Last modified: Monday, February 4, 2008
IU professor and researcher Margaret Dolinsky honored as outstanding educator
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 4, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- IU digital artist Margaret Dolinsky is the 2008 Outstanding Educator in Science, Technology, and Engineering. Given by the organization Women and Hi Tech, the award acknowledges the tremendous impact educators have on their students, and the role they play in creating opportunities for growth and development.
"Professor Dolinsky supports her students in every way possible," said Rhonda Winter, chief information officer at CIK Enterprises, who collaborated with Dolinsky during her tenure at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and nominated her for the award. "She has long encouraged the creative development of her students, as well as their professional development, urging them to enter contests, present their findings and apply for grants. By encouraging students to adapt technology to their own fields and interests, she enables them to relate to their work in truly meaningful ways."
Blue Window Pane II
Dolinsky, who was presented the honor at the biannual Leading Light Awards ceremony on Jan. 24 in Indianapolis, holds a dual appointment as an assistant professor in the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts at Indiana University Bloomington and as a research scientist in the IU Advanced Visualization Lab (AVL). In both roles, Dolinsky works with students whose interests range from virtual reality and 3-D modeling, to animation and gaming, to Web-based environments and video art.
"My students are very inspirational to me," said Dolinsky. "I continually look forward to seeing my students apply that same creative spark that I have seen them demonstrate again and again to the latest advanced visualization technologies."
As a research scientist Dolinsky investigates digital interactive technologies, employing high-speed networks, immersive virtual reality environments, and numerous other emerging media in her artwork.
"Margaret has been instrumental in helping to inform and educate IU researchers and students on the capabilities of immersive VR and tele-collaborative technologies and has substantially broadened the definition of art within the university community," said Eric Wernert, a long-time Dolinsky collaborator and senior manager for visualization and digital humanities within IU's information technology support organization.
Dolinsky's recent work involves the fusion of digital painting and projections for opera and experimental film. In 2005, Dolinsky created Cabinet of Dreams -- a popular 3-D museum environment for the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which enabled visitors to experience an immersive virtual tour of the museum's Chinese art collection. Dolinsky worked with several of her students on the project.
"Margaret leverages the power of portable, high-powered projectors and computers to bring immersive imagery to public performance spaces, further expanding the palette of display options available to artists and researchers, noted Wernert.
Dolinsky's Cabinet of Dreams exhibit can be viewed at https://dolinsky.fa.indiana.edu/cabinet/index.html. A gallery of her paintings resides at https://dolinsky.fa.indiana.edu/.
