Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering

09/16/2026

Join us for the next First Fridays @ Fusion Studio featuring David “dstew” Stewart, Producer with Disney Cruise Line and Disney Live Entertainment!

David will reflect on his career journey and share insights on human-centric leadership, collaboration, and the people behind complex live entertainment productions.

October 2 | 12–1 PM ET
Free Zoom Webinar

Register today! https://rebrand.ly/FusionStudioFirstFriday

08/28/2026

One week away!

First Fridays @ Fusion Studio returns Friday, September 4, from 12:00–1:00 PM ET with "A Career in Entertainment Technology, Codes and Standards: A Conversation with Mitch Hefter."

With more than 40 years of experience in entertainment technology, Mitch Hefter has played a pivotal role in shaping many of the lighting controls, electrical safety, and technical standards that guide the industry today.

💻 Free & Virtual
📅 September 4 | 12:00–1:00 PM ET

Register today and join us as we kick off another year of First Fridays @ Fusion Studio! https://rebrand.ly/FusionStudioFirstFriday

08/18/2026

The 2026 Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering brought together educators and industry professionals at Purdue University for two days of meaningful conversation, collaboration, and idea-sharing focused on the future of entertainment engineering education.

From touring and venue engineering to troubleshooting, resilience, codes and standards, and curiculum design, this year’s discussions explored how we can better prepare students for the realities of today’s entertainment industry—and how stronger connections between academia and industry can help us get there.

The work doesn’t end with the Symposium. Several working groups are continuing these conversations throughout the year, building on the ideas and connections developed during the event. Contact us at [email protected] to get involved!

Read our full 2026 SEEE recap to learn more about the discussions, presenters, and next steps!

The 2026 Symposium on Education in Entertainment and Engineering was an amazing event at Purdue in July 2026. Photo cred Melodie Yvonne

08/06/2026

These photos highlight past BGR Entertainment Challenge projects that have brought research to life through interactive experiences during Boiler Gold Rush. In just two weeks, a new group of installations will once again be featured across Purdue's West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses, welcoming incoming students through hands-on demonstrations of research, creativity, engineering, and the arts.

This year's featured projects include:

* Boilermaker Bali Beats: Gamelan Immersive Music Experience – an interactive Balinese gamelan workshop and performance where participants experience collaborative music-making while exploring the intersection of culture, technology, and instrument innovation.

* Dynamic Center of Mass Inverted Pendulum Cart (DyCoM Cart) – a hands-on robotics demonstration that showcases real-time balancing and control systems as participants change the cart's center of mass.

* Treeformance – a rhythm-based interactive game that transforms computer science concepts into a collaborative musical and movement experience, allowing participants to explore computer science concepts through play.

The BGR Entertainment Challenge, presented in collaboration with Purdue Orientation Programs and supported in part by the Provost's Office, provides seed funding for faculty and student teams to develop interactive technology, art, and performance installations that showcase innovative research in engaging ways for Purdue's newest students.

Learn more about the BGR Entertainment Challenge and explore projects from past years: https://centers.purdue.edu/fusion-studio/bgr-entertainment-challenge/

08/05/2026

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!

07/31/2026

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!

07/29/2026

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.

07/25/2026

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

07/20/2026

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

07/17/2026

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