Humans are a relentlessly creative bunch.
Whether we are seeking novel ways to build cars or craft bold paintings to capture our fleeting emotional experiences-we want to create and we want to connect.
Abhilash Pandya, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Wayne State understands this. That is why he commissioned art student, Samantha Weslin at Wayne to create art for his engineering lab space.
“When you walk into a building, hallway or lab, you should feel creative,” said Pandya. “Creativity can be instilled in everything you do, from teaching a class to doing research or running a meeting.”
Ms. Weslin, a junior design student, spent a five day period creating the mural of a skull with a robotic arm in July 2019. The mural, an excellent metaphor for the integration of the man and machine, our corporal existence and technological ingenuity, is boldly provocative and cannot help but inspire a reaction from the viewer, which in the end, is a true testament to the value of its creativity.
Credit is owed to professor Pandya for seeking the potential in the blank slate and for understanding the power of creative collaboration.
“This is just the start,” said Pandya. “We plan on involving other art students, and teaming them with engineering students to instill a creative atmosphere.”
Questions for Discussion:
- Why do you think professor Pandya values creativity?
- What are some benefits of creative collaboration between various academic disciplines?
- Why do you think the mural created by Ms. Weslin, is fitting for an engineering lab?
For more information, please see the article at Wayne State news here.
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