In this introductory episode, hosts Paul Engin and Dave Ghidiu welcome listeners to The Immersive Lens, a podcast dedicated to exploring the convergence of media, design, and artificial intelligence. Broadcasting from Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC), the duo shares their professional backgrounds and outlines their vision for deconstructing complex technologies for everyday application.
Key Topics
The FLX AI Hub: Dave details his work with the FLX AI Hub which focuses on helping the community, businesses, and educators understand and leverage AI through workshops and keynote presentations.Defining New Media: Paul breaks down the multidisciplinary nature of the New Media degree, explaining how it blends graphic design, communications, programming, and marketing for digital content creation.
Intersection of Disciplines: The hosts discuss the "shared DNA" between computing sciences and new media, highlighting how they bridge the gap between technical programming and creative distribution.
The "Bleeding Edge": A look at the podcast's goal to help listeners stay current with the breakneck pace of technology and apply these innovations to their own lives.
Transcript
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[Intro Music plays with vocal samples] Sample: My name is Kid… Sample: My name is Paul… Rock! Intro Voiceover: Welcome to The Immersive Lens. We’re diving into technologies and creative innovations that are changing the way we live, work, and learn. From virtual worlds and AI to the future of media, design, and education, we’re here to explore how it all connects and what it means for the world around us. Let’s take a closer look through The Immersive Lens. Dave Ghidiu: I’m Dave Ghidiu, Professor of Computer Science here at Finger Lakes Community College, and I’m here with my co-host Paul Engin, Professor of New Media. Paul Engin: Hey Dave! I thought we could kick the episode off with a "get to know us" and kind of take a look behind the mic and share who we are, why we're here, and what's driving our curiosity in this space. What do you think? Dave: I think that's a great idea. Paul: So, you want to tell us a little bit about your origin story? Dave: Yeah! Well, I was very fortunate to grow up with technology. My father worked in the tech industry, and he always brought home the latest toys. So, I learned how to program on an Apple IIe—and some of you out there might know that the Apple IIe was a very expensive, very old computer in the 80s that was kind of the first hobbyist computer. So I grew up learning how to program on that at a young age, and I've had an affinity for technology ever since. My parents balanced it out; they sent me to Clown College for a few summers, and they sent me to magic lessons for a few years during my formative years in high school. Paul: Really? Clown College? Dave: That's right, yeah! It was face paint, balloon animals, miming, all that good stuff. And I majored in Math and Computer Science at Geneseo, and then I got my Masters in Educational Technology. I've always had an eye towards how to be more effective using technology—with the caveat that only when it's appropriate. That's kind of my golden rule; I don't have any patience for using technology just because it's new and shiny. I want technology to be utility for me and to potentiate what I do. So that's my origin story. It's very similar to the origin story of, say, Bruce Wayne. But what first got you interested in technology and education? Paul: Uh, so back in the day when computers weren't really around or the norm, my brother and I used to build computers. It was a 386... Dave: Nerd. Paul: Yes. We would spend weeks building it, getting all the parts, and then we would program a game that wouldn't work. Dave: So, can you... a 386 just jogged my memory. Was that the big Micron cases? Paul: So it was the old, big Micron cases, and then we would have to buy a motherboard separate, with the video card and power supply. Dave: Oh, so you built it piece by piece? Paul: Oh yeah, we couldn't buy one that was pre-made yet. I think you could have, but they were expensive at the time. So it was like, "Oh, we could just get all the pieces and we can figure this out." And for all those people that are old school, you remember the compatibility issues with everything from graphic cards to, you know... I mean, it was... Dave: It was the dark ages of computing. Paul: Yes. And then calling tech support and no one really knowing what you were asking them. It was fantastic. But, from there, I had a passion for that technology and I loved art. So I went to my undergraduate with an expectation of doing a dual degree of Fine Art and Computer Science. One day I was in the computer science lab and I was with somebody... do you remember terminals? The little... Dave: Yeah. It