Preserving Vietnamese Refugee Heritage Through 3D Technology

Working with Professor Kelly Nguyen and the Refugee Material Cultural Initiative, the Data Science Center helped digitize and preserve physical artifacts from Vietnamese refugees, making cultural memory publicly accessible for the first time.

Led by Emerging Technologies Librarian Doug Daniels with DataSquad members Bianca Badajos and Connor Lim, the team processed multiple artifacts and helped curate several digital exhibits. The centerpiece is a 7-day narrative tracing one refugee family’s maritime escape across the Pacific Ocean.

The project uses 3D scanning technology to document fragile objects that could not otherwise be shared at scale. The resulting exhibits are open to the public.