Alumni Spotlight — Salma Bouftas
Salma Bouftas, BADAS 2019, is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Virtual Reality Design at the University of the Arts in London, England. She studies VR technology applications in filmmaking, visual effects (VFX), animation, games, and immersive augmented reality (AR). During her time at the University of Florida, Salma was a member of the BA in Digital Arts and Sciences Society (B.A.D.A.S.S ) and participated as a Social Media Coordinator in the Looking for Good Project.
In what ways did your Digital Arts & Sciences (DAS) experience [at the Digital Worlds Institute] prepare you for your career?
DAS courses provided me with extensive and versatile skills for my professional career. We explored various domains, from digital entrepreneurship to animation. Having a wide range of skills has allowed me to adapt to the fast-changing industry, embrace new ways of thinking, and overcome challenges.
What do you like most about your current career?
I am pursuing a career in Virtual Reality, which is a relatively novel field. My favorite aspect of this career path is pioneering and exploring the undeveloped potential of emerging tech. That said, I also enjoy experimenting with different VR platforms and playing VR games with my coworkers. It’s a fun career!
What are your favorite DAS memories?
I truly cherish my time at the Digital Worlds Institute. The class activities were not only educational but quite entertaining. For instance, we would order pizza to study digital marketing strategies at Domino’s Pizza. We organized a live-streamed gaming marathon for charity. However, I mostly enjoyed getting to know my professors and classmates. We spent extensive time together, reviewing for exams, attending parties, collaborating on projects, and playing board games.
What advice would you give to current Digital Arts & Sciences students?
Digital Arts and Sciences necessitates innovative and creative thinking. I would advise students to be bold, experiment with various techniques, expand their portfolios, create a network, and continuously learn as the field is rapidly advancing. Lastly, I urge them to enjoy their time at UF.
