On March 25th forty ARCS Atlanta members participated in an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience at SCAD’s thriving Midtown Atlanta campus. It was a rare opportunity to see how one of the nation’s most innovative universities is shaping the future of STEM through creativity, design, and applied technology.
SCAD offers 29 STEM‑designated programs, including animation, architecture, user experience, visual effects, industrial design, immersive reality, game development, and design for sustainability. These programs blend creativity with science and technology in ways that directly influence the world around us.
Our members toured the Applied AI labs, where students design intelligent systems, interactive agents, immersive environments, and real‑world applications that merge human creativity with emerging technologies. We heard about how SCAD’s pioneering Bachelor of Design in Applied AI prepares the next generation of designers, storytellers, and strategists to build intelligent systems grounded in ethics, empathy, and human‑centered design. ARCS members also gained insight into how SCAD is integrating AI and advanced technologies into fields that touch everyday life—from product design to digital media to sustainability.
It was a fascinating, beautifully choreographed afternoon with a delicious basket lunch provided for each member.
Thanks from Alum Alejandro Toriella, PhD, Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering, Georgia Tech
Thank you very much for your support. It meant a lot. I had the opportunity to return to Tech as a faculty member last year. I’m very happy to be back and hope I can advise a future ARCS scholar soon!
Thanks from Scholar Natale Sciolino
"Thank you dearly for your generous contribution to my scientific development. Your contribution has had a profound impact on me at both a personal and professional level. It is a privilege to be an ARCS Scholar, and with this support I will continue to pursue research that aims to advance Neuroscience."
Thanks from Alum Collette Miller, Postdoctoral Fellow at US Environmental Protection Agency
"Thank you all for reaching out and the support over the years. It's been a rocky few years following the passing of my doctoral research mentor a few weeks prior to my dissertation defense. Trying to rebound from his loss, finishing my dissertation, and figuring out where to go from there was challenging to say the least ... Thank you again for your support. Honestly I did not know how much I would have ended up relying on the generous gift that the Atlanta Chapter of ARCS Foundation provided when it was first received. However, it was vital in helping me launch a new chapter in my career when I found my plans collapse when my mentor passed. Again, THANK YOU!"