Sparks

Sparks is a team at Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center. We are working with the University of Pittsburgh Liver Research Center to devise innovative solutions to bridge the gap between scientists and the general public. The goal is to educate and inform people about advancements being made at the cutting edge of scientific research by bringing stories from within the laboratories into the public eye. By making it an interactive experience, we’re hoping to help scientists gain more social engagement and involve the voices of equally important stakeholders in humanity’s collective future – the people.

We hope to reach that goal by creating an interactive experience that works effectively both in-person and virtually that allows people to participate in important conversations about advances in science and our collective future. The experience will be scalable, convenient for scientists to use and promote, and it must be amplified beyond local impact. By partaking in this experience, the public will get to explore different stories and even be part of the story – and most importantly, to inform people that they too are vital driving agents of change, whose voices will ultimately guide humanity to its future.

Team Members: Yukti Gupte, Jinman (Valerie) Li, Shiyu (Ash) Wang, Runzhao Xiao, Jerry Yu

Project Instructor: Brenda Harger