WT’s New Immersive Virtual Reality Lab Wins Major Industry Award

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas - A high-tech addition to one of the campus's most historic buildings has won a national award for West Texas A&M University.

Buffalo Vision: The Frontier of Learning, a 280-degree virtual reality lab, won the Best Collaboration Space Project on June 15 at the Higher Ed AV Awards in Las Vegas.

The industry-specific award honors higher education AV professionals, projects and products.

"There were some big-name universities at this event, and I love that WT had a slice of time on the stage and screen," said James Webb, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. "Buffalo Vision is the most innovative technology I've ever encountered, transforming how we teach, learn and engage students."

Designed by Igloo Vision, a United Kingdom-based technology company, Buffalo Vision offers an immersive experience for which users need no headset. It is housed in a new addition to the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building, the second academic hall built on campus.

The cylinder contains nine high-definition projectors with 4K enhancement that wrap the interior walls, with a floor projection unit completing the surround experience.

Users control video sequences via tablet, which also allows them to navigate content in the space. Buffalo Vision uses Google Street View for virtual visits to anywhere in the world, Blocade Labs for AI-generated immersive environments built from student prompts, and a growing library of simulations and educational material. WT's Information Technology team and others also are capturing 360-degree videos around Canyon and the Panhandle.

"This award is affirmation of our vision to expand digital education on campus," WT President Walter V. Wendler said. "The teaching technology in the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building represents the very best of what higher education can be when innovation, imagination and collaboration converge. I am proud that Buffalo Vision has been recognized nationally as it highlights the collective efforts WT faculty, staff and partners in fulfilling our mission well into the future."

Since the Education Building reopened in January, more than 2,000 visitors have experienced Buffalo Vision, from prospective new students to statewide leaders.

In October 2021, the University announced that it was allotted $45 million from Senate Bill 52, part of a $3.35 billion allocation for capital projects at Texas higher education institutions. Additional funds from WT's allocation have been used on fire safety upgrades around campus.

The family of Geneva Schaeffer, including husband Stanley and their three children, made a $2.5 million naming gift to WT in February 2022 as part of a wide-ranging effort to bring the Education Building back to life.

Construction officially began in May 2024 .

The innovation on display with Buffalo Vision reflects a key mission of the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World .

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Top photo: A group of West Texas A&M University students show off the capabilities of Buffalo Vision: The Frontier of Learning by visiting the top of Mount Everest. The 280-degree virtual reality lab, won the Best Collaboration Space Project on June 15 at the Higher Ed AV Awards.

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