Alumni Hollie Leggett Discusses Role as Spatial Computing/VR Assistant Programmer

Hollie Leggett ’23 is a Spatial Computing/VR Assistant Programmer here at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her role entails collaborating with the Creative Entrepreneurship department to visualize climate change impacts, focusing on permafrost thaw in Alaska. Her work combines art and technology to bring awareness to environmental issues.

Leggett's field trips to Alaska have been a mix of adventure and discovery—exploring permafrost tunnels with LIDAR scanners or using VR headsets to capture data on the effects of thawing landscapes. On campus, she works with a team to process this data, organizing terabytes of photos and videos to support research on climate change.

"MCAD played a pivotal role in preparing me for this role, not just through its curriculum but through its vibrant community. In particular, critiques with professors like Piotr Szyhalski and Ben Moren challenged me to think critically about how art and technology can work together to address social issues. While I learned a lot in the classroom, it was often outside of class—interacting with fellow students and being part of a creative, interdisciplinary environment—that I truly understood the power of using technology for good. Today, I’m able to communicate the urgency of climate change and connect with diverse communities through the universal language of visual media."

Leggett would like to extend a thank you to the Broad Agency Announcement Program and the U.S. Army Engineer and Research Development Center's Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (#ERDC #CRREL) for supporting this work. The work Leggett has conducted is alongside two MCAD student interns, Connor Johnson and Anastasia Broman; graduate research assistant, Steve Rowell; and Chair of Creative Entrepreneurship, Olaf Kuhlke.