UMD profs create virtual ancient city

With the help of three UMass Dartmouth professors, students will explore the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan without the need for a passport or plane ride.

An approximately $25,000 UMass Strategic Initiative Grant has Scott Ahrens, associate professor of design, constructing a virtual pre-Columbian site that arose in the second century (A.D.) on the UMass Dartmouth island in Second Life.

"Our Teotihuacan project is the largest and most ambitious use of a MUVE (multi-user virtual environment) in the UMass system to date," Ahrens said, noting that UMass Boston is creating a virtual psychiatric clinic and other MUVES are becoming increasingly popular in the academic world such as Harvard's River City project and Vassar's Sistine Chapel. Read more