Barbara J. Burger iZone

Vlad Cazacu ’20 knew he wanted to make the most of his time at Rochester, but was unsure how. Now as the founder of Rochester Creators, he is helping himself and his fellow students gain confidence and credibility by writing and publishing books.

Julia Maddox, director of the University’s Barbara J. Burger iZone in Rush Rhees Library, talks about creating a safe space for students to try things, and fail, while reducing the pressure to have to succeed all the time.

Julia Maddox, director of the new Barbara J. Burger iZone at Rush Rhees Library, talks about what stops many would-be innovators, and how the iZone's intentional design fosters creative thinking and actions.

iZone, a new collaborative gathering point under construction at on the first floor of Rush Rhees Library, was created in response to undergraduate students’ expressed desire for a collaborative space for innovation. It will perform triple duty as a program, a community, and a space and is slated to be open by fall 2018.

Maddox will play a pivotal role in the design of the collaborative, technology-rich space within Rush Rhees Library.