MMA Global India, successfully concluded the highly anticipated MMA IMPACT India 2023 event on May 30, 2023. This immersive marketing conference brought together the brightest marketing minds in India. The event showcased a series of engaging panel discussions, thought-provoking keynotes, and enlightening masterclass session, making it a true banger in the marketing industry.

MMA IMPACT India 2023 was held at the Taj Santacruz in Mumbai. The event witnessed an incredible turnout of industry professionals, marketers, and stakeholders, all eager to explore and navigate the evolving digital landscape. The venue provided a fitting backdrop for a day filled with stimulating discussions and insights that resonated with attendees.

The much-awaited Modern Marketing Reckoner 2023- an MMA & GroupM initiative: Transform to Thrive, was officially launched at MMA IMPACT India 2023. The event featured insightful keynote sessions that explored emerging technologies, the impact of Generative AI on marketing, the digitisation of commerce, and the evolving landscape of media. These sessions provided attendees with valuable insights and knowledge, shaping their understanding of current and future marketing trends.

In the session on Emerging Tech, attendees gained valuable insights into the role of artificial intelligence, data tech, ad tech, and immersive innovations such as the Metaverse, AR/VR, and their potential to enhance customer engagement and drive business results.

The keynote session titled “Marketing in the Era of Generative AI: Challenges & Opportunities” explored the paradigm shift in the role of humans and AI in marketing. It discussed the transformational opportunities and formidable challenges that arise as AI surpasses humans in storytelling, image creation, melody composition, conversations, and virtual world creation.

The Digitizing Commerce session focused on crucial topics like O2O (online-to-offline) strategies, omnichannel approaches, and the power of exceptional customer experiences. The keynote session, “Creating A Seamless Omni-Commerce Experience,” delved into meeting consumer expectations of a seamless hybrid experience while rethinking omnichannel strategies. It provided insights on driving online and offline sales in the world of Digital x Physical convergence.

In the Media session, industry experts discussed new opportunities in connected TV (CTV), e-commerce advertising, voice and audio marketing, content marketing, influencer marketing, brand safety, and effective measurement techniques. The keynote session titled “Think CTV: What do we know about changing viewership & how does that redefine our marketing choices” highlighted the rapid growth of CTV as the fastest-growing screen on YouTube. It explored the changing viewership contexts and how brands need to redefine their media mix to meaningfully connect with premium audiences.

The combination of these keynote sessions and the comprehensive online primary study provided attendees with valuable knowledge about the industry’s perspective on ONDC, emerging technologies, digitising commerce, and media trends.

Moneka Khurana, Country Head & Board Member, MMA Global – India, emphasised the need for empowered marketers who can drive performance, leverage data and technology, and build brand reputation. She said, “While you are familiar with the theme, I would like to contextualise the theme differently, saying ‘Past vessels fail to contain the future’ and I truly believe so because this is really where we are, that too because of four key shifts that have happened across the board:

“Technology shifts (AI, 5G, Blockchain and more), Power shifts (From Center to Edge; from institution to an individual; from consolidated to fragmented), Boundary shifts (Be it office/home boundaries, be it hierarchy changes or blurring of roles) and Mind shifts (Due to Generational Differences and change in consumer behaviour) because there are generational differences, in the light of which we are living in a way more empowered world than before hence it needs empowered marketers with a greater voice, I would like to call them full-stack marketers who can drive performance, and leverage data and technology while building brand and reputation.

“Hence its key to upgrade skills and capabilities for a world where marketing is not a sidecar attached to a motorcycle but the engine that drives it. With that context, it was a no-brainer which was Rethink, Rebuild and Relearn to create winning marketing organizations 2.0,” Khurana added.

Amit Jain, MMA India Board Chair and Chairman of L’Oréal India highlighted MMA’s commitment to creating an ecosystem that empowers teams to anticipate the future of marketing. He said, “MMA is emerging as a credible platform for a lot of marketers and stakeholders. MMA is an organisation making an impact on the modern marketing community in the country and it believes in helping marketers and their partners solve their impediments to growth.

