Gettysburgians—part of a curious and confident community—find strength in our foundation, while keeping an eye on the ever-evolving future.
“From the changing nature of the student body, to a desire to deepen its national footprint, to its commitment to internationalization, experiential learning, leadership, and innovation, there is an openness to new possibilities and to experimentation,” said President Robert W. Iuliano. “There are challenges ahead, but this is an institution ready—if not impatient—to meet the future that awaits.”
Innovation and Creativity Lab
Gettysburg College designed this recently expanded space in the West Building specifically for the exploration of bold, technological ideas, such as:
- Lamara White’s ’21 3D-printed guitar and her research on innovation in the music industry;
- Ricardo Hernandez’s ’21 3D model of Gettysburg’s St. Francis Xavier Church and his investigation into fostering better connections with the local Hispanic community; and
- Spanish Prof. Christopher C. Oechler’s virtual-reality model of a 17th century Spanish playhouse, the Corral del Príncipe.
A 3D-printed guitar, virtual reality, drone research, and more—innovative mindsets thrive in this home for curious creations.
“I am very excited to see the ways in which this and other powerful technologies will enrich [student and faculty] research, scholarship, and teaching,” said Oechler.
Here at Gettysburg College, creative thinking leads to innovative solutions. In every discipline imaginable, Gettysburgians past and present pioneer their own paths with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Robert Schwartz ’92
The current global leader of strategy and design for IBM iX connects innovation to career success. “You need to change just as much as the brands you consult,” said Schwartz. “It’s a real challenge for anyone these days, but having a flexibility of perspective that can be applied across your core skills lets you work in new and innovative ways.”
Cody Kiefer ’17
The environmental studies and mathematics double major, who was also a member of the Bullets basketball team, contributed to innovation in mathematics around the world by having his conjectures proven by an international team of mathematicians from France, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Emmarie Toppan ’20
The philosophy major thought outside of the box as a 2019 Digital Scholarship summer fellow. “My project is based around looking at visual novels as a form of digital storytelling because of how they combine technology with literature. Stories are an essential part of our existence, always present in the way we think, remember, and have conversations with others. I think that video games as a quickly-developing arena offer a wonderful platform for storytelling that is filled with potential.”
Exploratory Tools
The Innovation and Creativity Lab is just one place on campus that allows students and faculty to explore new ideas. Gettysburg College is also home to impactful learning technology such as our Anatomage Tables, the most technologically advanced 3D interactive dissection devices in the medical world today. They embolden student discovery and revolutionize the classroom experience in the health sciences program—and areas like archaeology or art, where an understanding of anatomy is critical.
Classroom Experiences
Innovative practice begins with distinctive instruction. The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching & Learning (JCCTL) provides faculty, such as Religious Studies Prof. Megan Adamson Sijapati, the 2019 JCCTL Excellence in Teaching Award honoree, with opportunities to explore experiential learning techniques and incorporate technological innovations. Sijapati has helped her students develop digital literacy skills by creating interactive maps of sacred sites in South Asia. “Innovation expands student learning, and often it simply makes learning more fun, more compelling, and more enduring,” she said. “As a teacher, I find that incorporating innovation into my teaching is invigorating.” Learn more about her fellow colleagues who are also committed to innovative and creative pedagogy.
Entrepreneurial Mindsets
Combining entrepreneurship and social innovation is the methodology of applying what you learn in the classroom to real world problems to make positive change. Learn how you can build your entrepreneurial mindset using the guidance provided through our Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative, connect with alumni entrepreneurs, and develop and execute innovative ideas, just like inaugural Entrepreneurial Fellow Wei Xiong ’15, who now works at Google.