For something a little new and a little high-tech, come to the third annual Technology Fair taking place today from 1-5 p.m. in 101 Olscamp.
Featuring 48 exhibitors, the most in its three year history ,the technology presented will vary from the region as well as the University.
According to Dr. Duane Whitmire, manager of the University’s Student Technology Center, the expo-type fair will provide students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community with things they’ve never seen before.
One exhibit will display LifeFormations, a Bowling Green company that creates lifelike, animated characters and mannequins for museums, trade shows and themed entertainment markets.
Other featured exhibitors include Best Buy and Staples. These local businesses plan to present cell phones, virtual PC’s, hardware and software and the new Segway Human Transporter.
This high-tech scooter can reach speeds up to 18 miles per hour.
They were distributed in the area for a two month trial run.
One of the recipients, Bonnie Fink will explain and demonstrate it the scooter for participants.
There will be free refreshments and raffle tickets given away at the door.
Prizes range from golf polo shirts, gift certificates to surrounding businesses, coffee mugs, mouse pads, a palm pilot, a web cam and the grand prize, a Sharp 3000XL CD stereo system.
Most prizes were donated from area businesses, but the Technology Center did purchase a few items.
The fair will also contain three different sessions for participants to attend.
JoAnn Kroll, director of Career Services, will be helping students looking for employment with new online information at 2 p.m. . At 3:30 p.m., Bonnie Mitchell, assistant professor of art, will be conducting a computer-animated art discussion.
There will also be a Segway session demonstrated by Fink, a faculty member of Visual Communication and Technology Education occurring at 4 p.m..
According to Whitmire, the fair is trying something new this year.
In the past, the fair mainly focused on the University and what they had to offer.
Now, the fair has a “northwest Ohio community flavor,” Whitmire said.
The fair itself is for anyone in the surrounding area, including highschool students.
According to Kim Fleshman, assistant manager of the Student Technology Center , high schools want their students to be aware of what technology is available beyond their classrooms. “It was a change from just the University to more highschools,” Whitmire said.
“It’s a chance to get future students to come here,” Fleshman said. “Maybe they can even earn college credit while still in highschool.”
According to Whitmire, this is the only fair of its kind in Ohio. Notre Dame may be the only school that is having a Technology Fair in close relation to what the University is doing.
“Since we changed it and is for highschool students as well, we might change the time next year from 10-5 so more people will be able to come,” Whitmire said.
