Inaugural Zoom Fellowship at Arizona State University

Innaugural Zoom fellows at ASU

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Zoom Fellowship at Arizona State University, an exciting new initiative made possible through our visionary five-year partnership between Technology at Arizona State University and Zoom. This fellowship represents a significant step in redefining how we connect, learn, and innovate in the digital age.

Meet the First Zoom Fellows: Liam Wirth and Neha Kashyap

Please join us in welcoming Liam Wirth and Neha Kashyap, the first-ever Zoom Fellows at ASU! With expertise in user research and UX, digital storytelling, and software development, Liam and Neha will play a crucial role in shaping the next phase of our partnership. Their work will focus on enhancing educational experiences through innovative communication technologies, immersive collaboration tools, and groundbreaking digital experiences.

A Partnership Driving Innovation in Education

The Zoom-ASU partnership has already achieved significant milestones, transforming how students, educators, and researchers engage with technology in learning environments. Key initiatives include:

  • The Zoom Innovation Lab – This state-of-the-art lab, supported by ASU Learning Experience, explores the future of communication technologies in education, fostering research and hands-on experimentation with new digital collaboration tools.
  • Spark Challenges – Designed by Olivia Hernedo, MFA, these hackathons empower students to design and create the campus of the future, bringing their most forward-thinking ideas to life using emerging technologies.
  • Zoom in the Metaverse – Through Next Lab at ASU, we have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible by developing actual code to integrate Zoom into the metaverse, exploring immersive and extended reality (XR) applications for communication, learning, and remote collaboration.

The Role of Next Lab in the Zoom Partnership

At Next Lab, we specialize in pioneering emerging technologies that redefine education and professional development. Our student-driven studio model enables ASU students to work alongside industry partners to design, prototype, and implement cutting-edge solutions. Our collaboration with Zoom is a prime example of how we merge digital storytelling, artificial intelligence, spatial computing, and interactive design to enhance the future of learning and collaboration.

Over the past year, Next Lab has actively contributed to the Zoom Innovation Lab, developing proof-of-concept projects that leverage real-time communication tools in virtual environments. This work has been instrumental in exploring how educators and professionals can interact more effectively in digital and hybrid spaces.

Expanding the Fellowship Program

The inaugural Zoom Fellowship will last one year, and plans to expand to four fellows in the near future. This growth will provide more students with the opportunity to engage in real-world research and development, exploring new ways to enhance digital communication and education.

Liam and Neha’s contributions will be instrumental in shaping the next generation of learning tools, reinforcing ASU’s commitment to innovation and Zoom’s vision of transforming human connection.

Looking Ahead

We are incredibly excited to see how this fellowship evolves and how it inspires a new generation of innovators at the intersection of technology and education. Stay tuned for updates on the groundbreaking work being done by our Zoom Fellows and the ongoing impact of the ASU-Zoom partnership.

If you are interested in learning more about the Zoom Fellowship or the Next Lab at ASU, contact us and join the conversation shaping the future of digital learning!