Can artists and scientists work together to make meaningful contributions to conservation?
A new project led by Michael Shafae, associate professor of computer science at the College of Engineering & Computer Science, and Lawrence Yun, professor of art in the Department of Visual Arts at Cal State Fullerton’s College of the Arts, is designed to do just that.
Funded by the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the preliminary scope of this project is to create a website/database of the rare and threatened plants at the Fullerton Arboretum, including botanical illustrations of each plant. The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation has a mission to “support innovative people working in field-based science, art and craft, teaching and protection of the natural world.”
Beginning in fall 2023, computer science and illustration students involved in these efforts, known as the Florilegium Project, will work on either the programming or illustrations as part of a semester-long academic internship. This project is expected to run for multiple semesters because of the large scope of the work, which will provide many opportunities for student internships.
“We’re very grateful to the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation. Their investment will help us to bring the arts and computing together in a new way,” Shafae says. “Partnering with the Fullerton Arboretum, we are envisioning new ways to connect people to their natural environment.”