was like green text on a black screen? Paul: Yes. So we had a whole bunch of those. Dave: You were in The Matrix. Paul: Yes, exactly. So we're in there, and I just thought that everyone was in the computer science program that was in the lab. So I just turned to my lab partner and I'm like, "So are you a Computer Science major?" And he was like, "Oh no, I'm in Computer Animation." And I was like, "What is Computer Animation?" And he was like, "Oh, we get to do animations on computers." And I said, "We have computers that can do animations?" And he goes, "Yeah, we only had three of them." Dave: Was this like Pixar graphics? Or was this predating it by quite some time? Paul: It was around that time. Yep. Dave: So it was like pixels? Paul: Pixel-based. But it was definitely technology that was in its infancy for sure. But the next day I went down and I switched my degree to Computer Animation. Dave: Did you have to wait 'til the next day because you couldn't do it online? You had to stand in line at like 8:00 in the morning? Paul: You got it. And then I had to switch the degree. But yeah, it was perfect. It was the perfect blending of my art and love for technology. So I did that, and then for graduate school, I went to where the machines were. Dave: The Matrix? Paul: Yes, exactly. Rochester Institute of Technology, or RIT. They had 14 of these SGI machines. And those are Silicon Graphics machines that were like a $30,000 or $40,000 base. Dave: Oh. Were they like the size of a room? Paul: You know, they weren't... they were big, but they weren't that big. This was enough where we could run processes, and we were now getting into really 3D... we were getting more into that Toy Story... Dave: Oh really? Okay. That's legit. Paul: Yeah. So I was there, and then from RIT I went to be a CGI Supervisor in Connecticut and did some Christmas specials. It was a stop-motion studio, but I did the computer graphics with a little bit of animation. Dave: You didn't do the one with the California Raisins claymation Christmas, did you? Was that you? Paul: No, that was not me. We did do a Sony one with the elves rocking out to Rage Against the Machine. Dave: [Laughs] Paul: But yeah, it was good. Had a lot of fun there. And then came back and became Creative Director at a digital online training institution here. And then from there, I went into teaching and found the perfect merger of my passion of technology and art in New Media. And here I am. Dave: Yeah, you kind of won the jackpot there with the New Media job. It's all the fun stuff. Paul: Yes. I love animation and technology in general. So how did we connect when we got here? Do you remember? Dave: So, I've been here eight years, and you've been here longer than me. Paul: I've been here 10 years. Holy smokes. Dave: And you've been here longer than me. Paul: I think between 13 and 14 years now. I don't even remember. Dave: Sure. So, you would ask me to be on the panel for the Capstone. Paul: And for those people who don't know what Capstone is, it is the last class that students will take in a specific degree program. And for ours, it's a combination of Web and Mobile, Game Programming and Design, and New Media. We've got all of these degrees together and, you know, it's really beneficial as far as having that large skill set. And then they can apply that skill set in this Capstone where we can see everything they've learned. It's amazing the growth that they make in the two years that they're here. Dave: Yeah, so I had the opportunity to sit in on that panel and I was just blown away. And that was probably six or seven years ago by now. And every year—so all the learners pitch a project, and then the panel decides on three or four or five of those projects. And every year, I'm like, "Oh man, this is the best year it's ever been." Because eight years ago, you were doing VR and virtual reality and augmented reality and these 3D games and some wild stuff I'd never seen before. So I've been along for the ride ever since. I really, really enjoy watching the learners in that program. Paul: Yeah, and I think that you brought up a great point. You know, they have to make a pitch so they have to have all those soft skills of, like, how do you pitch your idea to this panel? And the panel consists of someone from Computer Science, Graphic Design, Communications, obviously myself, and then Jeff Kid, who also is involved in all our technology and who's our esteemed producer of this podcast. Dave: He's back there somewhere listening. Always listening. Paul: So we all... [Laughs] I think that it's great that we have that panel because then we have a diverse group as well giving feedback on the projects. And then projects are chosen, and then those three or four projects that are chosen are worked on with the whole class for the entire semester. And