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Adding High-Tech Careers and Building Community in Northwest Louisiana

蘑菇tv Shreveport senior Joshua Ricard is working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts as well as a Bachelor of Science in digital, interactive design. He did not expect to be sitting in the pilot鈥檚 seat of a B-52 bomber, operating a $25,000 handheld digital 3D scanner trying to capture every detail of the plane鈥檚 yoke, which is what the pilot holds to steer the plane. But ever since the 蘑菇tv Shreveport (蘑菇tvS) Cyber Collaboratory opened last year, each new tool Ricard and his team have received and added to their lineup, such as the 3D scanner, has revealed a new need in the larger Shreveport community.

Through partnerships between the university and Louisiana Economic Development (LED), the City of Shreveport, local K-12 schools, the Air Force, and industry鈥攊ncluding small businesses鈥攕tudents like Ricard are starting to see what it actually means to boost high-tech innovation in northwestern Louisiana.

鈥淚 initially didn鈥檛 think I was going to be able to do something like this in Shreveport, honestly,鈥� Ricard said. 鈥淚 expected to have to move away so I could do something with my 3D-modeling and printing skills, but now I feel like there鈥檚 a chance; staying in Shreveport is an option.鈥�

鈥淚nstead of building our own maker space and buying our own equipment, 蘑菇tvS is doing a great job in finding white space in what鈥檚 out there already, and filling in that space. It鈥檚 cheaper and faster for us to partner with 蘑菇tvS, and whether it鈥檚 their hologram table or 3D-printing or the new laser cutter they鈥檙e getting, the Cyber Collaboratory is providing the Air Force with capabilities and skills we need; things nobody else is doing.鈥�

Russ Mathers, director of STRIKEWERX, innovation hub of Air Force Global Strike Command and 蘑菇tvS partner