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In just a few weeks time, Triane Tambay will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Interactive Arts and Technology with a concentration in Creative Media. Triane shares her experiences with the accelerated Master's Program, her future goals, memorable moments, and her advice to students!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am very interested in media art history and how technology can serve as a starting point for conversations about culture, systems, and the world we share. Throughout my studies I gravitated toward classes that focused on creative coding and interactive systems, and I took advantage of Directed Studies and Capstone projects to develop interactive installations. 

Why did you choose SIAT for your studies?

My background before returning to school was in the special events industry working for various production companies. I was originally drawn to SIAT because I wanted to explore how emerging technology could be incorporated within live events for more immersive and unique audience experiences. 

You pursued an accelerated master’s while completing your undergrad degree. What has been your experience with that program?

SIAT's graduate courses opened up an even deeper curriculum I was eager to explore, making the decision to continue my studies within the program an easy one. By enrolling in the Accelerated Master’s track, I was able to finish my last year of my undergrad with graduate courses and it counted for both. As a mature student, I am very mindful that the years being in academia takes you away from industry. Being able to collapse a full year of a graduate program while completing my undergraduate studies was a great opportunity.  

How did your studies in SIAT fit into your future goals and what is next for you?

My future goals have been directly influenced by the course work, research and professors I have been exposed to through my time in SIAT. My future goals have now far surpassed anything I had envisioned for myself at the beginning of my studies. I had originally thought that maybe I would learn some new skills to take back to an industry I had already worked in. Now, so many new opportunities seem possible in industries that I did not know about before I started. 

I am currently working on developing a startup that better connects people to arts and culture programming. I am bringing together the design skills and theories, interactive systems and research techniques I have learned through SIAT to build a new venture that I believe can make a positive impact within communities I care about. 

What was the highlight of your SIAT academic career?

A highlight is seeing the benefits of my education in action. SIAT is a great program not just for teaching you new tools and theories, it lays down a foundation for how to learn. In a landscape where technology evolves faster than any curriculum can keep up with, that foundation has proven invaluable. I don’t feel beholden to software and resources I already know or were taught because my academic exposure has given me the confidence to pick up unfamiliar tools across a rapidly shifting media and technology landscape. 

Do you have any advice for students considering a degree with the Accelerated Master’s option at SIAT?

If you know you want to continue your studies into a graduate program within SIAT, it is an extremely well-suited option. It takes a little planning so this isn’t something to think about in your last semester of your last term. I would suggest by your third year to really explore all the different research labs within SIAT and talk to professors. You don’t have to know what area of research you want to focus on at this stage, but it is helpful to understand the possible directions you could go. From here you can decide if SIAT is where you want to continue your academic pursuits, and if so, and Accelerated Master’s is worth looking into.