The Institute for Multimedia Applications (IMA) was begun at Howard University in 1995 after Todd Shurn, a computer science professor there, and several of his colleagues particapated in a research group that investigated the state of technology at the univerisity. "We discovered that we didn't have any multimedia equipment," says Shurn.

This shortcoming inspired Shurn to lobby the university for funds and support. Now, several graduate and undergraduate classes a year are designed as IMA courses and utilize the resources provided by the university, private contractors and corporate supporters. In these classes, students, faculty and staff are exposed to cutting-edge networks and applications for use in computer visualization, animation and multimedia integration.

Beyond the obvious entertainment industry applications of these technologies, the services of the IMA also have been requested by more serious contractors. An example is the work they have done in the field of medical modeling. The Army and the Air Force have asked the IMA to look at the possibility of using three-dimensional imaging programs to perform virtual surgery before an actual medical procedure. In this way any compications of the operation can be anticipated and avoided.

The experience that the IMA graduates receive in applications such as Alias Wavefront and Adobe have enabled many of them to move to high-tech companies like Silicon Graphics and Motorola. And recently, one former IMA student was admitted to the University of Southern California's prestigious Film, Video and Computer Animation Program. "This is the first time an African American was admitted to the program," boasts Shurn.

Overall, Shurn is optimistic about what the future holds for IMA graduates: "We are producing minorities with the technical skills to be a black Steven Spielburg."

by Charlotte Thomas and John Griffiths
Computer and Engineering Horizons, Spring 1998