Chatham University Awarded $1 Million Grant by McElhattan Foundation
Chatham University announced today that it has been awarded a $1 million grant from the McElhattan Foundation to help fund its new Bachelor of Immersive Media program launching in Fall 2019.
Chatham’s Bachelor of Immersive Media Program (IMM) blends virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology with theory and practice to equip students with knowledge of computer programming, architecture, 3D modeling, game development engines, writing, and design thinking. There are currently over 500 million devices that are VR and/or AR capable, and immersive media is projected to be a $40 billion market by 2020. Chatham’s IMM degree will prepare graduates for careers in this expanding industry in the fields of entertainment, healthcare, game design, architecture, training and education, marketing, and more.
“This program in immersive media is one of the first of its kind focused on virtual reality and augmented reality content creation,” said Douglas North Cook, assistant professor of immersive media at Chatham. “The grant from the McElhattan Foundation will enable us to build a program dedicated to collaborative and interdisciplinary learning, accessibility, and developing new ways of living, interacting and working with technology.”
The McElhattan Foundation was established in 1994 and for many years served as the charitable arm of Industrial Scientific Corporation, which was founded by K. E. McElhattan and his son, Kent D. McElhattan. Today, the McElhattan Foundation’s mission is to preserve and enhance human life through funding nonprofit organizations that work in four program areas: workplace safety; education; palliative care; and community development in Knox and Franklin, PA. The Foundation is currently accepting proposals for its next round of grant funding. More information is available at: www.mcelhattan.org.
“Chatham’s Immersive Media program directly addresses our mission of preserving and enhancing human life through education,” said Kent D. McElhattan, chairman of the McElhattan Foundation. “With this program we see an incredible opportunity to help facilitate the connection between people, technology and immersive experiences—using both virtual and augmented reality—across a variety of industries.”