Golan Levin, assistant professor of electronic time-based media, and Jesse Schell, instructor of entertainment technology at Carnegie Mellon University, have been named to the 2004 list of the world's 100 Top Young Innovators by Technology Review, MIT's magazine of innovation.
The TR100, chosen by the editors of Technology Review and a panel of judges, consists of 100 individuals under age 35 whose innovative work in technology has a profound impact on today's world. This year's nominees are recognized for their contributions in transforming the nature of technology and business in industries such as biotechnology and medicine, computing and nanotechnology.
"The nominations of Levin and Schell are a testament to Carnegie Mellon's support of interdisciplinary innovation," says Carnegie Mellon Provost Mark Kamlet. "We are honored to have such highly skilled and trained artists associated with the College of Fine Arts. Their recognition is another example of how Carnegie Mellon successfully integrates arts and technology."
Levin and Schell will be honored September 29 - 30 at Technology Review's Emerging Technologies Conference at MIT. The event features keynotes, panels and breakout discussions on the transformative technological innovations that have the potential to fuel new economic growth and dramatically change the future.
Levin is an assistant professor for Carnegie Mellon's School of Art. As an artist, composer, performer and engineer, he is interested in developing events through electronic media that explore new modes of expression. He is known for the creation of Dialtones [2001], a concert whose sounds are performed through the carefully choreographed dialing and ringing of the audience's own mobile phones.
Schell is an instructor of entertainment technology for Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), a joint master's program between Carnegie Mellon's College of Fine Arts and School of Computer Science. Formerly, he was creative director of the Walt Disney Imagineering VR Studio. Schell worked as a designer, programmer, and manager on several projects for Disney theme parks and DisneyQuest. He is also the coordinator of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the International Game Developers Association. In July, Schell opened Schell Games in Pittsburgh's South Side and will be this year's keynote speaker at the Game Design and Technology Workshop at Liverpool John Moores University in England on November 16.