Augmented Reality Center/Public opening of the ARC Lab

June 23, 2023

Thank you, Beth….and looking around, I am so appreciative to see our ARC founding members and the committee of industry leaders and faculty from the School of Engineering and College for Creative Studies.

We appreciate your passion and vision for making the Augmented Reality Center a…. well, reality….and …

A force.
A catalyst.
An inspiration.
And a glimpse at the emerging world of what is possible.

And of course, thank you to ARC Founding Director Dr. Khalid Mirza, ARC Project Manager Deborah Kiefer and Dean Louay Chamra, who inspires all of us with his commitment to further elevate Oakland University.
As we stand on solid ground in an age defined by digital realities and innovations, there is clearly nothing virtual about the strength of our partnership, nor the potential for the Augmented Reality Center and the ARC lab.
As Beth noted, the academic collaboration between OU and CCS is innovative.
This is a unique program that will prepare students for the jobs of the future.
But augmented and virtual reality is no longer the future…. It’s the present. A present made possible by the generosity and vision of our corporate sponsors.
In reality, there is more at stake than our immediate task of designing a new curriculum to foster our students’ technological and design skills.
While there are immediate ways to apply immersive technology to the manufacturing, gaming and medical industries, the technology itself poses a challenge to all of us in education and industry to rethink the nature of learning, creativity, and knowledge.
We must continually ask ourselves how can we apply this cutting-edge technology to make a better world.
As we are seeing with the proliferation of artificial intelligence applications, technology is the driving force in creating an expansive virtual and enhanced world, a world with profound promise to address the most compelling issues of our times…including the challenge to become a more sustainable society and planet.
Higher education must and will play a central role in the emerging world and the latest chapter of the technological transformation of our lives.
And, I am so pleased to know that Dean Chamra will be central to our effort as an advocate for bring forward ideas for research, training and workforce development that can be fostered at the Augmented Reality Center.
This center, augmented as it may be, has a real and measurable impact on students, industry and our communities.
Oakland University takes great pride in being an indispensable resource for our communities and companies in our region…
Our goal is to prove that by working together as partners, we can help companies throughout the region to be more competitive in the global market.
There is an irony when looking at what it will take for companies in our region to compete and succeed successfully.

It is admittedly…. “old school.”
But there is something to be said about conventional wisdom.
They key to our success depends on the strength of our collaboration, and our connection with our industry partners, communities…

…and being open to the challenges ahead – expected and unexpected -- that will require us to be innovative and to work together for our common purpose.

Thank you again to the ARC team, and for giving us another reason to be so encouraged about the future of Oakland University.
Of course, a vital part of our success is the alliance with the College for Creative Studies and its president, Don Tuski.
Please give Dr. Tuski a warm Oakland University welcome.