Connecting with the Community

Community outreach holds great importance to me, as it allows me to engage with and inspire the community, foster interest in design and STEM education, and share knowledge in meaningful ways. I am deeply passionate about building connections and giving back to the community in any way I can. As a land-grant institution, Oklahoma State University embodies a core mission of community service, a mission I am proud to support and advance through my work.

If you would like for me to conduct a workshop on immersive media (VR/AR), Design or Artificial Intelligence, please email me: tilanka@okstate.edu

NAMSAS

Native American Middle-school Students Afterschool STEM (NAMSAS) program focuses on the design, development, and evaluation of structured afterschool STEM programs that incorporate Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and 3D printing through spatial design activities that are relatable to both girls and boys. Strategic partnerships with afterschool programs in three Tribal Nations (Pawnee Nation, Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the Chickasaw Nation) will support culturally responsive teaching in technology-rich afterschool environments.

Website Video Publication Media

OSU VR+AR Hackathon/Designathons

Designathons at Oklahoma State University are dynamic, collaborative events that bring together students, faculty, and industry professionals to tackle real-world design challenges. These immersive experiences encourage innovation, teamwork, and creative problem-solving across disciplines, fostering practical skills and a deeper understanding of design’s impact on society. By participating in designathons, students gain valuable insights into the design process while addressing meaningful community and industry needs.

Website Video

VIRTUHOMA 2018

Following the VR+AR Hackathon in January 2018, we thought of organizing Virtuhoma 2018 to bring together Virtual and Augmented Reality enthusiast from around the state of Oklahoma as well as present the outcomes of the Hackthon. Prominent speakers from the fields of VR and AR, such as Vinay Narayan (HTC Vive) and Cathy Hackl (You are here labs) spoke at the event. This event was funded through the Office of the Vice President for Research at Oklahoma State University

Website Video

CANstruction

CANstruction allows students to make unique sculptures entirely out of canned food. After the judging and award ceremony took place, all material used to make sculptures was donated to Our Daily Bread - which is a food pantry located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. CANstruction was organized by the IFMA Student Organization.

Final Video Intro Video Website

Grandparent University

Grandparent University is an annual event where members of the alumni association at OSU (grandparents) bring legacies (grandchildren) to campus and participate in a variety of intergenerational workshops and campus activities. The Mixed Reality Lab has hosted GPU workshops since 2015.

GPU Website

4H RoundUp

4-H Roundup is an annual event where 4-H youth come to campus and participate in a variety of workshops and competitions. We made a presentation to two sessions of 40 Students Design with digital media –Summer, 2014

Under represented populations in STEM

Project Video

High school and Middle school

We have hosted both High School and Middle School students and talked to them about how to use different technologies. Currently we do not have sufficient funding to travel to schools, but this is one option that we are exploring. In the past we have had several workshops focused on working with the general public. These workshops took place in the RIATA Centers Downtown location.