SUU hosts reality-bending XR Southern Summit

Southern Utah University hosted a bustling crowd of virtual reality enthusiasts for the XR — or extended reality — Southern Summit. Extended-reality is a blanket term used to refer to virtual, extended or mixed-reality technology. The national conference took place on Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, and featured educators from several universities, professionals from leading XR companies and students from SUU’s own VR/AR Innovation Studio. 

SUU President Mindy Benson opened the conference by urging attendees to make the most of the event. “SUU is known for being innovative throughout the state,” she said. “Take this opportunity to revolutionize and transform.” 

The keynote speaker of the conference was Kevin Steed, chief operating officer of the Southern Utah-based company KRS Electric. Steed shared how his company was pioneering the use of augmented-reality technology to innovate in the construction industry. At the end of the conference, KRS Electric won an Outstanding VR Industry Collaboration award. 

Aundrea Frahm, the director of the SUU VR/AR Innovation Studio, helped organize the event because of her passion for the technology and how it can be used to improve the teaching process. 

“It is vital, in my opinion, for students to hop on the wave of emerging technologies,” said Frahm, “Specifically with [artificial intelligence] and also VR and AR. Any experience that students have in these technologies will give them a leg up in finding a job.”

During the mid-conference lunch, Frahm participated in a Q&A panel with University of Utah adjunct instructor Tony Sams and Utah Tech University Learning Design Project Manager Jordan Ellsworth. The panel allowed attendees to speak directly with these professionals about their experiences teaching with XR technology.

One presentation featured a team comprised of SUU capstone students and VR/AR Innovation Studio members. These students — Leo Newcomb, Zay Davis, Dallen Corry, Zixi Rao, Jakob Dowdle and Sean Harker — used VR technology and the game software engine Unreal Engine 5 to create a virtual museum where visitors could examine a collection of traditional Paiute baskets. 

“These baskets are kept in the library behind glass cases,” said Harker, “but we wanted to make it more accessible.” 

The conference also gave the communication department the opportunity to show off their brand-new Visual Communication Research Lab, as well as the Center for Teaching Innovation’s VR/AR Innovation Studio and the Virtual Reality and Augmented Innovation Classroom. The VCRL was unveiled in February, while the VR/AR classroom was officially launched in March. 

To get involved in the development of XR technologies on campus, visit the Center for Teaching Innovation or the VR/AR Innovation Studio. 

Author: Nick Stein
Photos: Nick Stein
Editor: Shauri Thacker
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