“The kind of work being done here is cutting edge and I can assure you that you will be seeing some state-of-the-art marketing which you will have access to in the months to come. MMA is not going to be about just creating good content, but much more beyond that and this is an important commitment the board has made to itself. The approach it is taking is creating an ecosystem that empowers the teams to anticipate what is beyond the corners,” Jain said.

During the event, three highlights stood out, captivating the attention of the audience:

Highlight 1: Annual Report Launch: Modern Marketing Reckoner

The much-awaited Modern Marketing Reckoner 2023- an MMA & GroupM initiative: Transform to Thrive was officially launched at MMA IMPACT India 2023. In the past few years, the annual report has come to be relied upon for key perspectives on growth, trends and forecasts in the Indian advertising and media industry. This year’s report again reveals several exciting, emerging trends for 2023 that are transforming the way we interact and consume information.

Filled with rich insights, this report is a 360-degree tool for marketers to take on challenges and get acquainted with adaptation techniques to navigate various uncertainties in 2023!

Highlight 2: Report Launch: Winning with DATA – The CXO’s Handbook

MMA India has recently unveiled the CXO Handbook titled “Winning With Data,” recognising the pivotal role of digital data in achieving success. This comprehensive guide is the result of a collaborative effort involving esteemed contributors such as Accenture, Google, Unilever, Flipkart Ads, and Vserv AudiencePro.

It represents an extraordinary endeavour, uniting our data partners and data council to present a cutting-edge resource for thriving in the data-first era. The handbook delves into the three primary categories of data: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data, offering valuable insights for firms to comprehend their customers, decipher their intents, make informed inferences, and refine their strategies accordingly.

Moreover, it highlights the escalating demand and vast opportunities for digitalisation while emphasising the importance of online privacy and the necessity for actionable measures by marketers. The handbook further emphasises the significant potential for campaign performance enhancement through the harmonious combination of human expertise and advanced machine learning technology.

Highlight 3: Decoding MMA India Survey: Industry’s Outlook on ONDC

A comprehensive online primary study was conducted in which 175 respondents participated. The objective of the study was to gauge the industry’s perspective on ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) regarding the level of awareness, challenges and opportunities to be a part of the ONDC ecosystem.

The study aimed to explore the potential benefits and challenges associated with ONDC and its potential influence on the future of digital commerce. Additionally, the survey sought to assess the likelihood of companies adopting ONDC and identified the key factors that could sway their decision in favour of or against its implementation.

The study received feedback and valuable insights from over 175 respondents across the industry, whose perspectives were further discussed during a panel discussion. Attendees of the discussion gained valuable knowledge about the survey findings, shedding light on the impact and potential opportunities that ONDC presents within the digital commerce landscape.

Noteworthy highlights from the data include:

• An impressive 90% of respondents expressed their likelihood to adopt ONDC in some form within their companies.
• A significant 73% of respondents believed that ONDC could effectively level the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses in the digital commerce space.
• According to the respondents, ONDC holds the potential to transform digital commerce through market expansion, interoperability, and cost reduction.
• The majority of respondents, comprising 51%, expressed a strong belief in their company’s high likelihood of adopting ONDC in the future, while 39% considered it somewhat likely.
• A notable 54% of respondents believed that consumers would greatly benefit from the implementation of ONDC, gaining access to a wider range of products and services.

A stock exchange for art announced its launch in London this week, aiming to make art a more accessible investment prospect. Called Artex, the new exchange — regulated by the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority with an EU licence — opens with the listing of Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer” (1963), which Artex has valued at about $55mn. The work has been consigned by a private collector who bought it from Christie’s for $51.8mn with fees in 2017.

Artex will initially offer 70 per cent of the work (worth $38.5mn) in shares equivalent to $100 each, though more will come as its owner can only keep up to 10 per cent, confirms Yassir Benjelloun-Touimi, co-founder and chief executive of Artex and a former investment banker. Pre-marketing is set to begin officially on June 19 and public trading starts on July 21. Artex will take 3 per cent of the work’s valuation and will also make a “small fee” from each trade, Benjelloun-Touimi says. Other works will come to market, with their frequency “depending on the response”, he says.

