# Behind the Visuals of Harvard Horizons June 21, 2024 For over a decade, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning has mentored the PhD students chosen to participate in the Harvard Griffin GSAS [Harvard Horizons](https://gsas.harvard.edu/academics/maximizing-your-degree/harvard-horizons) program. These remarkable scholars take on the challenge of turning their dissertation research into five-minute presentations for a public audience, which they deliver at a grand symposium in Sanders Theatre, and as Dean Emma Dench said to the audience this year, they “somehow make it look easy!” To prepare, the Harvard Horizons Scholars participate in an intensive ten-week program at the Bok Center, where they receive in-depth coaching on storytelling, voice, body and performance, and visual communication. Pamela Pollock, Bok’s Director of Professional Development, Erika Bailey, Head of Voice and Speech at the American Repertory Theater and Lecturer on Theater, Dance & Media, and Marlon Kuzmick, Director of the Learning Lab, lead the program. Kuzmick and his dedicated team work tirelessly to help develop the scholars' visuals. Harvard Horizons gives the Learning Lab team the opportunity to work on high-level visual assets. Assistant Director of the Learning Lab Jordan Koffman reflects on the joy and challenge of this annual project. "Horizons is special for us because it allows us to invest significant time and talent into creating something truly exceptional. Each year, we get to see the dynamics between the scholars and our team evolve in fascinating ways." While the scholars receive mentoring and high level technical support for their visuals, this project offers the Learning Lab team an opportunity to leverage their unique skill set and really push the boundaries of what is possible in multimodal academic communication. This year, for the first time in Harvard Horizons history, the audience could experience a large, physical representation of a scholar’s project. Technical Operations and Learning Lab Studio Manager Casey Cann spearheaded this effort, translating an algorithm designed by applied physicist Noah Toyonaga into a tangible 9-foot by 9-foot by 3-foot steel structure for the stage. "Understanding the algorithm and figuring out the right materials was a rewarding challenge," Cann explains. "It was amazing to see it come to life on stage." ![The physical representation of Noah Toyonaga's research in process in the Learning Lab, onstage at Sanders Theater, and with creators Casey Cann and Noah Toyonaga.](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/shadowbok/files/donut-process.png?itok=1ojjla4P) The Learning Lab team is constantly expanding their skills in response to a rapidly evolving technological domain, allowing them to stay at the forefront of visual modes of communication. The team created custom generative artificial intelligence workflows to produce visual samples for the scholars to review, allowing for an iterative design workflow that helped them gain specific feedback and produce effective prototypes for the final visual builds. Additionally, exciting new updates in software bring the Learning Lab’s collaborations with the scholars to new levels, more quickly aligning our technical expertise with their academic vision. This year's collaboration with scholar Dylan Renaud highlighted this innovative spirit. Chris Benham, graduate student Media & Design Fellow and lead of 3D Visuals for Horizons, created assets for Renaud in Blender, a 3D modeling tool, but rendering animations in Blender typically is a time intensive process that makes iterating quite difficult. "We leveraged Keynote's new capability to accept USDZ \[Blender\] files,” Koffman recalls. This collaborative workflow allowed for high-quality Blender visuals made from Benham’s expertise, and then quicker iterations and precise animations with Koffman’s keynote expertise and Renaud's physics expertise. The Learning Lab’s technical workflows are integrally connected to design challenges and opportunities found within the scope of each project. As the team works with each scholar, one goal is to identify any high level assets that will prove essential in their talk, but that also offer potential value in their future work. Scholar Heidi Pickard is deeply involved in public outreach about her research on environmental toxins. So much so that she has created the educational [web series “Hydro Heidi”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOLh18-BAcg) in collaboration with her friend Meredith Wish, an illustrator. In early consultations with Kuzmick, it became clear that this hand-illustrated aesthetic would not only help the audience in Sanders understand how her research is positioned in public outreach, but also provide Pickard with valuable assets for future communications. Koffman studied the illustrator's work meticulously and worked to Adobe Fresco’s upper limits to create assets that matched the aesthetic. "Imitating someone else's style is always a fascinating challenge and a great learning experience, pushing the limits of the tools and my own skills," says Koffman. ![hydro-heidi-photo-block.png](/sites/g/files/omnuum6756/files/styles/hwp_1_1__960x960_scale/public/shadowbok/files/hydro-heidi-photo-block.png?itok=FuiwCmHC) Ultimately, what makes the Learning Lab’s support of Harvard Horizons special is its boutique approach. Each scholar receives personalized attention, ensuring their presentations are as impactful as possible. "We offer a unique stack of support tailored to each project," Koffman explains. "Within Harvard Horizons, this means individualized, high-level collaboration that elevates the scholars' work." As the curtain falls on another successful Harvard Horizons symposium, the Bok Center's Learning Lab will be busy this summer learning new tools to get ready for next year’s cohort of scholars. In the meantime, interested faculty and graduate students can consult with the Learning Lab on developing visuals to communicate their research. Reach out to to learn more, and [watch the videos of the Scholars' presentations here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpeHaldzhCOSvXVs-EWpwl8K3kZCojw6Z). See also:- [ Graduate Students ](/audience/graduate-students) - [ Learning Lab ](/audience/learning-lab) - [ Bok News ](/news-items/bok-news) - [ Learning Lab News ](/news-items/learning-lab-news) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)