Fall.Winter 95 - HITL Home - University of Washington

Director’sBriefContentsGreetings,The HITLab continues to grow, prosper and gain a greater presence in the global media technologymarketplace. As a part of the Washington Technology Center, the Lab is a “bridge” organizationspanning the cultural gulf between academia and industry. Our measure of success is the degree towhich we accomplish both the research and the technology transfer aspects of our mission. Our endgoal is to empower people by creating better ways to interface with machines.In keeping with our mission and the expanding presence of the Lab within the University ofWashington, Dr. J. Ray Bowen, dean of the College of Engineering, has organized a HITLabAdvisory Committee composed of representatives from the College of Engineering, the College ofArchitecture and Urban Planning, the Applied Physics Laboratory, and the provost’s office. Thepurpose of this group is to advise and support the HITLab in its technology partnerships with industryand its multidisciplinary collaborations within the university community.As another vote of confidence, the College of Engineering is providing funds for the remodeling ofour facilities. The remodel will help us better utilize our Fluke Hall space and create a more efficientworking environment for our staff. We extend our sincere thanks to the College for their support.The Virtual Worlds Consortium is still going strong with 27 members and several new memberspending. Our 10th Consortium Meeting convenes this October. The main objective of this biannualforum is to plot a research course for the HITLab consistent with the emerging technology needs ofour members.We are receiving enthusiastic kudos for our World Wide Web site (http://www.hitl.washington.edu).It is a popular destination for those interested in gathering information on our projects and personnel.In fact, several company recruiters have visited our site to learn more about our graduating students.Consequently, HITLab grads are finding excellent positions with organizations such as PhilipsResearch Laboratories, Microsoft Corp., General Magic, Disney Imagineering and the University ofNew Mexico. We are extremely proud of our graduates and we wish all of them great success!We also want to extend our thanks to you, our readers, for your interest in our work. We are always lookingfor new research challenges and application opportunities in human interface technology. We welcomeyour feedback on the topics covered in this publication and we encourage you to “keep in touch.”Warmest regards,Thomas A. Furness III, Ph.D.Director