Back in the early 1990s, we developed an innovative curriculum that we called "Digital Media Arts and Technology."  Today, building on twenty years of experience, we have an outstanding concentration of courses teaching students how to design content for new media.  Classes cover everything from web design to information architecture, human computer interaction, social media design, animation, and e-commerce.  State of the art labs are fully integrated into our courses, and students have gone on to careers in leading Internet, telecommunications, information technology, and interactive media companies.

Faculty members in our department were among the first in the nation to conduct empirical work on Facebook, and today we are considered world leaders in research on social media. The Social Media Research Lab is a focal point for much of the activity in this area.  Research explores how people manage their online identities, form relationships with others online, collaborate through social media, and benefit from their participation in online social networks. Studies have been funded by the National Science Foundation, USDA, Kellogg Foundation, and other prominent sources.

Outreach projects have explored how to use social media for community social and economic development, and how to engage youth with local communities. There are also courses in social media practice and research for undergraduate and graduate students. If you are interested in social or interactive media, this is the place to be.