Sacred Heart University receives ‘Epic MegaGrant’ from Epic Games
Interactive entertainment firm Epic Games has selected Sacred Heart University and its Creative Technologies Studio (StudioLab), as an Epic MegaGrant recipient. The MegaGrant will be used to support StudioLab’s advanced courses in 3D animation, visualization and interactivity, university officials said.
Students at Sacred Heart will benefit from the access to knowledge and hands-on experience with Epic’s Unreal Engine, a real-time technology unlocking exciting new opportunities across a wide array of industries.
From early in their curriculum, students will be able to integrate these tools into their projects, hand in hand with the StudioLab team.
The technologies that Unreal provides to our advanced courses will result in competitive advantages for our students who plan to pursue the world of interactive development, animation, and video games, school officials said.
“We’re extremely honored that the efforts of Sacred Heart and my team at StudioLab are recognized by a program like Epic MegaGrants and a company like Epic Games,” said Fernando J. Montilla-Torres, executive director of StudioLab, and recipient of three Suncoast Emmy Awards in animation production and technologies.
Launched in March 2019, Epic MegaGrants is designed to service and assist game developers, enterprise professionals, media and entertainment creators, students, educators, and tool developers doing outstanding work with Unreal Engine or enhancing open-source capabilities for the 3D graphics community.
“The future of computing is graphical, multidimensional, immersive, and intelligent. We have the technology, experience and creativity in StudioLab for these new challenges,” Montilla-Torres said.
“Now, through Epic MegaGrants, we now have the essential support we need to realize our future development plans. From previews that combine MotionCapture, cameras, actors and virtual sets, to applications with three-dimensional graphics that are generated in the cloud and run on our devices, we are ready for the next level,” he added.
Since its inauguration in 2015, the StudioLab has been educating college and high school students, as well as professionals in the technologies that make 3D animation possible and its many applications.
The 3D animation program currently has more than 100 students enrolled. StudioLab has collaborated with companies such as Banco Popular, Wovenware, Cine Condado Entertainment, and other participants from the technology and creative sectors.
