My New York Times Re:framing column today is about the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University, and the indefatigable Red Burns — the chair of the program who designed it from scratch specifically to protect and nurture its wildly creative, collaborative, innovative spirit.

Here are a couple of excerpts, but if you click to the NYT site (registration required), you can see the photos and check out some of the links as well:

Tradition being what it is, even organizations that pine for new ideas struggle with how to change their cultures to support them. The Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University provides a longstanding example of why they should keep trying. […]

After more than a quarter-century, the influence of I.T.P.’s work is obvious to those who follow the interactive media world. For those who have struggled to innovate in their own worlds, the intriguing question is how the program has managed to keep its creative mojo so strong, and for so long.

According to Professor Burns, the twin forces that fuel innovation at I.T.P. are collaboration and diversity. “We have students from 40 different countries outside the U.S. this year,” she said. “We try to keep our gender split half men and half women. Our faculty and our students are from all over the place, discipline-wise. People here aren’t trying to beat each other at something, or win something. When you walk around and feel the energy, it’s extraordinary.”

ITP’s Spring Show is this Tuesday and Wednesday in New York, and it’s open to the public. It’s quite inspirational when you know how the projects came to be, and the environment from whence they sprang forth.

Speaking of inspiration, if you have some time, they’ve posted video from all the Thesis Week presentations. Totally fabulous!