the projects I like are those social impact projects. I love the Project Rock... there's a game where there's one minute between classes and they can play the game together. Dave: But you need to have two or three other people playing it. It's a social game, you can't do it by yourself. Paul: Exactly. Exactly. Dave: Yeah, and you've done some PSAs and stuff. Listen folks, if you're ever in the Capstone and you're making a pitch, I have a soft spot for the social action and call to action stuff in the community. So that's a sure-fire win to win my vote. Paul: Yes, and I think the Capstone really creates great synergy with all these departments. So it's not just New Media, you know? So I think that's awesome. So Dave, who or what influenced the way you think about tech and learning? Dave: In a previous life I was teaching high school and I was the assistant coach for the cross country running, cross country skiing, and the track and field team. And the head coach for all three of those was Bernie Gardner—this is at Honeoye Falls-Lima—and he is the most winningest coach in the state. I mean, no one's come close to the amount of state championships he has. I think part of that success was... he'd come into practice and be like, "Dave, I just finished reading this book about building the Brooklyn Bridge. And there's like three lessons in there I want to bring into cross country running." And without fail, every week, he'd have two or three of these epiphanies when he would be reading a book that had absolutely nothing to do about running, and he would find all these lessons to bring into running. I thought that was really insightful for him. And that's what I try and do with teaching and technology and learning, is I try and look for inspiration and insight in other domains and bring them into technology and learning. So I like to say that I just channel my Bernie Gardner whenever I'm doing things that are pretty creative and thinking way outside the box. Paul: Very cool. I know you read a lot. I can't even keep up with you. Dave: Was there a specific project or moment that really shaped your passion for innovation? Paul: Yeah, so I think that key moment I kind of mentioned before, but the moment that I was in that lab and I found out about the computer animation. It was the perfect merger of my love for art and science. So that opened up doors for me. It allowed me to do stop-motion animation for MTV back in the day. I was doing a production for Celebrity Deathmatch—have you heard of that? Dave: I watched Celebrity Deathmatch on MTV. Which may or may not be around anymore. I don't even know if that TV channel is around. Paul: Yes. Music Television, where they used to play the videos. Specifically the music videos. Which they no longer do, I don't think. Dave: Yeah, they do a lot of reality TV. Paul: But it also opened up doors to like working for an architect and doing the 3D renders for those projects and stuff. So it really shaped the way I love... or I use and love technology. And I still love doing all of the stuff—animation to media development to 3D, all aspects of media development. I just love it. So that was my pivotal moment. Dave: Yeah, that's... you really hit the jackpot. You do all the fun things. Paul: So let me ask you, what drove you to want to do this podcast? Dave: I think part of it was just looking to see how you're preparing learners for the real world in your Capstone. We live in this world of technology and they have to be able to navigate it. They have to be able to understand what's real and what's not, and understand these technologies because it's inescapable. And there's an awful lot of technology anxiety in the world. I'm kind of hoping that you and I can help people along and decipher what all this technology is and how to use AI and understand the world of tech. What about you? Paul: Yeah, I'm really interested in the medium itself. I think podcasts are really taking off right now. And I think it's important that we practice what we preach. And so I think that doing this in the Finger Lakes Podcast Studio... Dave: Global headquarters? Paul: That's right. I think that just kind of allows us to apply what we're teaching. And I love talking tech with you. I do think the goal will be to try to... you mentioned this before, but there's a lot of technology that's being thrown at us rapidly. I mean, the amount that is coming out, almost weekly you and I are touching base going like, "Did you hear about this? Did you hear about that?" And I'm like, "Yeah, it's only available on Mac." Dave: [Laughs] Some are only available on PC. Paul: But I think that being able to talk about that stuff and expressing how we might use it, or what it might be good for, or what it might not be good for... I think those are all important things to think about. Dave: