New York, NY – Creative minds, not rote learners or technicians, will control the next generation of computers and visual computing, a Cornell University expert told an audience at the NYIT Auditorium On Broadway.

Abstract thinking will be key to those working in technology in the future, giving creative minds an edge over those with technical minds, said Don Greenberg, Ph.D., director of Cornell's Computer Graphics Program. Greenberg said he came to the conclusion after exploring the evolution of computers and computer graphics and seeing how creative approaches can add to the technical approaches that currently dominate computing.

Greenberg’s keynote speech came Friday as NYIT students, faculty, and staff gathered for the annual SOURCE: Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary practices. SOURCE brought together students from almost every major to share academic research, engineering projects, visual art, and other forms of expression with the NYIT community.

Greenberg encouraged students to take courses from the "other hemisphere"—to complement computer science courses with drawing, for example. He called for the breakdown of silos on campuses in order to goad students to try technical and creative approaches as they investigate issues.

At the Manhattan campus, students presented projects ranged from exploring different perceptions of police officers to the usage of numbers as a literary device.

SOURCE gives selected students the opportunity to share their accomplishments while promoting the importance of research with their peers.

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New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 15,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

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Briana Samuels
Communications Specialist
516.686.1354