Thinkery’s Hometown Hero series shines a spotlight on inspiring people who have made their mark in science, technology, engineering, art, and math! For August, Austin’s Pride Month, we’re celebrating Sandy Stone, a pioneering technologist, artist, educator, and scholar. From working as a recording engineer with musical legends like Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead to found the Advanced Communication Technologies Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin, Sandy connected technology, creativity, and identity in groundbreaking ways. And in 2024, she became the first openly transgender woman inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
A Career Built Across STEAM
Sandy Stone explored many different sides of STEAM throughout her career. She worked in engineering, computer programming, music, art, film, and education, finding creative ways to bring technology and the arts together.
Before becoming a professor, Sandy worked as a recording engineer, helping create music with artists including Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead. She later brought her love of technology and creativity into her work as an engineer, programmer, artist, and educator. Her career shows us that some of the most exciting ideas can happen when different subjects come together.
Changing the Way We Think About Technology
Bringing that same creativity and curiosity to The University of Texas at Austin, Stone founded the Advanced Communication Technologies Laboratory, or ACTLab. The lab brought together fields such as computer science, film, theater, dance, and fine art to explore emerging technologies and new forms of media.
Her work helped establish new media art and technology as an interdisciplinary field, encouraging students to experiment, collaborate, and think about technology in new ways. The ACTLab model went on to influence other programs focused on the intersection of arts and technology.
Through her research, teaching, and creative work, she helped people think differently about how technology can bring us together, shape our communities, and change the way we communicate. Her ideas have influenced artists, educators, technologists, and students in Austin and beyond.
A Legacy
Her story reminds us that curiosity can lead us in unexpected directions. An interest in computers can spark creativity, art can inspire new technology, and our experiences can also inspire new ideas and different ways of seeing the world. Throughout her career, Sandy has encouraged others to explore, experiment, and think about what can be made possible.