This is the second in a three-part series about new graduate programs at Iowa State recently approved by the Iowa Board of Regents.

A new interdepartmental graduate program involving human and computer interaction could bring Iowa State to international prominence.

“[The graduate program] will bring Iowa State to a level of national or international prominence,” said Jim Oliver, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

The graduate program, which was approved June 17 by the Iowa Board of Regents, will be in an emerging field of how humans and computers interact, Oliver said. It will involve a broad range of fields from all over the university and outside universities, he said.

Although the program will involve virtual reality, there will be a large amount of research done by students that will not deal with virtual reality, said John Mayfield, associate dean for the Graduate College.

Mayfield said there will be a diverse amount of issues covered in the students’ research depending on their background and major.

There is support for creative faculty in their research, Mayfield said, and research will be done different than usual.

The Virtual Reality Applications Center, which provides a base for the program, will help foster the program, Oliver said.

“The way we interact with computers will change from what it currently is,” Oliver said.

The program is customizable, so students can incorporate their majors into their classes and research, Oliver said.

There are 50 faculty from all over the university participating in this program who are active researchers, Oliver said.

Oliver said Iowa State was the second school to add this program to its curriculum. Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania was the first, he said.

“We’re at the leading edge,” Oliver said.

The program is open to interested students and starts this fall, Oliver said.

Mayfield said Iowa State wants to attract outstanding students from both inside the university and from other universities.

There will be people with very different backgrounds who will be interested, he said.

Fifteen students will be enrolled into the program starting this fall, Oliver said. There could be up to 50—100 graduate students enrolled in the program when it gets at full activity, he said.

“[The graduate program] will establish us as a leader in human and computer interaction,” Oliver said. “We have a strong base in which to build.”