Some WWU professors use avatars to brighten their online profiles
You can’t say that they lack a sense of humor in the Finance and Marketing Department at Western Washington University.
The evidence is clear as several professors and staff members recently uploaded avatars to their online profile pages instead of a more traditional head-and-shoulders photo.
Their website images weren’t simply avatars, but rather anthropomorphized dogs and cats that they created using DALL-E, an OpenAI program that makes images from a written description.
“We wanted to have a little fun with it, and create a sense of inclusivity,” said Heather Christianson, academic department manager. “It’s a small attempt to help create an environment where the students feel welcome.”
The practice started when the university was changing its software and old staff photographs were being pixelated beyond recognition in the new program.
Now, several professors in Finance and Marketing, which is part of WWU’s College of Business and Economics, are depicted as cats and dogs.
Christianson herself is shown as a fluffy white cat wearing cat-eye glasses and a bright purple scarf.
“I have a Persian cat, it’s really similar, and I’m often wearing a scarf. I think we’ve done what we set out to do, bring a little joy to everyone’s life,” she said.
This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 5:47 AM.
