The College of Arts and Sciences’ research and transformative education hub offers interdisciplinary programming, from conversations about planktons and stardust to jazz and data.
The Fredrickson Family Innovation Lab (FFIL) lab continues to build on its extensive slate of programming, seeking to promote interdisciplinarity as well as creativity and innovation in research, teaching, and discourse across campus.
This semester, the co-directors of the FFIL — Lei "Tommy" Xie , PhD, associate professor of English, and Jo Yarrington, MFA, professor of visual and performing arts — have put forth a full schedule of free workshops open to Fairfield students, and webinar lectures that are open to students, the Fairfield community, and the general public.
"We are looking forward to being back in the lab for more hosted and sponsored events this semester," Yarrington said. "The Innovation Lab will continue to focus on interdisciplinary conversations, such as creating art using scientific methods and propagating scientific knowledge with data visualization and design aesthetics. The recently equipped “Maker Space” expands that focus to haptic media, which connects the virtual world to the physical space in which we live."
Along with on-campus digital workshops, the lab will bring attention to people engaged in "groundbreaking research." Some of the invited artists and lecturers this year include Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder, who will present their explorations with the Camera Obscura; innovative jazz musician Vijay Iyers in conversation with Fairfield faculty member Michael Ciavaglia ’04, DMA, visiting assistant professor of music, and voice instructor at Fairfield; and artists and professors Victoria Vesna and James Gimzewski, who will explore scientists in the studios and artists in the laboratories.
"Overall, we are excited to continue to serve as a central hub for the campus at large, as we build partnerships across campus and pursue special projects which will help the Lab evolve," said Yarrington. "These initiative include digital competencies for graduates and undergraduates, and a training series, Human Data Storytelling, which uses data visualization as an invitation to data literacy and data-based storytelling."
Established in 2019 through the generosity of Fairfield Stagmates Scott and Susan Fredrickson ’82, the state-of-the-art FFIL provides College of Arts and Sciences students and faculty with a physical and digital gathering space for interdisciplinary research, instruction, and cross-pollination.
Upcoming FFIL Events
Advanced registration is required.Quick Center for the Arts
OVF Espresso Series (In-Person)
Fall 2022:
Oct. 17 | 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder
Obscura Projectum: The Lost Cinematic Art of the Camera Obscura
Learn more
Winter 2023:
Feb. 1 | 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Vijah Iyers
Innovative Jazz Musician Vijay Iyers in Conversation with Michael Ciavaglia '04, DMA
Learn more
Webinars (Virtual)
Fall 2022:
Oct. 12 | 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Victoria Vesna and James Gimzewski
NANO: Making the Invisible - Visible, the Inaudible - Audible
Nov. 9 | 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Stephanie Dinkins
Exploring Transmedia Art Using AI for Social Equity
Spring 2023:
March 1 | 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Andrea Kantrowitz
Exploring Cognitive Psychology: Human Imagination, Art and Perception
Learn more
Workshops 2022-2023 IRL
(Open only to Fairfield students)
Fall 2022
Oct. 13 | 5-6 p.m.
ArcGIS StoryMaps
Instructor: Nicole Marino
Oct. 19, in partnership with FYE | 5-6:30 p.m.
Using Printers in the New Lab Makerspace (Large format and 3-D)
Instructor: Ram Kumar Reddy Tamanampudi and Cheryl Yun
Oct. 20, in partnership with FYE | 5-6 p.m.
Digital Competencies for Undergraduates – Word, Excel, etc.
Instructor: Jay Rozgonyii
Oct. 27 | 5-6 p.m.
Turning Your Research Into Visual/Interactive Stories
Instructor: Tommy Xie
Nov. 2 | 5-7 p.m.
InDesign workshop for book/accordion making during (participants finalize designing for accordion books)
Jo Yarrington and Cheryl Yun students sponsoring
Instructor: Cheryl Yun
Spring 2023
Feb. 9 | 5-6 p.m.
Graduate Digital Competencies
Instructor: TBD
Feb. 23 | 5-6 p.m.
Qualtrics
Instructor: Michael Andreychik, PhD
April 13 | 5-6 p.m.
Turning Your Research Into Visual/Interactive Stories
Instructor: Tommy Xie, PhD
Students can learn more and register on Life@Fairfield.
