CSUSB Professors Presenting the Science of Animation at Long Night of Arts and Innovation

Cal State San Bernardino professors Stuart Sumida and Tony Coulson will be among the many presenters at the Long Night of Arts and Innovation in downtown Riverside on Thursday, Oct. 8. The city of Riverside’s signature event is designed to showcase its best talent in the visual and performing arts, science and technology from four universities, including Cal State San Bernardino, community colleges, three school districts and most innovative companies and arts organizations. The Long Night of Arts and Innovation was also created to encourage school children to seek innovative careers in the arts and sciences by connecting them to professors, artists, professionals and performers from the participating institutions. Sumida, who is a professor of biology specializing in vertebrate paleontology in the CSUSB College of Natural Sciences, will give two presentations about “The Surprising Science in Animation and Visual Effects.” Sumida, who was named California Professor of the Year in 2011 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, is a frequent consultant for animated films and special effects for major film studios. Some of the studios and films include: • Dream Works, “Kung Fu Panda,” • Disney, “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” “Brother Bear,” • Sony Pictures, “Harry Potter,” “Hollow Man,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” • Pixar, “Ratatouille,” • Walt Disney Imagineering, “Expedition Everest Thrillride Attraction,” and • DreamQuest and The Secret Lab, “102 Dalmatians.” Sumida’s presentations will be at 6 and 6:30 p.m. on Platform No. 3 on Main Street between University and Mission Inn boulevards. Coulson, who is the director of the CSUSB Cyber Security Center and a professor of the university’s College of Business and Public Administration’s information and decision sciences department, will give two presentations, “Cyber Security Jobs” and “What Keeps Me Up at Night.” Under his direction, CSUSB has become a national leader in cyber security education. Since 2008, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security has designated CSUSB as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance for its exceptional curriculum and faculty expertise in cyber security and has led to a CAE designation in Cyber Defense/Information Assurance through 2021. Coulson’s presentations will be at 5 and 5:30 p.m. on Platform No. 3 on Main Street between University and Mission Inn boulevards. Inspired by the Long Night of Science at Riverside’s German sister city, Erlangen, the 2013 inaugural Long Night showcased more 900 presentations ranging from a Riverside County Philharmonic instrument petting zoo and art demonstrations at the Riverside Art Museum to a robotics display and a demonstration on Leonardo Da Vinci Machines. This year’s Long Night of Art and Innovation will have two features from the 2013 event: Curious Kids, an exploration zone full of innovative, interactive activities aimed at children 10 years of age or younger, and a passport that is stamped at various presentations to record their attendance. The passport will be theirs to keep and to use as a reference when sharing their Long Night experiences with classmates and friends. New activities for the 2015 Long Night of Arts and Innovation are the Artists Alley and the Sister City Village. The Alley will have 12 local artists, all working on a new piece right there on Main Street. The Sister City Village will have representation from every sister city of Riverside. In the village, visitors will learn how to fold origami, learn about the fashion in Obasi and learn how to dance Gangnam style. Admission is free and all events are open to the public. For more information about the Long Night of Arts and Innovation, visit the event website at longnightriverside.com.