Instructors

Students at Full Sail University have always benefited from the extensive industry experience that our instructors offer. Here's a small sampling of the instructors teaching this degree program.

Steve Akehurst
Department Chair | Finals
Steve Akehurst has worked on four animated and two live action series in various capacities, including content creation, concept development, and production implementation. As the Department Chair for the Finals Department, Steve manages a staff of 20 instructors, who oversee an average of 150 students – each compiling multiple assets through a production line process from concept to final demo reel.
Tim Bowser
Department Chair | Modeling
Tim Bowser has worked on such projects as Dinoville Adventures and the film adaptation of Half Life, as well as music videos and simulation work for the government. Before working in 3D animation Tim spent a significant amount of time in the advertising field, where he worked for such clients as Kohler, Mercury Marine, and the Miller Brewing Company.
Frank Fieser
Department Chair | Visual Effects
Frank Fieser has spent nearly a decade working in the computer animation field, completing several film, broadcast, and commercial projects for various clients. He recently led a team of production artists from Full Sail who contributed visual effects work for the Half-Life film, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. At Full Sail he works directly with Course Directors to assist with curriculum and support, and is also responsible for lectures and course material presentation for the Compositing and Scene Finishing class.
Anthony Michaels
Department Chair | Animation Department
Anthony Michaels has more than 20 years of experience in Animation with 14 of those spent working on lead characters at Walt Disney Feature Animation. While at Disney he worked on titles such as Brother Bear, Lilo & Stitch, and Mulan. Moving on from Disney, Anthony acted as lead animator and sequence director for Cecropia Inc for 2 years.
Holly Tharp-Earhart
Department Chair | Fine Arts
Holly Tharp-Earhart has been a traditional artist for over fifteen years. She has at least three art exhibits a year showcasing her work, and has been featured on the cover of Orlando Guide to the Arts. Holly became involved in the digital arts in 1995 through the Orlando Science Center, where she worked on contract as a graphic designer, photographer, and prototype planner. She has been involved in art education since 1994, starting with the state educational system and ending at Full Sail University as the Fine Arts Department Chair.