People // Alumni
Camille Baker
SIAT Alumni, graduate program
"I chose TechBC (now SIAT) to be able to be a woman with an advanced degree in a non-stereotypical female discipline - Digital Technology. But quite frankly, I became more excited by Art during my degree.
Exploration into various innovations was the most exciting aspect of my degree - the opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring researchers in the field - including Thecla Schiphorst - a truly innovative artist and academic. Over the last two years, I have worked as a Research Assistant for the wearable art installation and performance project whispers, with Schiphorst and Kozel. This position involved: editing and preparation of Dr. Kozel's book for MIT Press, video editing, wearable design, research on current wearable technologies and smart fabrics, website development, prototype garment construction, and biosensor testing and development.
This segment of my degree was the most rewarding - not only to be involved in engaging, challenging, cutting edge artistic research, but also to work with some of the few great women in this field in Canada was an honour. These women are continually bridging the boundaries between art and technology sciences, between practice and research, between performers and academics, so I hope to continue on this path myself. So this was truly the highlight of my experience at TechBC now SIAT.
In addition, and partly because of the great faculty - also including Steve DiPaola, Ron Wakkary and Jim Bizzocchi - the coursework designed by them was truly stimulating and challenged me to rethink the direction I was initially going in, which resulted in me completely changing from the safe, and perhaps more marketable, path I was on. So I then moved toward the more exciting and more risky pursuits because I felt my degree would not be worth for me if I did not follow the more intriguing road these advisors and courses took me down.
What counts is that I had a mostly amazing experience at SFU Surrey and recommend it highly to new students, primarily the Interactive Arts & Technology (SIAT) faculty and program."