Lesley University shares the sadness felt across the region following the recent announcement that Becker College will close permanently at the end of the current academic year. It is admirable that in a small school environment Becker developed an Interactive Media Design Department that was ranked #2 nationally by the Princeton Review. Lesley is pleased to continue and expand on this success by welcoming some members of Becker’s core interactive media faculty and supporting its students and alumni in this signature program.
Lesley has been in discussions for some time with these faculty and as a result has hired a number of Becker’s leading interactive media faculty as it adds an Interactive Media Program to our highly acclaimed College of Art and Design, starting in Fall 2021. Lesley’s new hires include faculty with renowned expertise in game design, virtual reality, visual effects, audio and sound production, programming, and virtual production.
“We are delighted to welcome Becker’s interactive media faculty and current and prospective students interested in this exciting field of study,” said Lesley President Janet L. Steinmayer. “Interactive media is a dynamic discipline that will complement and augment the programs we offer in animation, digital filmmaking, visual effects (VFX), illustration, photography, and graphic design through our College of Art and Design.
“This strategic investment in recruiting this group of talented faculty – who are the drivers of Becker’s top-rated interactive media program – will put Lesley at the forefront of a fast-growing field that will help us expand accessibility and reach across all our signature programs in the human arts,” President Steinmayer added.
Increasingly, interactive media and gamification are at the foundation of modern smart technology applications and will be transformative in education, mental health, social work and the related fields where Lesley has long been a leader. Lesley’s strengths in immersive education, internships, and field placements are a natural fit for the experiential learning that interactive media enables and enhances.
Lesley’s location on the Red Line in Cambridge will enable the university to expand on the partnerships the Becker faculty bring by forging additional relationships with industry partners in Kendall Square and Boston’s Innovation District, propelling metro Boston as a hub in developing new careers and technology that incorporate interactive media and game design.
The world class art and design facilities on Lesley’s Porter Square Campus include a $7 million visual effects (VFX) studio, the only one of its kind in New England, as well as a green screen room, an animation lab, computer graphics and digital filmmaking studios, a 3D fabrication studio, a render farm, and a 130-seat screening room. These are complemented by the state-of-the-art studios and galleries located in the adjacent $48 million Lunder Arts Center, which opened in 2015.
Study at Lesley
Becker students interested in enrolling at Lesley in Fall 2021 may learn more and find contact information for our admissions counselors.
Work at Lesley
Becker College faculty, staff, and athletics coaches who may be interested in working at Lesley may submit an online application to be considered for an open or future position.
Becker Alumni: Stay Connected through Lesley
If you are a graduate of Becker’s Interactive Media Design program, Lesley’s Alumni Office will be happy to help you stay connected to your former professors and classmates and to network professionally with Lesley’s 90,000 alumni. Please contact alumni@lesley.edu for more information.