This is not the first attempt to divide art into tradeable chunks — and so far the jury is still out on such projects, which have yet to attract enough liquidity to succeed and can invite shortlived speculation. Benjelloun-Touimi says that Artex’s regulated framework dictates “transparency and non-discrimination”, making it a viable option for institutional investors. He accepts that “art is not oil, it is not a commodity” and is committed to having the works Artex offers on view in public museums, rather than, for example, kept in a freeport. When it comes to speculation, he says, “you can limit it but you can’t stop it in any asset — it is ingrained in human nature”.

Christie’s will offer a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting of Picasso, estimated at between £4.5mn and £6.5mn, in London on June 28. The 1984 work is painted on metal with “Pablo Picasso” written in capital letters seven times, “almost like a mantra”, says Tessa Lord, Christie’s senior specialist. “There’s a continuing fascination about an artist painting an artist, particularly cross-generationally, and Basquiat and Picasso are two big ticks for us,” Lord says. The work sold at Christie’s for £1mn with fees in 2007 and was last seen in public at the Barbican’s Basquiat: Boom for Real exhibition in 2017-18, on loan from an Italian private collection.

Christie’s scored a hit with Basquiat in Hong Kong last weekend when his three-dimensional painting “Black” (1986) made HK$51.5mn (HK$62.6mn with fees, about $8mn). The work, which had a third-party guarantee, was the top lot of its healthy 20th/21st-century evening sale on May 28, though its final price was just below its presale estimate and the amount made at its previous sale in 2020 ($8.1mn, not accounting for inflation).

The third London Gallery Weekend runs between June 2 and June 4 and, with 123 galleries participating in 135 venues across town this year, is the biggest free-to-visit gallery event in the world. Train strikes planned on Friday and Saturday might deter those from outside the capital, but for those in London already, there is a boosted programme of more than 100 public events, performances and expert-led live tours.

The event is grouped across four areas of London — Central, West, East and South — with the Central area by far the largest (87 venues). For those outside the city, this makes the event more vital. “Galleries in Mayfair almost operate as a different industry from those elsewhere, especially in Peckham, for example, and the gap is getting bigger,” says Alexandra Warder, co-founder of south London’s Bosse & Baum. “But London Gallery Weekend is designed and built by galleries, so they are sensitive about who it is for.” Warder’s gallery opens a solo show of the Czech artist Kateřina Šedá, who brings an extension of a series made for care homes in Austria and Slovakia (2019-21). This turns residents’ former homes into wooden sculptures that are also birdhouses (priced between £10,000 and £30,000).

The estate of the German-French artist Hans Arp (1886-1966) has given 200 plaster sculptures to 10 museums worldwide, including the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, the Hepworth Wakefield in the UK and Vienna’s Albertina. The donation also includes two bronzes for each institution, the foundation confirms. The plasters, which Arp finalised before handing them over to foundries for fabrication, are “invaluable resources” towards understanding the artist’s process, says Engelbert Büning, director of the foundation. The gift and associated collaboration, which targets institutions that don’t have Arp works, stretches to Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, while Büning says plans are afoot to add museums in Asia and Africa.

Arp was a co-founder of the Dada movement, which rejected traditional definitions of art after the horrors of the first world war, and his often amorphous work reflects the fluidity of national and cultural identity. Born in Alsace, Arp was originally German but, after the war, became French with the region. He used two first names — Hans and Jean — to reflect his mixed nationality.

Copenhagen’s Chart Art Fair has extended its outdoor sculpture show in the city’s Tivoli Gardens amusement park to run a month every year until 2026. This year it has 15 works on the slate for August 24-September 24, all of which are for sale via galleries with artists including Sylvie Fleury and Jonathan Meese. “The feedback from the first year was so good, people saw it as a bit of a treasure hunt,” says the fair’s new director, Julie Quottrup Silbermann.

This year, she has organised for the 37 galleries in the coinciding fair (August 24-27) to select one work each priced below DKr20,000 ($2,900), for a group show at the entrance of the Kunsthal Charlottenborg. “Collecting art supports the wider ecosystem but we don’t talk about it in that way so much. At the same time, people often ask how to start collecting,” Silbermann says, adding that the talks programme will addresses first-time art-buyers too.

