Erika Theien arrived at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) unsure of her direction. With a knack for technology and a passion for creativity, she chose to study computer science and art — a combination that’s revealing unexpected opportunities after graduation.
“I think computer science is really cool … but art has definitely always been what I'm primarily interested in. I think it's cool when they can kind of intersect like this,” she said.
Theien began her academic journey focused mostly on her computer science degree. The work was challenging and stretched her potential, but she felt she was missing creative expression. Her path shifted when Betsy Hunt, assistant professor of digital arts, asked Theien to join a cross-disciplinary team building a virtual reality experience to study how people learn through virtual environments. “I was given the option to either focus on the computer science aspect, like coding, or the art aspect,” she said. Feeling the need to expand her creativity, Theien chose to lean into the art-specific aspects of the project. She was tasked with using animation software to create visual elements to build a virtual environment. The experience rekindled her love of art and encouraged Theien to elevate her art minor to a major.
Now, Theien is working in UMD’s Motion in Media Across Disciplines (MMAD) Lab, exercising both her artistic and technical abilities. The work consists of 3D modeling, animation, and motion capture. “Having the knowledge of the tech that is being used to make these things is a really powerful tool for artists,” she said, something that has expanded her creative range as an artist.
Theien is considering careers in animation, game development, or industrial design after graduation.
Sitting in front of dual monitors, she opens her most recent project, an animated dancing doll that will be incorporated into a theatre production as a multimedia projection. She explains the process from the beginning: starting with a digital cube that can be molded into a desired shape. “It’s kind of like clay,” she says. Once she’s shaped a figure from that digital block of clay, she can “unwrap” it and paint texture onto its surface. Next, she creates an internal skeleton, or armature, that will drive the character’s movements. For this project, she records dance movements of a fellow student using a motion capture suit that will be mapped to her character’s armature. “If you're using motion capture, then you're going to get more realistic-looking movements,” she says.
“I'm taking on a lot of different roles right now as I make these animations,” Theien said, underscoring the robust career paths she can imagine by combining computer science and art degrees.
Where she once felt uncertainty, Theien now feels an overwhelming sense of potential for her future. After graduation, she envisions many possibilities, including working for an animation studio, in video game development, or continuing her education in a graduate school focused on industrial design. Her story is one example of how interdisciplinary study is preparing UMD students for the future and helping them realize their full potential.
“Through working on these projects, I realized that there’s more out there for me than I originally anticipated,” Theien said. “I’m excited to take the next step.”
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