The UNeTech Institute has changed a great deal in the past 5 years. Much of that change has been marked by a progression of externally funded programs. Grants (largely from the Economic Development Administration) have served to create and then iterate programs. A general program to fund the use of the astonishing Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology at Metro Community College gradually evolved into the Omaha VR Pipeline.
That’s all well and good, but a better measure is Anna Johnston.
A doodle from Anna’s desk capturing her unique style and artistic skills. (Photo courtesy of Joe Runge.)
The Role of a Technical Artist in Innovation
Anna started as a student at Metro Community College and worked on an experiment in 3d medical technology design and VR. That program produced surprising results but was far from a professional software development effort. I know that because Anna told me. She was completely right.
Anna is the epitome of what UNeTech has become. Trained as an artist, versed in a variety of software applications, she describes herself as a technical artist – which is a title I couldn’t disagree with. She is dripping with style: from the inviting space she creates for students, to her mod and creative office – I often feel cooler just standing next to her. More importantly, that style is an expression of a much more fundamental grace: direct truthfulness.
Anna Johnston, UNeTech Institute VR Projects Coordinator, sits in a lime green blouse in front of a tall bookcase full of books and smiles directly at the camera. (Photo courtesy of Anna Johnston.)
To reduce Anna to a ‘straight shooter’ or a ‘tell-it-like-she-sees-it-type’ fails to appreciate the scope of her grace. It is like 60% a Buddhist’s radical yes, 20% an artist’s eye for light, and 20% good natured satire. It was Anna’s observations on our medical technology program that formed the basis of the evolution to the Omaha VR Pipeline. Their execution has transformed a bespoke prototype shop into an infinitely more streamlined and workforce-oriented development program. It was addressing the deficits that she, as a student, brought to UNeTech’s attention that produced a program that you are going to be hearing a lot more about in 2025.
OVRP and the Agile Approach
But that’s not even the best part. Early in the program, while the first cohort of students was getting their legs, Anna pulled me aside and indicated that she would need more time to deliver the initial prototypes. I want to be fully clear; she was not asking for a delay – no promises on timeframes had yet been made, she was telling me that it was just going to take longer than she’d thought. She set a series of new deadlines weeks into this brand-new program and months into her full-time start at UNeTech.
And then she hit them all.
Though I was not surprised by that fact it re-affirmed my gut instinct. Anna Johnston’s take on what her teams can do is the star by which I will navigate the ship of VR development. And possibly more to come.
The Future of Innovation: What’s Next for UNeTech?
So what is UNeTech Truthfully? It’s the irrefutable truth that trying new things is the seedcorn of the future’s innovation harvest. It’s the unbridled joy that comes from setting aside the distinctions between art and science. It’s the grace paid back in trusting people when starting something new. It’s the confident investment in working together to do what we cannot do alone.
