications for urban design. Project leads are Dietmar Offenhuber (Art + Design), Katia Zolotovsky (Art + Design and Chemistry and Chemical Biology), and CAMD PhD student Sebastian Gonzalez Quintero.

GroundWalks leverages textile shoe insole sensors to map urban neighborhoods by surface conditions and advance understanding of walking in urban environments and the impact on human health and wellbeing. Project leads are Kristian Kloeckl (Art + Design and Architecture), Amy Lu (Communication Studies and Health Sciences), Eric Folmar (Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitative Sciences), Sam Greeman (Research Assistant), and Catherine Zhou (Research Assistant).

Mobi-Lyze is a unique sonification and visualization system created to help Type-1 diabetes patients comprehend and engage with data retrieved from their insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. Project leads are Michael Frengel (Music) and Pedro Cruz (Art + Design).

Can AI Music Generation Induce Flow? Agency, Automation, and the Absorption Gap investigates how AI-assisted creativity shapes the emotional awards of the creative process and to what extent individual differences in resilience and personality moderate these outcomes. Project leads are James Gutierrez (Music), Joshua Curtis (Counseling Psychology and Applied Psychology), and William Sharp (Psychology).

Incongruency and Presence in XR is creating extended reality tools to enable more effective and accurate testing of hearing loss. Project leaders are Wallace Lages, (Art + Design and Computer Sciences) and Aaron Seitz (Psychology and Art + Design).

CAMD congratulates these teams for their groundbreaking work and expresses gratitude to the amazing community of alumni and donors who supported these projects and continue to help  guide CAMD into the future.