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What can the blend of science and art in marketing mix modelling offer the wider industry? By Jamie Parks-Taylor.

DULUTH, Minn., May 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Spectrum is proud to announce the Duluth Art Institute is the recipient of $10,000 through the 2022-2023 Stand For The Arts Awards in partnership with Ovation TV that recognizes local arts, cultural and educational organizations and programs.

The award was presented at the Institute’s Annual Member Show, a traditional showcase of local, regional, and national artists that also serves as a fundraiser for the Institute, which has been a part of the Duluth community for 116 years.

“Our partnership with Ovation TV will enable these organizations to continue to serve as vital arts and cultural resources in their communities – which complements our focus on investing in and strengthening the towns and cities we serve,” said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President, State Government Affairs for Charter Communications, Inc., which operates the Spectrum brand of Internet, TV, Mobile and Voice services. “We congratulate the Duluth Art Institute for its commitment to supporting Duluth-area artists and celebrate its long history of providing access to the arts to the community.”

In its vision statement, the Duluth Art Institute strives to “bring art to, and inspire art in, everyone.” This year’s award is honoring that work to promote equity and local access to the arts. In addition to its main gallery, the Duluth Art Institute also has a space where artists can rent studio spaces, host art classes for youth and adults, and offer summer art camps.

“The Duluth Art Institute is an enthusiastic advocate for the arts, championing innovative exhibits and promoting community participation,” said Christina Woods, Executive Director of the Duluth Art Institute. “This award that comes with $10,000 supports the work it takes to deliver on advocacy and access to the visual arts for all.”

Duluth Art Institute is one of 10 organizations receiving support in Spectrum markets across the country. Select arts organizations are awarded $10,000 Stand For The Arts contributions based on the following criteria: support of creatives and artists via community-driven programming; as advocates for equity and access to the arts; and for providing accessible spaces for creative expression.

“We are pleased to continue our work with Charter as we enter a sixth year of our Stand For The Arts initiative partnership,” stated Sol Doten, Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing & Communications for Ovation TV. “It remains our priority to champion community-driven arts organizations as they support artists and creatives on a local level.”

Since the initiative started in 2017, Ovation TV and Spectrum have given out 60 awards totaling $600,000 towards arts education. More information about Stand For The Arts and the Stand For The Arts Awards is available at: www.standforthearts.com.

About Spectrum
Spectrum is a suite of advanced communications services offered by Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR), a leading broadband connectivity company and cable operator serving more than 32 million customers in 41 states. Over an advanced communications network, the company offers a full range of state-of-the-art residential and business services including Spectrum Internet®, TV, Mobile and Voice.

For small and medium-sized companies, Spectrum Business® delivers the same suite of broadband products and services coupled with special features and applications to enhance productivity, while for larger businesses and government entities, Spectrum Enterprise provides highly customized, fiber-based solutions. Spectrum Reach® delivers tailored advertising and production for the modern media landscape. The company also distributes award-winning news coverage and sports programming to its customers through Spectrum Networks. More information about Charter can be found at corporate.charter.com.

About OVATION TV America’s Premier Arts Network
As an independent television, production, and digital media company, OVATION TV has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture, and captivating entertainment. Showcasing a lineup of critically acclaimed premium dramas, specials, documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION TV salutes innovative storytelling with popular programming that includes Inside the Actors Studio, Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Arts Engines, The Fall, Midsomer Murders, The Art Of, Celebrity Conversations, and The Sound of New York. Ovation also powers JOURNY, the dedicated streaming service where art, culture, and travel intersect. The company has provided more than $15M in contributions and in-kind support to arts institutions and arts education. Its signature advocacy platform, STAND FOR THE ARTS, includes a coalition of over 150 arts organizations, cultural institutions, and arts leaders throughout the country raising awareness about art’s positive impact, protecting access for everyone, and encouraging action on behalf of the arts. OVATION TV is available on major providers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV, Charter/Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, as well as on demand.  You can follow OVATION TV on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, OvationTV.com, and through our App, OVATION NOW.

