Political Science major Makaiya Snead was among a select group of talented undergraduates from across the nation invited to attend the 21st annual Public Policy Leadership Conference, hosted by the Harvard Kennedy School last month.

"We got to learn about all the different types of public policy" issues impacting contemporary life, "including AI and technology, climate and environmental justice, community and economic development, and racial justice," Snead told EMU Today. "It helped me better understand the world of public policy."

The Projection Designer's Toolkit by Jeromy Hopgood, Professor of Entertainment Design and Technology, will be published by Routledge in December.

Projection design is a catchall phrase for using dynamic imagery like photos, video, or live content as an element of storytelling. Hopgood specializes in using projection design for live performance like theater and dance, but he also does work in galleries, or projected onto the sides of buildings. This might involve using digital projectors, computer displays, video walls, or old fashioned gear like an overhead projector. The goal is telling a story through pictures and video.

Projection design has been a big part of CMTA's Entertainment Design and Technology program since Hopgood joined the faculty in 2008. Over the years the College has supported several of his research projects connected to live performances, installations, or community engagement. As a result of his research, Hopgood has become one of the leading scholars in his discipline, enabling him to directly connect his students to major projects while they are here, and after graduation. For example, one recent ED&T graduate went on to be an associate designer on Broadway productions within the first year after graduation.

Hopgood explains that The Projection Designer's Toolkit is "one of the first books of its kind for our young discipline. It allowed me to collaborate with around a dozen of the top projection designers around the world in terms of research and documenting their processes. In addition to my writings on process and pedagogy, the book features 14 interviews with internationally significant designers working at the top of our field, as well as including artifacts of their work (production photos, paperwork, design renderings, etc.). I am very proud of the fact that it also includes numerous examples of our faculty, staff, and student work from here at Eastern Michigan side-by-side with some of the top names in the industry. My research has allowed us to truly make a name for ourselves as a training program for high quality designers and technicians in the entertainment industry."

Congratulations to EMU Alum Jeffrey Grant for earning a position in the President's Own Marine Band! Playing in this band is a lifetime career achievement, so huge congratulations are in order.

Jeffrey holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, as well as a Percussion Performance Graduate Certificate from the University of Southern California. At USC, Jeffrey studied with Principal Timpanist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Joseph Pereira as well as Percussionist of the LA Philharmonic, Jim Bab.

Acclaimed artist Charles McGee, who taught art at EMU from 1969 to 1987, was named by the City of Detroit as one of the initial recipients of a Detroit ACE Medal of Excellence. McGee died last February at the age of 96. His last project, a sculpture park, is being fabricated and installed at the new Shepherd art center on the east side of Detroit. The inaugural exhibition at the Shepherd will be a retrospective of McGee's work.

Eastern Michigan University Theatre is excited to produce another live in person show this season! A hit on Broadway, "A Year with Frog and Toad" was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books, and featuring a hummable score by Robert and Willie Reale, this whimsical show follows two great friends - the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad - through four fun-filled seasons. Performances will be December 3-5 and 10-12 in the Legacy Theatre.

McAndless Professor Kevin Boyle returned to campus November 4 and 5 to deliver a lecture drawing on his recently published history The Shattering: America in the 1960s. He also led a workshop on writing narrative, co-hosted by Creative Writing and History. In January, Boyle will come to EMU for his final visit, which will coincide with the University’s celebration of Black History Month.

Boyle’s last lecture engages film. In his final talk, he will discuss the Civil Rights film genre, focusing on three recent films. In anticipation of this talk, the College and Campus Life are presenting a three-part Civil Rights film series. The films Boyle has selected for this series are:

• "4 Little Girls" (1997), Monday, November 29, 3:30pm – 5:30pm, introduced by Political Science Department Head Barbara Patrick.

• "Loving" (2016), Monday, December 6, 3:30pm – 5:30pm, introduced by Associate Professor of Psychology Stephen Jefferson.

• "Judas and the Black Messiah" (2021), Monday, January 17, 2022, 3:30pm – 5:30pm.

All films will be shown in the Student Center Auditorium free of charge.