Purdue University’s Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering Receives $1 Million Gift to Propel Innovation and Growth

February 21, 2024 rdionne

by Madelyn Rogers

Students scream at an interactive lighting installation placed on campus as part of the BGR Entertainment Challenge. The louder the students, the brighter and yellower the lighting became.

Purdue University has accepted a generous $1 million gift from venture capitalist and alum John Martinson for the creation of a Strategic Development Fund for the Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering.

Positioned at the forefront of educational content and preparation, the Fusion Studio has gained recognition as a national leader, poised to shape the future of the trillion-dollar global entertainment industry.

John Martinson’s gift will allow us to expand the impact of the Fusion Studio both here at Purdue and on the industry at large. Initiatives like the Martinson Engineering and Entertainment Labs will give students, faculty, and staff at Purdue the opportunity to explore technologies at the forefront of the entertainment industry.

Rich Dionne

Co-Director, Fusion Studio for Entertainment and Engineering

This fund, which includes the creation of four state-of-the-art John Martinson Entertainment and Engineering Labs, is designed to strengthen the Fusion Studio’s ability to adapt and innovate in response to the rapidly evolving entertainment industry. “John Martinson’s gift will allow us to expand the impact of the Fusion Studio both here at Purdue and on the industry at large,” says Rich Dionne, co-director of the Fusion Studio. “Initiatives like the Martinson Engineering and Entertainment Labs will give students, faculty, and staff at Purdue the opportunity to explore technologies at the forefront of the entertainment industry. Additionally, with the support this gift provides, we can continue to develop and disseminate for a national audience teaching and learning materials in the interdisciplinary space where entertainment and engineering meet.”

The Strategic Development Fund empowers the Fusion Studio to continue developing initiatives for an ever-changing industry. A portion of the funding will be allocated to equip and maintain the new 1,600 sqft laboratory spaces in Stewart Center, providing an essential foundation for groundbreaking research and development.

Looking ahead, the Fusion Studio envisions four major initiatives powered by the new Strategic Development Fund to fuel its next phase:

  • New laboratory spaces exploring the intersection of entertainment and engineering on Purdue’s campus
  • An online professional development certificate offering a program in structural engineering for live entertainment
  • A high school summer program focused on engineering design for stage machinery
  • An online resource library providing tools and materials for university instructors
Students interact with one of six miniature Bell Towers installed around campus as part of the BGR Entertainment Challenge.

This transformative gift emphasizes the Fusion Studio’s commitment to advancing education, research, and innovation at the intersection of engineering and entertainment.

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