Students will soon be able to obtain an interdisciplinary minor in digital media through the University’s Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies and Research Initiative.A digital media minor will educate students in digital art such as video games, electronic music and animation, according to a University press release.To promote the new minor, the AVATAR initiative will host a series of lectures throughout the upcoming fall and spring semesters given by professionals in the digital media field.Daryl Holt, chief operating officer of EA Sports Tiburon Studios in Orlando, Fla., will speak at the first AVATAR lecture March 25.Holt will discuss his experiences in the video game industry and give advice to students interested in game development and design.The lecture will be held at 3 p.m. in the Atchafalaya Room of the Student Union and will be  followed by a reception at 4 p.m. The event is open to the public. The developers of the AVATAR initiative will attend the lecture to provide more information about the minor, according to the release.Students will be able to declare and take classes for the minor beginning in the fall 2010 semester, according to the release.Students will choose between two tracks within the minor. One will feature an art-oriented curriculum through the College of Art and Design, and the other will focus on technology through the College of Engineering.Music, art, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, English and mass communication courses are all parts of the curriculum, according to the release.Students from each track will be required to work together on a capstone project as part of the minor. The AVATAR initiative was approved in spring 2008. The initiative brings together faculty and researchers in multiple fields to develop a program in digital media.The University approved the academic program in fall 2009, according to the release.—–Contact Grace Montgomery at [email protected]