SOURCE Ovation

As far back as 5,000 years ago, ancient Egyptians worshipped the goddess Bastet, who took the form of a lioness, a fierce warrior deity associated with the sun. She was seen as a protector during pregnancy and childbirth and a defender against evil spirits and diseases. Over time, her likeness adopted the characteristics of a domestic cat, which in later dynasties assumed cult-like status, and the animals were revered and bred for protection and sacrifice. Along with mythological beings such as Sekhmet, another lion-faced, solar goddess of medicine, the deities comprise an integral part of sculptor Nichola Theakston’s soulful exploration into the history, lore, and spirits of animals.

Working in ceramics and bronze, Theakston’s practice (previously) centers on meditative depictions of mammals, drawing on ancient sources to connect viewers with contemporary concerns and timeless perceptions.In her continuing series of primate portraits, the subjects appear calm, meditative, or lost in thought and emphasize her interest in our “commonality and shared consciousness.” With a focus on faces, she often leaves the bodies unfinished, hinting at shoulders or limbs while highlighting the details of jawlines, ears, and brows.

Detail of “Sacred Langur 2” (2023), bronze, edition of 15, 27 centimeters tall

Informed by her work with ceramics, Theakston is constantly evolving her approach to the nuances of texture and color. Each piece, first sculpted by hand before being cast in bronze, bears an organic, expressive approach that spotlights the presence of the artist’s hand. The surfaces feature subtle score marks, nudges, and notches, which draw attention to elegant silhouettes and the supple folds of ears and eyelids. A range of patination techniques, which the artist is consistently experimenting with and developing, create subtle shifts in contrast and hue so no two are exactly alike.

“I have been working recently on canine and feline subjects with reference to ancient Egyptian forebears and sculptural representations,” Theakston tells Colossal. In “Pariah,” the artist’s beloved Mediterranean podenco named Nola mirrors the sleek features of Anubis, the dog-headed Egyptian god of funerary rights and usher to the underworld. “Nola at times seems to very much embody her ancient ancestry and our interwoven human connection with both,” she says.

“Resting with Ancients” will be on view with Sladmore Gallery as part of London Art Week from June 30 to July 7, and if you’re in The Netherlands, you can find her work at Art Laren fair with De KunstSalon, which runs June 16 to 18. Theakston is currently casting a new macaque study at Castle Fine Arts Foundry in Powys, Wales. See more on her website and Instagram.

“Pariah,” bronze, edition of 12, 60 x 56 centimeters

“Sacred Langur 2” (2023), bronze, edition of 15, 27 centimeters tall

“Resting with Ancients” (2023), edition of 12, bronze, 46 x 44 x 26 centimeters

“Sekhmet,” bronze, edition of 12, 46 x 39 x 48 centimeters

“Bastet Study 4,” bronze, edition of 15, 27 centimeters

Detail of “Bastet Study 4,” bronze, edition of 15, 27 centimeters

“Monkey Sketch 4” (2023), bronze, edition of 15, 27 centimeters

Detail of “Bastet 2,” bronze

“Bastet 2,” bronze

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Resting with Ancients: Nichola Theakston Invokes Animal Spirits in Her Contemplative Bronze Sculptures appeared first on Colossal.

Poway Unified students showcased their innovative projects and shared career aspirations at the Career Technical Education EXPO.

Booths were arranged throughout the Poway’s Mickey Cafagna Community Center at the May 18 event to let students show off visual displays of their class activities.

A range of art, technology, agriculture and research-based topics were presented to reflect 26 different pathways in the district’s Career Technical Education program.

Lynn McConville, the district’s director of Career Technical Education, said some students know what types of jobs their parents and neighbors do, but the career-focused program gives them experiences to broaden their awareness of a multitude of jobs available in the workforce.

“They can’t aspire to do something if they don’t know what’s out there,” said McConville during the EXPO. “This is an opportunity to explore what they might want to do in the future and to tie it to a future career.”

Five comprehensive high schools and a continuation high school plus two middle schools and an elementary school participated in the EXPO.

The following reflects a handful of educational exhibits and student learning at the EXPO:

Gardening and culinary arts at Abraxas High

Plants, along with hummus served with carrot sticks, were handed out at an Abraxas High school booth to highlight the school’s garden and culinary arts program. Students interested in agriculture-related careers are growing bell peppers, zucchini, squash and other seasonal produce at a campus garden.

