ATLAS | DigitalCUrrents

DigitalCUrrents students note school’s anniversary

Jacob Melvin, a technical director at DreamWorks Animation where he has worked on animation projects such as “Kung Fu Panda” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” was one of the featured speakers during DigitalCUrrents summer technology program at ATLAS.

DigitalCUrrents, a three-week summer intensive, teaches high school students the use of various technologies that combine art, math and software. The program is a partnership between ATLAS, the National Center for Women and Technology and Denver’s North High School Computer Magnet Program.

The students learned programs such as Google SketchUp, MorphX, Photoshop, Finalcut Pro and Garage Band to create a unique representation of their school’s past in celebration of the schools 100th anniversary. Melvin, a University of Colorado computer science and ATLAS Technology, Arts and Media (TAM) graduate, has worked for Dreamworks since an interview during a National Society of Black Engineers’ career fair in 2007 turned into more interviews and a job offer.

Melvin talked about his Dreamworks experiences and how important it is for people to pursue college studies and a career doing what they love to do.

The DigitalCUrrents program was made possible through donations from Xcel Energy, viaWest, Parsons Construction, Google, CU’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, CTE, Pasta Jay’s, Costco Wholesale and Target.

View DigitalCUrrents student comments on the ATLASCUBOULDER YouTube channel at http://www.youtube. com/user/ATLASCUBOULDER, or read about Melvin’s visit on the ATLAS blog at http://cuatlas.blogspot.com.