DePaul CTI One of Six Schools Nationwide Selected to Take Part in IPAX Program

Moviegoers love special effects, and as a result, graphics and animation in films have become more sophisticated, creative and elaborate with each passing year. To satisfy audiences’ appetite for a stunning visual experience in theaters, movie studios are looking to develop professionals with the needed combination of creativity and technological skills.

Now, Sony Pictures Imageworks, the visual effects and character animation company behind such films as both "Spider-Man" movies, "The Matrix: Reloaded" and "The Aviator," is doing something to rectify that, and DePaul University’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI) will be one of the first in the nation to benefit. Sony Pictures Imageworks announced this week the establishment of the Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence (IPAX) program to educate faculty and structure curricula in an effort to develop future artists, designers, animators and engineers who will help the visual effects industry to grow.

Selected after a rigorous acceptance process, DePaul CTI will be able to take advantage of a collaborative partnership with Sony Pictures Imageworks through the IPAX program. Students and faculty will have the opportunity to attend in-house training programs, experience working production environments on-site at Imageworks in California, and take advantage of fellowships that integrate faculty into the production process, and attend guest lectures and information sessions.

"We are delighted to have one of the foremost animation and visual effects companies recognize DePaul for leadership in high-quality curricular innovation and student preparation in computer graphics and animation," said Rosalee Wolfe, professor of graphics and animation at DePaul CTI. "The IPAX partnership will benefit DePaul students and faculty in giving insights about state-of-the-art practices and work environments in the industry. We look forward to working together to prepare our students for careers in this growing and exciting discipline."

Sony Pictures Imageworks will benefit by advising the participants on course content, developing educational standards for the industry and preparing students for professional, large-scale production environments. Because so many of the industry’s technical advancements are proprietary and thus not available to academia, Imageworks realized the importance of establishing an active connection between the academic community and live production operations.

DePaul CTI was one of only six colleges and universities nationwide chosen to participate in the inaugural IPAX program and the only Midwestern university selected. The other participants are the University of Southern California, the Pratt Institute in New York, the Ringling School of Art and Design in Florida, and two Hollywood-based graphic and design schools – the Gnomon School of Visual Effects and the Otis College of Art and Design. As part of the program, participants will undergo a yearly review of curricula to ensure that students are exposed to the latest developments in technology and techniques used throughout the visual effects and digital animation industries.

DePaul CTI is one of the most innovative and wide-ranging computer science programs in the country. The undergraduate program enrolls 1,200 students and offers 11 different degrees. More than 2,130 students are enrolled in its 17 graduate programs. CTI also features a doctoral degree program in computer science. For more information, visit www.cti.depaul.edu.

Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc., is an Academy Award-winning visual effects and character animation company dedicated to the art and artistry of digital production and character creation. Imageworks is a division of Sony Pictures Digital, which oversees the digital production and online entertainment assets of Sony Pictures Entertainment. More information can be found on their Web site at: www.imageworks.com.

DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the nation and eighth-largest private university in the United States. A richly diverse population of 23,570 students attends classes on two city and four suburban campuses.