The Global Strategic Communications (GSC) graduate program inaugurated its GSC Speaker Series on February 26 with a dive into mixed realities. Nearly 100 graduate students, faculty and community members filled the FIU CARTA Miami Beach Urban Studios for An Evening with Cathy Hackl where AR/VR futurist and FIU alumna Cathy Hackl (MS ’04) came to disrupt the norm.
Considered one of the foremost authorities on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) – and named #4 Top Voice in Technology globally by LinkedIn – Hackl forecasted the future of AR/VR and what communicators need to consider as they engage in mixed realities. From VR employee trainings to CGI Influencers and digital humans, there’s a lot to know and consume in the spatial computing space. In fact, spatial computing is already changing the way people think, act and spend their leisure time – and shaking up the digital world.
“I can’t think of a more topical subject or influential speaker in the space to kick-off the GSC Speaker Series,” said Aileen Izquierdo, Interim Chair, Instructor and Faculty Director, M.S. in Global Strategic Communications. “Cathy Hackl is one of the most sought after voices in the AR/VR space and with her finger on the pulse of the industry, her insights brought great value to our students.”
Cathy Hackl is an Emmy-nominated communicator turned virtual reality & augmented reality, producer, speaker and futuristic content creator. Hackl was also selected as a 2017 Oculus Launch Pad Fellow, a program designed to support promising VR content creators and help them bring their unique ideas to market. She currently helps innovative tech brands with highly-specialized communications services, while teaching communicators about the latest tools and tech. She’s also the founder of Latinos in VR/AR and one of the women leading the virtual revolution.
“Being a communications professional and graduate student, it’s important to be informed and educated on new practices and technology trends,” said GSC student Andrea Perez. “Cathy Hackl’s lecture did it just that. It gave insight into what the near future holds for the media industry.”
Hackl closed out the evening underscoring the importance of content, data and transparency in this rapidly evolving world of mixed realities and highlighting the career opportunities that abound for interested students who want to make a mark in the space.
The newly launched Global Strategic Communications (GSC) Speaker Series welcomes a diverse mix of industry leaders to share their experiences, expertise and insightful perspectives on a variety of topics related to global communications. These distinguished guest speakers provide opportunities for thought-provoking discussions and underscore FIU CARTA’s commitment to investing in students, alumni, faculty and the world around us. Follow #FIUGSC on @FIU_SCJ channels for information on upcoming GSC Speaker Series events. For more on the GSC Speaker Series, email gsc@fiu.edu.
