San Diego City College students bring their Art to Qualcomm Research Center

NEW DELHI: Qualcomm Incorporated collaborated with San Diego City College on a grant funded project to provide their students with the opportunity to develop art work and exhibit it at selected areas of the Qualcomm Research Center building located at the Company’s main campus in San Diego.

Similar to a real-life design experience, the students and Qualcomm stakeholders engaged in initial conversations about design ideas and concepts, discussed the exhibit areas and the kind of work that takes place at the Research Center, to initiate the creative process. Students developed four different themes and concepts, and presented to Qualcomm for additional inputs. Professors Candice Lopez, Sean Bacon and Bradford Prairie chose the “Great Minds” series as their final direction.

“Great Minds” is a series of six pieces that includes insights from the great minds of science and engineering—their struggles, philosophy, and achievements. Inventors featured are Jagadish Chandra Bose, Albert Einstein, Grace Hopper, Katherine Johnson, Claude Shannon and Nicola Tesla, and are presented in their early years, before their rise to recognizable genius. Each floor features a portrait, quote, and handwritten formulas and notes by one of the scientists. Time lapse video here.

“We are thrilled that through this project we were able to get access and support San Diego’s local talent and enjoy their great work and creativity,” said Matt Grob, executive vice president of technology at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

“This art installation portraying well-known and admired inventors and scientists who changed the world, will be a reminder and inspiration to our own engineers that the technologies they invent today are also changing the present and the future," added Grob.

“We were delighted to have worked with Qualcomm on this project and that our students had an opportunity to showcase their talents in one of San Diego’s landmark companies,” said Sean Bacon, professor of graphic design at City College.

“We are very proud to be associated with the people who invented the technologies that make our smartphones so amazing. This is just but an example of how art and science can come together to inspire generations," added Bacon.

During the unveiling ceremony Qualcomm presented the San Diego City College Foundation with a ceremonial check for $25,000 reflecting the funds granted.