The Transformative Impact of Open Source in Academia

Tales from the 3rd Dimension

Explore the impact of open source on academia and its transformation over time as Royal, General Manager of Digital Media and Games at the Linux Foundation, speaks to Stephen Jacobs, professor at RIT’s School of Interactive Games & Media and head of Open@RIT. Stephen recounts his longtime involvement in open source, sparked by a program to develop educational games for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) initiative that led to the birth of the netbook market and groundbreaking programs at RIT. He explains how open source projects, like the Open 3D Engine, enable students to gain practical experience, build their portfolios, and create professional connections, and touches on the significance of joining the Open 3D Foundation. Learn about RIT’s innovative Magic Center, a dynamic hub fostering collaboration and creativity in game development and multimedia, as well as Project Eureka, an exciting new initiative that provides students with real-world experience.

Guest: Stephen Jacobs -- Director, Open@RIT and Professor, School of Interactive Games & Media, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

Stephen Jacobs designed and built exhibits for the Capital Children’s Museum in the 70′s, ran the AmiEXPO trade shows for the Commodore Amiga in the 80’s, and began teaching at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in the 90’s. Today, he teaches Video Game Design and Production at RIT, while running one of the largest and most comprehensive Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) university programs in the world, the FOSS@MAGIC.