Research

Faculty in the Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts showcased a wide variety of research during the 2025 Research and Creative Works Day. The third-annual spring symposium was held Feb. 3 at the Stella Hotel in Bryan, and included three keynote speakers and several performances by faculty members.

Innovation has been a consistent theme throughout Tim McLaughlin’s career, both in higher education and the visual effects industry. The Longview native’s degrees at Texas A&M University helped to take him to Industrial Light & Magic, where he played a major role in how digital creatures look and move in films including “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” “Mars Attacks!” and “Jumanji,” along with a prototype project for “Avatar.”

Dr. Mike Poblete, instructional assistant professor in Theatre, will discuss his new book about devised theatre education on April 3 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities Building, Room 255.

The Texas A&M University College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts will host the World Shakuhachi Festival April 17-20. Dr. Martin Regan, a professor in the Music Performance program, organized the festival, which will be held in Texas for the first time. The quadrennial event debuted in Japan in 1994, and it was most recently held in London in 2018.

“The Heartbeat: A Cultural Revival” continues through Friday with an art exhibition at the Parker-Astin in Downtown Bryan and a performance at the Physical Education Activity Program Building.

The “Afrofuturism Explored!” conference returns Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Liberal Arts and Arts and Humanities Building, Room 453. The second-annual event in honor of Black History Month features panel discussions with students and faculty, keynote speakers, poem recitations and a film screening. It was organized by Dr. Will Connor, lecturer in the Performance and Visual Studies program.

The Virtual Production Institute at Texas A&M University was honored by the Advanced Imaging Society on Friday for advancement of virtual production education.

The Institute for Applied Creativity recently showcased 360-degree films during its inaugural Field of View: 360 Video Festival.  The festival featured 23 juried immersive films created with 360-degree video technology, along with nine invited films. The event was sponsored by the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts and Igloo Vision.

An exhibition and series of dance performances honoring the Harlem Renaissance will be featured in “The Heartbeat: A Cultural Revival,” from Feb. 1-28 at the Parker-Astin in Downtown Bryan and at the Physical Education Activity Program Building. The free event was organized by Elijah Alhadji Gibson, associate program director and assistant professor in the Dance Science program in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts.

The Institute for Applied Creativity in the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts will host a series of interdisciplinary discussions beginning Jan. 29 at noon at the J. Wayne Stark Galleries in the Memorial Student Center.