Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering

First Fridays @ Fusion Studio is back!

Join us on Friday, September 4, from 12:00–1:00 PM ET for A Career in Entertainment Technology, Codes and Standards: A Conversation with Mitch Hefter.

With more than 40 years of experience, Mitch Hefter has helped shape many of the lighting controls, electrical safety, and technical standards that guide today's entertainment technology industry. In this free virtual webinar, he'll share stories from his career, the collaborations that shaped the field, and the behind-the-scenes work that led to many of the industry's most influential codes and standards.

Register now at https://rebrand.ly/FusionStudioFirstFriday

We hope you'll join us as we kick off another exciting year of First Fridays!

Earlier this July, students in the Fusion Studio's Entertainment Machine Design Challenge, held in the John Martinson Entertainment and Engineering Labs as part of Purdue's Summer College for High School Students program, designed, built, and tested prototype stage machines to create a continuous rainfall of petals for a live performance. Their designs had to operate quietly, without motorized components, while delivering a smooth and reliable flow of petals.

The four student teams each developed a unique solution, showcasing outstanding creativity, teamwork, and engineering throughout the course. We are incredibly proud of what they accomplished and the hard work and dedication they brought to this challenge.

Congratulations to all of our students on their outstanding work and dedication throughout this project!

Another wonderful Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Purdue University for two days of engaging discussions, new connections, and productive collaboration. Together, we explored how touring, venue engineering, troubleshooting, ethics, and industry practices can help shape the future of entertainment engineering education.

The conversations don't end here. Our working groups will continue building on the ideas and outcomes from the symposium throughout the coming year.

If you weren't able to attend but are interested in contributing to one of our working groups, we'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at [email protected] to learn how you can get involved.

Thank you again to our presenters, attendees, and partners for making this year's symposium such a success.

What an incredible first day at the 2026 Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering!

It has been inspiring to bring together educators and industry professionals from across the country to exchange ideas, share experiences, and collaborate on the future of entertainment engineering education.

Thank you to everyone who has traveled to Purdue to be part of these important conversations. We can’t wait to see what today’s sessions have in store!

Photos by Mélodie Yvonne

Today is the final day to register for the Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering! Join us July 24–25 at Purdue University for two days of collaborative sessions exploring how engineering and live entertainment can shape the future of education.

Register before registration closes tonight: https://rebrand.ly/SEEE-Countdown

One week until the Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering! We’re looking forward to welcoming participants to Purdue University for two days of engaging discussions, working sessions, and collaboration at the intersection of engineering and live entertainment. See you soon!

Register before registration closes: https://rebrand.ly/SEEE-Countdown

This past weekend, students in the Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering's Entertainment Machine Design Challenge, part of Purdue's Summer College for High School Students program, traveled to Indianapolis for an afternoon of hands-on learning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

Students explored the engineering behind racing through a STEM activity focused on signal systems before taking a behind-the-scenes track tour and experiencing the iconic "Kiss the Bricks" tradition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Experiences like these help connect engineering concepts to real-world applications and inspire the next generation of innovators.

Stay tuned—our students have been hard at work, and we'll soon be sharing photos of their final machine design projects. You won't want to miss what they've created!

Photography by Melodie Yvonne

Registration for the Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering closes July 20! Don’t miss this opportunity to join academic and industry leaders at Purdue for collaborative discussions on the future of entertainment engineering education.

Register now before spots close: https://rebrand.ly/SEEE-Countdown

We’re just two weeks away from the Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering at Purdue University! We can’t wait to bring together educators and industry professionals for conversations focused on innovation, collaboration, and actionable ideas for the future of entertainment engineering education.

There’s still time to register: https://rebrand.ly/SEEE-Countdown