As the City of Bentonville celebrates its sesquicentennial, our project Bentonville360 looks back at the historical sites in downtown Bentonville. Working with Bentonville’s archives, historical society, and city officials, Bentonville360 creates a 360° video experience that allows participants to interact with historical sites on a digital platform. This is an effort to increase tourism, build appreciation for historical sites, and increase traffic at historic locations by appealing to tourists and residents by creating a virtual space that makes learning about history more like a “game” than a chore.
Zoe Patrick is a second-year graduate student at the University of Arkansas pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration and Nonprofit Studies and is a current Raymond W. Gosack Master of Public Administration Fellow. She is currently working on research in the fields of political psychology, global poverty, and political communication. During her undergraduate, Zoe worked for both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate as a Congressional intern while balancing her extensive extracurricular schedule both on and off campus. Her interest in public policy led her to the topic of her undergraduate thesis research: global poverty. As a recipient of the Honors College Research Grant and Honors College Conference Travel Grant, Zoe completed her research and defended her thesis to receive her honor’s distinction.
Ringo Jones is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Arkansas and an award-winning media creator. Ringo earned his Master of Fine Arts in Experience Design from Miami University and has over fifteen years of experience in the entertainment industry as a filmmaker, museum exhibit designer, and musician. His research interests include music streaming, interactive storytelling, and virtual/augmented reality. Ringo’s documentaries and interactive stories screen on PBS stations around the world, film and music festivals, museums, and conferences.