Abraxas senior Braden Rogers said the school-grown produce is shared with the culinary arts program and surplus food is given to homeless shelters and women’s organizations. Some of the vegetables have been used to make salads, salsa and other dishes, he said.

Abraxas High students prepare hummus and carrot stick snacks for guests interested in their gardening and culinary arts booth. From left are Ayden Hegranes, Khloe Hale and Braden Rogers.

(Julie Gallant)

Abraxas junior Khloe Hale explained the EXPO project involved making hummus from a recipe that a student had created for the culinary arts program.

“It’s a lot of work but it’s fun work and it’s peaceful,” Hale said. “Culinary arts is a hobby for me. I love cooking.”

Classmate Ayden Hegranes, a junior, said the culinary class helped him get a job at the Mama Cellas restaurant in Rancho Bernardo. For now he’s working as a dishwasher at the Italian restaurant, but he said he plans to become a cook there soon.

“It’s taught me multiple skills like what ingredients to use, what knives to use in the kitchen and I’ve learned how to work with classmates and co-workers,” said Hegranes, who has taught his classmates how to make pineapple chicken tacos from scratch. “This class makes it easier to work in the kitchen. My career will probably be cooking since I’ve been working well with that.”

Abraxas biology and agriculture teacher Bob Lutticken said the project-based learning helps students develop and explore their interests. Staff find out what students are interested in learning about and tie it to the curriculum, whether it’s gardening, cooking outdoors or creating ceramics and screen printing in the arts department.

“The way of stand-up and delivery of instruction doesn’t work that well anymore,” Lutticken said.

Photography at Westview High School

Westview High School senior Shai Davis is enrolled in the AP Studio Art course for the photography Career Technical Education pathway.

Westview High senior Shai Davis shows one of her photographs that reflect mental health issues.

(Julie Gallant)

Her forte is narrative photography in which she tells a story through photographs. Her focus this year is on mental health issues, she said.

“It’s a misunderstood topic and I wanted to bring people’s stories onto a creative medium,” said Davis, who also conducts interviews and researches mental health issues. “It helps my photography and it helps me portray my stories.”

Davis says she can express concepts related to her photos, which generally focus on people, using backdrops and lighting design equipment at her school’s photography studio. What Davis is learning today will likely help her get a job someday in a media and marketing field that emphasizes social media, she said, adding that she has an “amazing” teacher, Sarah Layne.

Westview High senior Anna Gray shows her photo titled “A Few Pages Away.”

(Julie Gallant)

Davis’ classmate, senior Anna Gray, said she focuses on nature photography because she likes finding beauty in underappreciated elements of nature. Gray has previously studied graphic design and plans to major in graphic design at Brigham Young University. She wants to work in advertising, branding and graphic design.

“My teachers teach me how to progress my talents and start a career in the outlets CTE courses offer like photography and graphic design,” Gray said. “I like that you can capture a moment in time and how everything you see revolves around design elements, photography or graphic design in some way.”

Poway Unified School District students displayed their photographs at the recent Career Technical Education EXPO.

(Julie Gallant)

Robotics at Rancho Bernardo High

Rancho Bernardo High junior Preena Maruthavelu is a software engineer on a team of students that have built a robot named “Trident” for their robotics class in the engineering pathway. Members of the “Emotion” team are assigned tasks in the categories of build, design, software, electrical and marketing.

Together they spent six weeks building a robot that could pick up and place inflatable cubes and orange plastic cones in a robotics competition, Maruthavelu said.

Rancho Bernardo High students Ila Gowdn, left, and Preena Maruthavelu helped build the “Trident” robot with their robotics class’s “Emotion” team.

(Julie Gallant)

Maruthavelu and her classmate, junior Ila Gowdn, participated in the global FIRST Robotics Competition, which stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” Gowdn’s role was to help with wiring the robot as part of an electrical subteam.

