Where in the World

9/11/26 - After a busy but student-less summer, the Evans Library team eagerly welcomed the arrival of Orientation Week. Each fall brings the excitement of meeting a new class of students, many of whom are living away from home for the first time as they embark on a new chapter filled with independence, academic ambitions, career aspirations, and the realities of adulthood.

In the spirit of finding out more about our new cohort of students, Digital Scholarship and Innovation Specialist, Martin Gallagher spent some of his summer developing an app for the Library’s 85” mobile ClearTouch to set up in the lobby as a way of greeting our new students. Titled “Where in the World,” students were invited to enter their name and home address or city in as much detail as they wished, and drop a pin on the large map of the world for others to see. Scrolling in, students could zoom into Street View for a detailed look at their hometown or street.

Students quickly gathered around the display, exchanging stories about where they were from and sparking new conversations and introductions. The interactive map became a novel touchpoint for engagement, helping students connect with one another from the moment they entered the Library. In all, 274 new students dropped pins to mark their locations. Of those, 221 hailed from across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Another 53 students represented 34 countries spanning Europe, Australia, South America, Africa, and Asia. The map showcased the remarkable diversity of Florida Tech's newest Panthers, with students arriving from as far away as Tanzania, Jordan, Japan, Dominica, Turkey, Poland, Singapore, and Slovakia.