Program Overview

Introduction to the PRAx Student Fellowship

The PRAx Student Fellowship offers support to students interested in transdisciplinary projects, combining art and engineering to lead to novel approaches to research. The program continues to grow, with students working at the intersections of science, engineering, and the arts receiving a significant boost.

Key Takeaways

• The PRAx Student Fellowship supports students' transdisciplinary creative endeavors.
• Art and engineering work concurrently in innovation, leading to novel approaches to research.
• The program has expanded to accommodate fellows in four areas: Art+Science, Humanities+Science, Film+Science, and Art+Engineering.

Program Details

The inaugural cohort of 11 upper-level undergraduate and graduate students developed yearlong projects in partnership with a pair of mentors — one with expertise in creative practice, the other in scientific research. Their collective efforts culminated in "Confluences," an exhibition at The Little Gallery in May 2023.

Student Projects

• Nicole Fronda: A doctoral candidate in computer science and robotics, Fronda worked with simulations of drones, studying how operators can plan flight trajectories that allow different stakeholders to safely share the airspace. Her PRAx Student Fellowship project blended this research with her passion for making music to create a unique audio-visual experience.
• Jackson Myers: An undergraduate in computer science, Myers' project details are not specified.
• Savannah Tanner: An undergraduate in electrical and computer engineering, Tanner's project details are not specified.
• Liam Warner: An undergraduate in electrical and computer engineering, honors college, and music, Warner's project details are not specified.
• Nyssa Engebo: An undergraduate in bioengineering, Engebo worked on her honors thesis, engaging concepts in K-12 STEAM outreach. She researched scientific discoveries originating in each state and created a children's book to cultivate curiosity and a lifelong interest in discovery and creation.
• Eloise Thoreson: An undergraduate in chemical engineering, Thoreson developed solutions to the world's oil-based plastics problem. By combining her interests in sculpting, design, and polymer research, she created a toy using a polylactic acid and hemp fiber blend—a durable, yet ultimately compostable, alternative to oil-based plastic.
• Dragomira (Draga) Zheleva: A graduate student in biological and ecological engineering, Zheleva drew on her research into the relationships between plant water-demand and external factors like soil characteristics and weather events to create a detailed relief print of the processes involved in the plant–soil–water nexus.
• Ali Trueworthy: A graduate student in mechanical engineering, environmental arts and humanities, Trueworthy explored approaches to the transition to alternative energy sources that attend to complex questions of power, ecological entanglement, and social change.

L.L. Stewart Faculty Fellowship

The L.L. Stewart Faculty Fellowship connects Oregon State science and engineering faculty members with professional artists. This year's faculty fellow from the College of Engineering is Rebecca Hutchinson, associate professor of computer science, who will be collaborating with Grisha Coleman, a time-based artist working in performance and experiential media. Hutchinson studies machine learning methodology in service of ecological conservation, an area of research well-suited to Coleman's exploration of the relationships between physiological, technological, and ecological systems. They will have one to two years to complete their project, which will culminate in a public event.