West Texas A&M University

Hardware

The Buffalo Vision Cylinder is a 280-degree Igloo immersive cylinder, 30 feet wide and approximately nine feet tall. Nine HD projectors with 4K enhancement wrap the interior walls, and a floor projection unit completes the surround experience. The space is kept open-plan, so the cylinder can be viewed from outside as well as used from within – allowing audiences, visiting groups and production crews to engage with content from multiple vantage points simultaneously.

Software

The installation runs on the Igloo Core Engine, a layer-based system that Visualization Coordinator Genaveve Miller describes as "immediately familiar to anyone who has worked in Adobe products or even just built a PowerPoint." Genaveve came to WT having first experienced Igloo technology as a student at Texas A&M University in College Station. As a graduate of the same visualization program once overseen by WT President Walter V. Wendler, her journey from student to Visualization Coordinator represents a full‑circle moment that connects the building, the technology, and the people behind it.

In the immersive space, sequences can be prepared in around five minutes, triggered mid-session, paused on demand or diverted entirely without losing the room. Control is handled via a tablet, which doubles as a trackpad for navigating content live in the space, keeping the presenter mobile and the experience fluid.

Content

The team draws from a wide ecosystem: Google Street View to take impromptu virtual visits to anywhere in the world, Blockade Labs for AI-generated immersive environments built live from student prompts, a 360-degree camera for original capture around Canyon and the Panhandle, and a growing library of simulations, games and educational material. There is no shortage of material to draw from – and the team is actively building more.

As WT’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Neil Terry reinforced this ambition at the building’s opening, noting that “with the opening of the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building in 2026, we reinforce our efforts to be recognized as one of the leaders in education innovation, prepared for whatever changes the future brings.”

That vision is already being realised

In the short time that the Buffalo Vision Cylinder has been open, WT has already welcomed more than 2,000 visitors into the space, ranging from students, families, state legislators, teachers, leaders from other universities, and state agencies. 

James Webb described what happened: "Visitors can see clearly how immersive environments like this expand the possibilities for teaching, storytelling, and collaborative learning. Every visit has been one of those moments where the technology truly helped us articulate the future of learning in a way that words alone never could."

The pattern holds across every type of visitor. Campus tours now regularly include a reveal: curtains drawn, then opened as the group enters. Ashley Eller, Director of the Welcome & Engagement Center, at WT and one of the team overseeing the space, is matter-of-fact about it: "It is always more than what they expected. And I think there's a real genuine excitement that we as the team get, because we know that's gonna happen. It happens every time."

For parents, state legislators, university leadership, prospective students – the response does not vary.

For student recruitment, the effect is direct. Students who have grown up immersed in digital media grasp what the space offers quickly – they see themselves in it straight away. As Ashley Eller puts it, "it's something that really differentiates WT from other campuses."

In teaching, the impact is just as tangible. Faculty bring classes into the space. A student who has been switched off for most of a session is suddenly standing inside a 360-degree image of Stonehenge, studying the stones, asking questions. The conversation that follows is not one that could happen in front of a slide deck.

The team is focused on deepening the academic program. The nursing faculty are in early conversations about using the cylinder for simulation and training, allowing students to rehearse clinical scenarios in a controlled immersive environment before working with real patients. The potential to reduce cost and risk, while improving preparedness, is clear.

The team is also building a 360-degree content library shot around Canyon and across the Texas Panhandle, so that prospective students who cannot visit in person can still get a genuine feel for the place.

The relationship between WT and Igloo Vision is extending beyond Texas, too. An agreement was soon reached for a group of around 25 WT business and marketing students to visit Igloo Vision's London office as part of a study abroad program, spending a day exploring immersive technology with the team and getting a look at the immersive technology industry from the inside.

Alongside this, WT is looking to expand the Buffalo Vision Cylinder’s capabilities through integrated video conferencing, enabling immersive sessions to connect directly with remote and online learners. This next phase extends the impact of the space beyond the Geneva Schaeffer Education Building, ensuring every student can engage with immersive learning, regardless of location.

James Webb, who has led technology investment at university level for close to two decades, puts it plainly: "In my 18 years as a University CIO, I've seen countless technologies come and go. But the Buffalo Vision Cylinder from Igloo Vision stands apart - it’s the most innovative technology I've encountered, transforming how we teach, learn, and engage students. It reminds us that technology can be both visionary and fun, it truly puts the IT back into University."