The long-term development of the Center for Cultural Technology (CCT) is envisioned as a national Center of Excellence in the domain of cultural technology--the rapidly emerging field at the intersection between new digital media and cultural content. CCT is an outgrowth of an ongoing partnership between the Media Arts Program at New Mexico Highlands University and the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. When it is fully-developed CCT will consist of leading academic, research & development, and clinical practice components.
Currently the program offers undergraduate and graduate academic programs at the cutting edge of multimedia design and technology and a student internship program. In January 2009, CCT began offering PICT: the Program in Interactive Cultural Technology, a semester-long intensive program designed to address all of the key pedagogical and experiential needs for aspiring professionals in this field.
During the fall of 2009, the Media Arts Program introduced the first two Seabury Foundation Fellowships in Cultural Technology. Students Carlos Medivil and Becca Glenn recieved $2,000 to work on a special project. In the spring of 2010, Melissa Marquez and Devyn Dennison became the second set of students to win Seabury Fellowships. Each semester, through a competetive application process, two upper division undergraduates from the Media Arts Program, will be awarded fellowships.This is the first time that the Seabury Foundation has given a fellowship outside the Chicago area.
“The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and New Mexico Highlands University are working together to create an innovative college-level curriculum along with state-of-the-art design and production facilities. Our goal is to position New Mexico as an international center of innovation in digital media and interactive exhibition design in the museum field.”— Stuart Ashman, Cabinet Secretary of Cultural Affairs