Yeah, and maybe it's because I grew up on an Apple IIe and you grew up building 386s that we have the acumen or the interest to do this. Paul: That's true. That's true. So, I was thinking, why don't we end this with some rapid-fire questions and see where this ends up? Are you ready for the first one? Dave: Let's do it. Paul: All right. Favorite piece of tech you can't live without. Dave: Chromebook. And this is just a plug for Chromebooks—they have a bad rap, but boy oh boy, you can do an awful lot of cool things with Chromebooks. Paul: You know what? Because of Google Docs... I think you are right. But it's interesting because I remember when iPads first came out... Keep in mind I was using these really robust machines at the time, and I'm like, "Who the heck would ever need or use an iPad?" Dave: Yeah, it was tech solutionism at its finest. Paul: Yeah. But not realizing that, you know, 90% of the world isn't doing what I'm doing and it's perfect for what they need, right? Dave: What's your favorite piece of tech that you can't live without? Paul: Um... you know, that's a great question. I'll be honest with you, I love my iWatch Ultra. Dave: The iWatch. Paul: Yes. I use it for just about everything. From I'm a big data tracker so I love seeing like, did I make progress this week? Dave: Oh, like steps and stuff? Paul: Steps, and I do it with my workouts. And like if I do soccer or something, I want to track my mileage when I'm running. Dave: When is too much data a problem? Paul: You know... I don't know. For me, it wouldn't be a lot... I think having too much data is fine. It's if everybody else has all that data of me that I'm concerned about. Dave: Yeah. All right, that's a good takeaway from this podcast. All right, do you prefer coffee or tea while recording? Paul: So, you know, I think I would prefer coffee, but I've been drinking a lot of water for this. So how about you? Dave: I would prefer coffee, but water is probably a better option. Or tea because of the honey. Coffee is probably the worst, but I enjoy it the best. Paul: Right. Same, same. All right, so: Most transformative technology. Dave: I was actually listening to a podcast—not this one, a different podcast—just this morning, I know, right? And someone suggested that the light microscope was probably the most transformative technology. And I'd have to agree, the way it opened up the doors to microbiology and understanding like how we actually get sick. So, I say light microscope. What about you? Paul: Boy, that's a good one. You went way back, man. Do I need to go back to the Model T or something? The wheel? I'm gonna bring it a little bit more in line with where we're at. But I think that the Internet was the most transformative. I know it was during my undergraduate when it started taking off. And I just remember a lot of people were like, "Internet won't go anywhere. Internet won't go anywhere." And I remember going to movies and saying, "Did you see the URL? They're starting to integrate URLs into movies." Like fear.com or whatever. So I think that the ability that it now opened up was amazing. I mean, to think where we're at now, we can share content. I talk about this in my lectures, but we've gone from interpersonal communication, which is one-to-one communication; we went to Mass Comm, which was one-to-many, which we lived in a world like Mass Comm for a long time... Dave: Like radio and TV. Paul: Yeah. And then now, I say this is the New Media, which is many-to-many. So anybody can create and distribute content. Dave: That's what we're doing. Paul: That's right. And anyone can give feedback. And so I think that, you know, the Internet really opened the door and allowed all of this to happen. So I think that that would be my most transformative technology as of right now. And I know AI is probably along the same lines. Dave: So, what tech trend are you not buying into? Paul: Virtual Reality. Dave: [Coughs] Excuse me. Something was in my throat. Paul: I think Virtual Reality... I grew up around technology. My dad brought me to like a comic book convention in Syracuse, probably in the mid-90s, and there was VR there. And when I look at where VR was 30 years ago to where it is today, it is not much different. And the price point is still pretty high. It still has a very selective audience. And I just don't think that it's super practical. Don't get me wrong, the Mac Pro... what's that called? The Vision Pro? Paul: The Vision Pro, yeah. Dave: It is out of this world. It's so cool. But it just ain't practical. Paul: What is the tech trend you're not buying into yet? Dave: First let me respond to that one, alright? So I agree that I don't think VR will be mainstream. I think Virtual Reality—and for those who aren't aware, Virtual Reality is basically when you put a goggle on and you immerse yourself