NJIT Undergrads Win Scholarships for Artistic Work Reimagining a Greener Planet
Undergrads Suzanne Hlinka ’21 and Nada Boules ‘21 have been applying the skills in game development and interior design that they’ve picked up at NJIT, and Mother Earth is thanking them for it. This past year, the pair of students began artistic projects promoting a more sustainable planet, and now, their creative talents have been recognized with the “Jim Wise Scholarship for Theatre: Communicating the Environment Through Art.”
The scholarship is typically limited to one standout undergraduate student each year “who created and publicly presented a research project in an artistic format that addresses a current, critical environmental issue.” This year, however, the scholarship was awarded to the duo, with first place and second place prizes being awarded to Hlinka and Boules respectively.
Suzanne Hlinka: No Farms, No Food
Hlinka’s LinkedIn bio tagline — “Creative problem solving is what I do best...” — shows in her design project to get others as enthused about sustainable farming practices as she is.
During a History of Games course last year with Hillier College of Architecture and Design Associate Professor Taro Narahara, she found a way to communicate that passion through the medium of gaming, creating an open sandbox-style game reminiscent of the ever-popular “Minecraft” called “No Farms, No Food.” She says the interactive experience, which employs a 3D game engine and Oculus Go VR technology, was inspired based on something her mother would constantly remind her around the dinner table.
“My parents both lived on farms before they moved here from Slovakia, and as I was growing up in rural Readington, NJ, ‘no farms, no food’ was something she’d always say that just stuck with me,” said Hlinka, a digital design major on the interactive media track, and vice president of NJIT’s Association for Computing Machinery SIGGRAPH chapter. “I remember when I first arrived at NJIT, I was trying to find out who I was as a designer and what I wanted to accomplish in the world. I think it’s from being around farms and nature so much growing up, a lot of that awareness about the environment naturally started flooding into my design work.”
In "No Farms, No Food,” users can explore various eco-friendly farming practices through mini-games scattered throughout her worlds “Farmer Trent” and “Rose’s Farm,” such as those challenging and teaching users to convert corn husks into textiles, or control crop pests using organic methods. Unlike popular virtual farming games like “Farmville,” Hlinka says the game features plenty of interactive experiences teaching sustainable agriculture and its history along the way.
“I didn’t want this to just be another game where you virtually farm … I wanted to encourage others to have fun and learn. I did a lot of sketches on how to layout the farm to get as many different experiences and learning outcomes within it,” explained Hlinka. “By researching, exploring and doing, there are many things I hoped users could learn about farm-to-dining table relationships that we all depend on.”
Hlinka now plans on using her work on No Farms, No Food as the basis for her final thesis project addressing the issue of food waste before she graduates this spring. She’s even begun working at a local farm (Melicks’s Town Farm in Oldwick N.J.) as part of her research.
“I’ll be conducting research by interviewing and observing individuals in grocery stores and farmers markets for field studies and user statistics,” said Hlinka. “Working on the project, I’ve become more and more interested in pursuing a career related to user experience within the farming industry. Winning this scholarship has only brought more focus to what I want to do. I love creating ... it’s what I’ve been doing my whole life, and I really want to dive deeper into creating technological smart products in the future to benefit people and the planet.”
Nada Boules: Zag Hotel
Boules has overcome major obstacles to get to where she is today, leaving her home in Egypt around the time of the Arab Spring 10 years ago to build a better life for herself. Through her interior design studies and recent successes at NJIT, that seems to be coming true.
“My life in Egypt was quite challenging … my family and I absconded from multisystemic injustices and flew to the United States, hoping for a better future,” said Boules, now a Bayonne, N.J. resident. “I've been honored to have received the awards and scholarship opportunities that I have recently. But most exciting has been the chance to learn from great architects here that have taught me a lot about building structures, redesigning and renovating sites for communities, and how to study cultural content.”
Three years into her studies under the tutelage of Professor of Architecture and Design Julio Garcia Figueroa last year, she had a moment of inspiration. It was then she learned about the 2020 Green Voice Design Competition, sponsored by the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality. For Boules, the competition gave her the chance to combine eco-conscious design with her flare for interior aesthetics.
The result was her contest submission, “Zag Hotel,” which featured plans for incorporating reusable shipping containers cut in zig-zag shapes, featured in the design of two circulation stairs, an elevator shaft, 13 suites and a pool. The project’s plans for repurposing the unused garage building at 270 Central Ave. in Newark, meets the gold standards for certifications in green (LEED) and public health (WELL) design.
“Interior designing is not only about improving interior spaces by creating practical, personal and eco-friendly environments, but is also about adhering to practices that protect the health, welfare and safety of people,” said Boules, who is also pursuing a dual M.Arch degree and a sustainability and environmental studies minor. “I wanted to design a profitable project that accommodates all of that. Zag introduces a unique design direction, especially by giving a second useful lifecycle to these shipping containers. Manipulating the containers' walls provides an open, crisp design with intimate spaces furnished to suit everyone's needs and well-being.”
The project caught the attention of judges as well. Boules’ design won the first prize for the undergraduate student category. Now, as second prize winner of the Jim Wise scholarship, Boules says she intends to use her recent successes as a springboard to help launch a career in the hospitality design industry.
“The experience has only grown my passion for hospitality designs, especially boutique hotels,” said Boules. “I'm encouraged to improve and keep creating eco-friendly environments that are functional and cost-effective. Not only does winning the scholarship competition ease my financial worries, but it skyrockets my confidence to the roof!”
