Engineering the Future of Entertainment

The entertainment engineering and design program, which is an interdisciplinary degree jointly managed by the Colleges of Engineering and Fine Arts, is preparing students for unique work in an exciting industry. Daniel P. Cook, coordinator of the program for the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, sees first-hand how private support makes an impact on the success of the program and the experiences of the students.

The joint partnership between the Colleges of Fine arts and Engineering provides the students with a balanced perspective from the artist's bent and the engineer's mind, allowing the students to envision the kinds of elaborate staging seen in theaters in Las Vegas and across the country. Support from the Las Vegas community provides scholarships, internships, and the opportunity to work with some of the most advanced technology in the industry. 

"The program is a one-of-a-kind.  It's very unique," says Cook. 

Nick Skadberg, a sophomore in the program, agrees and values the opportunities he gets in the program.

"I like the fact that it's non-traditional.  There's a lot experimenting and adapting," said Skadberg of the type of engineering work he's doing in the program. "I also have the ability to do a lot more aesthetic design than traditional engineering."

For Skadberg, this program provided a perfect blend of his interests. He says he always wanted to be an engineer, but when he became involved in theater in high school he wasn't sure how he would pursue both paths.  When he learned about the UNLV program, he knew it was the right fit.

"I was ecstatic because I could do engineering and the design aspect," said Skadberg.

The Las Vegas Strip provides unique access for students in the program to get hands-on experience in the entertainment engineering industry. Full-scale productions here are elaborate and allow students to see the evolution and the development of engineering projects. The entertainment industry needs a kind of engineering different from other industries because it is at the interface of a lot of technological use, says Cook.

"We are preparing students to be successful in this field when they graduate. We are training students so that when they walk out they can help design, fabricate, operate, and maintain large live entertainment spectacles," says Cook. 

Private support is essential to the entertainment engineering and design program, says Cook. He says the partnerships with the local industry help to keep the program industrially relevant and cutting-edge