The IDEA Lab is a digital scholarship center bridging the gap between technologies, expertise, and community.
The Innovation and Discovery in Engineering & the Arts (IDEA) Lab provides access to the latest emerging technologies for all faculty, staff, and students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The lab is home to Augmented and Virtual Reality technologies, high-end gaming computers, 3D printing, podcasting equipment, and much more. We welcome all majors. Discover, innovate, and play at the IDEA Lab!
William (Bill) Mischo was the former Head of the Grainger Engineering Library Information Center and the Berthold Family Professor Emeritus in Information Access and Discovery at Illinois Library. He was involved in numerous grant funded digital library projects, such as the NSF Digital Library Initiative and the NSF National Science Digital Library and several Mellon Foundation grants. Bill has also published over 75 articles and conference papers and presentations. Elisandro Cabada was the Medical and Bioengineering Librarian at the Grainger Engineering Library and former Director of the IDEA Lab where he led technology-rich library initiatives. His research interests include studying the barriers to access, pedagogical affordances, and application of emerging and immersive technologies in research and instruction. He is a first generation American and college student and is now the Head of Feldberg Library at Darthmouth College.
WILLIAM MISCHO | w-mischo@illinois.edu
ELISANDRO CABADA | cabada@illinois.edu
IDEA Lab Coordinator Stuart Turner is responsible for the IDEA lab’s day-to-day operations. He has been working with technology at Illinois for 20 years. His focus currently includes bringing VR/AR/XR systems into operational excellence and bringing cutting-edge technologies into a sustainable and scalable operation within an enterprise environment. His interests include makerspaces, gaming (both digital and physical) and melding the two together. His office is located in Room 000G. Experimental Learning & Engagement Librarian (Resident) Celenia Graves leads comprehensive programming and outreach efforts in the lab to help bridge the digital and technical divide by focusing on engagement efforts to underserved and underrepresented communities on campus and in Champaign-Urbana. She has a background in education, metadata, and public librarianship. Their research interests include accessibility, user experience design, metadata, and website design. Their office is located in Room 000A. Fabrication Specialist Sylena Harper focuses on processing 3D print requests and managing the lab during nights and weekends. Sylena has led several workshops, including “How to Start a Vtubing Channel on Twitch” and “Tinkercad Basics.” She has also taught at the Urbana School District, Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, and the TRIO Upward Bound program. Sylena holds degrees in Biochemistry and Chemistry from Washington State University. Her office is located in Room 000H. Library Technician Supervisor Dirk Ton helps supervise the Lab Technicians in performing day-to-day operations. He has been pursuing research on the material cultures of ancient civilizations and ways to integrate 3D and digital archiving methods in material preservation. Recent work in digital visualization and 3D printing have been essential in his work on weapon reconstruction and material shape analysis. His interests include blacksmithing and digital archiving.
STUART TURNER | slturne1@illinois.edu
CELENIA GRAVES | celeniag@illinois.edu
SYLENA HARPER | becky@illinois.edu
DIRK TON | dwton@illinois.edu