into a different digital world so you don't see anything around you. So you're kind of isolated. Dave: It's all projected. Paul: Yeah. I think AR, or Augmented Reality, will win out over VR for most popular technology. Dave: What's Augmented Reality? Paul: So Augmented Reality is going to be the integration of real world with a digital overlay. So like, these are going to be like the meta glasses or... The Vision Pro has a pass-through so you can see through it, but you're not gonna wear that big thing around. Dave: So this would be like, I'd have—it looks just like regular glasses—I'd be walking down the street and maybe in Canandaigua and it has the Yelp ratings above each of the restaurants? Paul: Yes. Yes. And you know, most iPhones have this already. Google Lens has it too; you can just put it up and you can do a direction and it'll do it. But this is where I think like, you know, think about not having to hold the phone up, you just put your glasses on and you get the overlay. But anyway, we digress. But I think that there is something to Ready Player One. I think that... Dave: There's some there there. Paul: There's some there there, but it won't be mainstream. I get it. I get it. Virtual Reality existed so that Augmented Reality can live. Dave: That's right. That's right. So what's the tech trend that you're not buying into? Paul: You know... I guess I don't necessarily not buy into technology. So I think like... I guess I could say like, you know, is AI going to take people's jobs? Maybe. The computer took people's jobs, but it augmented it. So there's job augmentation that's going to happen with the technologies. So you know, gosh... I don't know if there is a tech... There's techs that I know aren't going to be successful. Like I knew the 3D TV wouldn't be successful because you have to... it's just the usability of it. Dave: And normally I'd ask you to explain what 3D TVs are to our audience, but I think it doesn't really matter. Paul: No. Although, with the Vision Pro... Dave: The virtual reality. Paul: Yes. The Vision Pro from Apple... now you can do 3D like, oh my gosh, Disney+ has 3D videos and Netflix. So you can watch it in 3D. So 3D is coming back in that regard, but not as a 3D TV. Dave: It's like 3D and 4K for $3,500. Paul: Yes. It ain't cheap. But there is a new one out there from Samsung. Dave: Yeah, 1800 bucks. Paul: Still expensive. But it's out there. I don't have an answer for that. I'm sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry. Dave: That's okay, you can be a tech optimist. Paul: So, one word to describe your teaching or creative philosophy? Dave: Invisible. I like it to be not the focus point. I want it to be the stage crew. I used to do stage crew in high school. And it's just like, yeah, you're never seen. You're just making the show go. Paul: Nice. Nice. Dave: What about you? What's your one word? Paul: Mine's hyphened. Can I do the hyphen? Hands-on. Dave: Hands-on? Oh, that's good. Paul: I like to make sure that I'm not just talking about things, that were actually doing the things that we're talking about. So I throw the students into it and I like to be thrown into it too and just try to get into the tech. Dave: Do you like to be immersed into it? Paul: Yes. Dave: Well, this has been such a fun way to kick things off. We hope you've learned a little bit more about who we are and what drives this podcast. Paul: Yeah, that's all the time we have today. And I'm Paul Angens. Dave: I'm Dave Gadoo. If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Paul: And share it with a friend or colleague. Dave: Thanks for joining us on The Immersive Lens, where we explore the tech shaping education, work, and the world around us. Let's be careful out there, folks. Paul: Until next time: Stay curious, stay connected, and thanks for looking through The Immersive Lens with us. [Outro Music plays] Voiceover: This episode was engineered by Jeff Kid, recorded at Finger Lakes Community College Podcast Studios, located in beautiful Canandaigua, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. Offering more than 55 degrees, certificates, micro-credentials, and workforce training programs. Thank you to Public Relations and Communications, Marketing, and the FLX AI Hub. Eager to delve into passion, discover exciting and immersive opportunities at www.flcc.edu. This is The Immersive Lens. As part of our mission at FLCC, we are committed to making education accessible, innovative, and aligned with the needs of both students and employers. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Finger Lakes Community College. Music by Den from Pixabay. And that's a wrap. Dave: Hey Jeff, were you recording on that one? [Sound of tape rewind/scratch] Jeff (Muffled from booth): What? [Laughter]
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