DR
Dominic Rigney
  • Class of 2019
  • Syracuse, N.Y.

Dominic Rigney participates in Co-Up program at RIT

2016 Aug 24

For the second consecutive summer, Rochester Institute of Technology's Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction and Creativity (MAGIC) has earned the right to brag about the unique digital projects multidisciplinary student teams have created over the last 10 weeks.

Each summer, MAGIC's Co-Up program, in partnership with the Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship, offers students the opportunity to earn cooperative education experience and a stipend, work alongside faculty and staff mentors, and gain valuable business advice-all while developing digital products fit for the marketplace. The 10-week program was made possible through financial support from members of the RIT Board of Trustees.

Dominic Rigney of Syracuse, who is studying in the accounting program, worked on Whisper of a Lullaby, a third-person adventure game.

"From the beginning of the summer to the end, the games look different, the software looks different and the questions that the students are asking are different," said Andrew Phelps, professor and director of RIT's MAGIC Center. "Students are thinking about how to accomplish their goals, and we are fortunate that the RIT Board of Trustees continues to see the value and potential of this Co-Up program and our students."

Phelps also said that each year the kinds of projects that are showcased are varied and unique, and often extend beyond the game space.

"It's important that our Co-Up students remember that the end of the summer isn't the end of their projects-it's the beginning," he added. "They are now asking themselves, 'Where do we go from here and how do we get there?'"