Ava Boussy is a recent graduate of Washington and Lee University with a double major in biology and art history. She first began working with 3D modeling through Florence As It Was, a professor’s project seeking to document the churches in Florence, Italy, as a way to present and preserve spaces. While Ava learnt technical skills through this process, she also began examining ways in which new digital technology could be used to promote accessibility in academia and the arts. She then joined Professor Melissa Kerin on a research trip to Ladakh. There, she not only workshopped digital modeling in an area vastly different from Florence but also gained a better understanding of working with local populations and how they promote and protect their cultural heritage.
Ava was a member of Washington and Lee’s women’s soccer team and enjoys hiking in the Blue Ridge and reading.
Ava’s Fulbright-Nehru project is promoting awareness and accessibility of Buddhist art, specifically Ladakhi Buddhist art, by creating digital models of Buddhist shrines and temples in Ladakh. The models are being created using a combination of photographs and laser scans to create accurate representations of the sites and works, and can be viewed on most digital devices. These will serve as references for future researchers and curious learners, especially given the fact that many sites are changing due to natural degradation and planned renovation and restorations.