Gowdn said the teamwork and engineering skills she’s learning will prepare her for college and possibly her career goal of becoming an aerospace engineer. She said she’s been inspired for her career path since participating in a FIRST Lego League in fourth grade and from there attended more STEM classes.

“I was an electrical lead this year so I had more responsibility leading my subgroup as well as wiring the robot,” said Gowdn, who aspires to attend Stanford University.

Rancho Bernardo High students built this “Trident” robot that can pick up and place inflatable cubes and orange plastic cones.

(Julie Gallant)

Sports Medicine at Mt. Carmel High

Mt. Carmel High School junior Dana Schimmel is taking a sports medicine class in the health science and medical technology pathway.

Schimmel has learned about the parts of the body, including muscles, bones and ligaments, and she’s learned how these parts function and how people can get injured in sports.

Her goal is to work in the medical field, possibly as a sports medicine doctor or a physical therapist.

“They teach us how an athletic trainer could help an athlete with an injury,” Schimmel said. “I feel it will give me a head start because I already know a lot of the main functions of the body and a lot of the most common injuries.”

Mt. Carmel High junior Dana Schimmel has learned about the parts of the body including muscles, bones and ligaments in her sports medicine class.

(Julie Gallant)

Schimmel became interested in the medical field after suffering injuries while performing aerial acrobatics. She said she began taking gymnastics in the first grade then progressed to acrobatics in the seventh grade. Since then she’s performed in competitions and small showcases at schools and events.

“I have lots of injuries from acrobatics so I wanted to know what I could help myself with,” said Schimmel in explaining why she’s interested in sports medicine. “I find that the class is really interesting and it’s really fun.”

Biomedical Technology at Del Norte High School

Del Norte High School junior Akshat Parikh is taking multiple courses in the biomedical technology pathway. Among them are AP biology, AP statistics, AP computer science and honors medical interventions. Although he hasn’t decided on his career field, one option is to become a surgeon.

Del Norte High junior Akshat Parikh is taking advanced placement classes in biology, computer science and statistics as he explores a potential career in the medical field.

(Julie Gallant)

“Taking these classes will help me get exposure to what I want to do eventually,” Parikh said. “I’m leaning towards the medical side. Medicine is all about helping people and I always wanted to help people who are hurt. It’s amazing how much advancement there has been in the medical field and there’s still a lot more advancement to come.”

Parikh credits his teachers for teaching him the principles of biomedical sciences and anatomy as well as medical interventions.

“I’m learning about dealing with medical equipment, DNA sequencing, genetics and so much more,” he said. “It’s definitely a challenge but with the right enthusiasm any class is fun.”

Students in the biomedical technology pathway shared this display at the Career Technical Education EXPO.

(Julie Gallant)

Through Career Technical Education, older students mentor younger students with lessons and activities, McConville said. The younger students also engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum through the Project Lead the Way program.

Other opportunities include counseling to help students connect their classes to college and career goals, company tours, informational interviews with industry professionals, and connections to internships, McConville said.

For more information, call 858-668-4003.

One step into the local outdoor gear store Escape Outdoors in Martinez, and Augusta University students, faculty, staff and alumni will immediately notice some exciting new additions.

Escape Outdoors, located at 377 Furys Ferry Road, recently began offering its customers a variety of Augusta University merchandise, including T-shirts, hats, stickers, purse straps and more.

Rafy Bassali, an alumnus of Augusta University and owner of Escape Outdoors and the local boutiques The Swank Company and Posh Tots, said he is honored to partner with Augusta University as a local retailer of its merchandise.

“Having a strong relationship with Augusta University is incredibly important to us,” Bassali said. “We are a local business and being connected with our local community is a mission of our business. We love that collaborations like this allow our community to support us as a local business and AU as a local university.”

Russell Keen, EdD, executive vice president of administration and chief of staff to the president at Augusta University, said offering the university’s merchandise in a local store owned by an alumnus is a win-win situation for the entire community.

“It’s incredible to see our merchandise in a store like this and it’s even better to have it in a store owned by an alum,” Keen said, as he walked around Escape Outdoors looking at the new Augusta University merchandise. “And Rafy has told us that it is selling and they are already making reorders, so that speaks to our brand, it speaks to the loyalty that we are creating in our alumni and our connection to the community.”

