CAU officially launched their SMPTE Student Chapter, the first-ever of its kind at an HBCU.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), announced this past Wednesday that the chapter at CAU will give students the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and trends, meet industry leaders and professionals, and to develop refine the skills they need to move into a workplace.
“I’m thrilled to be working with Dr. Michele Wright, an HBCU alum herself as a Tuskegee University grad, and the larger SMPTE team on dynamic projects to foster student success and professional sustainability,” said Dr. Brian Bentley, Assistant Professor & Dean at CAU.
“SMPTE is the gold standard for the industry, literally setting the standard with its color bars, time code, and so many others. A SMPTE Student Chapter at CAU will create fantastic possibilities for student and faculty development. In building this relationship with SMPTE and reaching this historic milestone, I believe we’ll also open up opportunities for other HBCUs.”
CAU was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Atlanta University and Clark College, both of which hold unique places in the annals of African American history.
Atlanta University, established in 1865 by the American Missionary Association, was the nation’s first institution to award graduate degrees to African Americans. Established four years later in 1869, Clark College was the nation’s first four-year liberal arts college to serve a primarily African American student population.
CAU will be home not just to the first SMPTE Student Chapter at an HBCU, but also to the 2024 Power of Color Symposium, a first-of-a-kind SMPTE event dedicated to the art and science of portraying aspects of color — diverse hues and human features — in film, TV, animation, and gaming.
More information about the new SMPTE chapter at CAU and the two-day symposium, Feb. 6-7 at CAU, is online at https://www.smpte.org/section-events/power-of-color-symposium.
