The digital media lab is a new space on campus that opened this fall thanks to a generous donation from the Harold Alfond Foundation during the Guaranteeing the Future campaign.
The digital media lab is a fully equipped facility that provides a professional working studio space for photography, video, audio, and animation work as well as a space for post-production editing and processing of media content.
This new space is available to the Thomas College community and provides a comprehensive set of media-focused tools for creativity, creation and learning.
John Hufstader, Associate Professor of Digital Media, has a 40-year career in both public and private-sector education including the last 25 years in higher education as a professor of Digital and New Media, with a focus on shared interactive digital design. John joined Thomas College in 2021 and has worked to turn the idea of having a creators’ space on campus into a reality.
“It’s so rewarding to see the Media Lab become a reality and to have students from all areas of study use the space,” said John. “Beyond the obvious benefits for current students, it also elevates our Digital Media program by providing opportunities that are more hands-on and experiential. Students use these tools to develop skills and enter digital media internships and professional roles after graduation.”
The Media Lab is light-locked, sound-dampened, and includes a dedicated sound booth specifically focused on audio production and podcasting. There is also a video studio section with dedicated lighting, audio capture set-up, and with multiple backdrops for chroma key (green screen) productions. There are additional resource kits available through the College Library at the circulation desk.
Digital Media majors use this space for their classes to learn hands-on skills with equipment that they will use in their jobs after graduation. As well, this space is open to everyone on campus – students who work on and submit a video project for a class assignment, the Podcasting Club who record and publish their weekly podcasts, professors who need to record a video lesson for their remote class or to just use the vocal booth to practice for singing auditions.
This story was originally published in the Fall 2024 Thomas Magazine & Annual Report.