For years, Keen said community members have told the university they would like to see more Augusta University merchandise in local stores.

Alison Rohdy, brand strategist and trademark and licensing coordinator, and Taylor Lamb, director of marketing and creative services for Augusta University Communications & Marketing, initially approached Bassali last year to discuss the possibility of having some Augusta University art students paint a mural on one of his downtown buildings.

Bassali, an alumnus of Augusta University’s James M. Hull College of Business MBA program, owns more than 30 properties in Augusta and the surrounding areas.

One of the buildings he owns on Broad Street in downtown Augusta is home to the Draft Society Taproom.

Just last year, Augusta University art students from the Department of Art and Design at Pamplin College of Arts Humanities, and Social Sciences finished a large outdoor mural for the Draft Society Taproom courtyard area.

“The art mural was all part of the Jaguar Nation Collaboration Project that we started in 2021,” Rohdy said, explaining the project was created to identify and celebrate the university’s brand and inseparable connection to the city. “We were trying to get more integrated downtown and engaged in the community and have a bigger presence.”

Local companies such as Augusta Candle Company, Freshwater Design Co. and Buona Caffe created unique Augusta University products that were sold at Augusta & Co., 1010 Broad St.

“We reached out to a handful of small, local businesses to partner with us. We asked them to create unique products with their personal, creative touches on our brand,” she said. “Partnering with small, local businesses was always the goal.”

While talking to Bassali about the possibility of an additional mural downtown, Rohdy said he inquired about Augusta University merchandise.

“He asked me, ‘How do you sell the university’s merchandise? Could we potentially sell it out of our stores?’ And I immediately said, ‘We would love that,’” Rohdy said. “Everything just fell into place. We started with merchandise at Escape Outdoors, and we recently added some T-shirts at Swank. If everything goes well there, we plan to add some items at Posh Tots. So, that is how it came to life.”

Bassali said he has been pleased with the high demand for the Augusta University merchandise at Escape Outdoors and has already ordered more items.

“We view this collaboration as another way to reach our community, and draw in students who may not have heard of Escape Outdoors,” he said. “Students attend Augusta University from all over the country, and hopefully this is a way to connect. We do not aim just to have them discover Escape as a place to shop, but hopefully, also a place to find a sense of community. Since our offerings revolve around so many outdoor activities, Escape has become a connection point for people with different interests through things like disc golf, camping, kayaking, running and more.”

Elizabeth Wilson, a sophomore at Augusta University who is majoring in business administration with a concentration in digital marketing, is also an employee at Escape Outdoors.

Wilson said she is proud to have the Augusta University gear available to customers coming in the store.

“It is a good conversation starter when they pick up the merchandise, and I get to say, ‘I go to Augusta University,’” Wilson said. “I am really proud of my school, and I love seeing people wear the AU shirts and hats. I feel a connection with them.”

Seth Prior, a junior at Augusta University who is majoring in graphic design, also works at Escape Outdoors.

Prior said he was excited to see the Augusta University T-shirts at Escape Outdoors because he was able to meet local graphic designer Jason Craig, who designed the new Augustus logo for the merchandise, during one of the artist’s talks at the university.

“It is really cool to see the T-shirts with his design in our store,” Prior said. “And they are selling out quickly. We had to order some new stuff recently, so it is definitely great to see other people enjoying the school and seeing the community’s support of AU.”

While looking around Escape Outdoors and talking to the owner and staff, Keen said it is clear this partnership is already a success.

“This creates a sense of pride. It is not only pride in the university, but pride in our community,” Keen said. “And it speaks to our community engagement. If the university does well, the community does well. If the community does well, the university does well. And I think we’re seeing that type of community engagement and partnership right here.”

Bassali said he enjoys seeing his employees and customers so enthusiastic about the new Augusta University merchandise.

“Dozens of our employees over the years have been and are students at AU, as well as many of our customers,” he said. “We were so excited to be able to work on a collaboration like this, and to see this project become a success is an added bonus. We hope to continue this partnership.”

Local businesses interested in a potential partnership with Augusta University to carry the university’s merchandise can contact Alison Rohdy.