Faculty & Advisory Boards
Providing relevant education relies on an ongoing connection to the real world. Through our network of experienced faculty and influential professionals, Full Sail University's degree programs are able to stay dialed into today's industries and trends.
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From business leaders, to filmmakers and producers, to innovators in technology, design, and gaming, instructors at Full Sail University are deeply experienced and stay actively involved in their professions. They serve as mentors and collaborators as they support the paths of their students.
In order to keep our curriculum relevant, our programs look to teams of experienced advisors. These active professionals are able to inform our courses and degrees by sharing insights on everything from technological advances to hiring needs. Full Sail University's educational model is structured month-to-month so that this feedback can be readily incorporated - allowing degrees to evolve along with their industries.
Bios
To learn more about our faculty and advisory boards, read through a sampling of bios, featuring accomplishments in the fields of entertainment media and emerging technologies. For a complete list of our faculty, view the catalog.
Aaron Hamilton Cook is currently a Senior Producer for Blizzard Entertainment and has worked on projects that include the Quests, Zones, and New Player Experience of World of Warcraft. Prior to his employment at Blizzard, Aaron was a producer at BioWare where he worked on Dragon Age: The VeilGuard. He also spent time at Certain Affinity working on Halo Infinite. He has a background in project management, audio, and human factors by trade. On a day-to-day basis, he develops strategic solutions to long term development goals, grows and develops his staff, forecasts and road maps studio efforts, and works with external entities to establish mutually beneficial relationships. He has a Bachelor of Science in Recording Arts and his Master of Science in Game Design. Aaron also has an excellent understanding of how mathematics affect systems design from the gambling industry. Aaron brings a unique perspective on how graduates can be best prepared to enter in to the related field of software design for gambling machines.
Aaron Koontz is a 15+ year veteran of the entertainment industry and a former Producer for Universal Studios Production Group. In 2012, Aaron started the boutique genre production company Paper Street Pictures.With Paper Street, he directed and wrote 4 Short films that have played in over 100 festivals world-wide and he has written or co-written 7 Feature Length screenplays. In 2014 he was EP for the SXSW hit STARRY EYES that was a horror chart topper on iTunes. In 2016 he Wrote, Produced and Directed the Psychological Horror-Thriller CAMERA OBSCURA for NBC/Universal which released in theaters in June of 2017, the script of which can now be found in the Academy archives. Aaron has toured festivals with the Meta Horror-Comedy SCARE PACKAGE as the Creator and Lead Producer as well as the Writer/Director of the core story. He and the Paper Street team have produced The Pale Door, a Horror-Western feature film created with acclaimed author Joe R. Lansdale, and the company is also in development of 4 other feature films. He also sits on the advisory board of Renegade Studios, a state of the art Sound Stage and production studio in North Austin. Outside of film, he served in a variety of management roles including: Studio Manager, Dev Manager, Project Manager, Product Manager, Director of Project Management, Sr. QA Manager and Producer that built, developed, and supported multiple high functioning teams within AAA studios. He brings extensive experience managing remote sites, building new locations, tools development, automation and release management. He has over 50 AAA Game Credits including the Madden, NCAA, Tiger Woods and Battlefield franchises for Electronic Arts, The Saints Row, Red Faction and WWE franchises for THQ and numerous social/mobile credits including Draw Something, Words with Friends, Zynga Poker, Elite Slots & Cityville.
Dr. Abdel-Wahab Hamam is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Florida Polytechnic University. Before coming to Florida Poly, Dr. Hamam was a teaching and research assistant at the University of Ottawa from 2005 to 2013. He has more than 30 academic papers and pending patent applications, as well as eight issued USPTO patents. His expertise is in haptic applications and technology, virtual and augmented reality, quality of experience for multimedia applications, human-computer interaction, and software engineering. Dr. Hamam teaches a variety of online, campus, and hybrid courses at the undergraduate and master's level. Florida Polytechnic utilizes the online LMS Canvas. Dr. Haman has a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering, all from the University of Ottawa.
Adrienne Engell has an undergraduate degree in Digital Media with a minor in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida. Adrienne has been employed in various capacities in the industry since 2002, including leading technical teams, managing search engine optimization, and compiling/reporting on analytics data. Adrienne has spent the last 18 years working on the Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products team, where she manages stakeholder relationships, oversees SEO efforts across all Disney Parks & Resorts websites, and improves user experiences for Disney apps and websites.
In addition to having a degree in game Design, Ahmad Azadvar earned his doctorate in Affective Computing from Malmo University in 2021. Ahmad is a Senior Quantitative User Researcher at Activision, where he develops and promotes mixed methods of user research as well as provides guidelines and templates for player experience models and biometrics to enrich user data. Prior to his current position, Ahmad spent eight years working in User Experience Research for Ubisoft where he developed methodologies for data acquisition analysis. Ahmad has valuable insights to offer into the AAA approach to UX Research. He has also published work, including that on the application of gerontology to games.
Alan Rowland is the Business Development Director for the CompTIA Academy program that serves academic and not-for-profit communities. He works directly with schools and teachers to assist them with utilizing CompTIA member benefits and services and building successful education and certification programs. Alan joined CompTIA in 2003 after a 17-year career at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. In his previous role, he served as a computer technology instructor for 13 years, primarily teaching certification curriculum from Cisco, Novell, and Microsoft. He was also the director of the Ivy Tech Workforce Certification program for over three years. Alan holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Master of Science in Adult Education from Ball State University. He has experience with helping schools design and construct curriculum for students in conjunction with an online LMS.
Alejandro Garcia-Tunon is a software engineer and the current Director of Technology at Ghostpunch Games, where he oversees the technology development, operations, and strategy of Ghostpunch Games, delivering world-class games and game development services. Alejandro is a gaming industry leader and executor, specializing in: C/C++, C#, game programming, audio programming, team leadership and direction, with experience on mobile, handheld, console, PC, Oculus, and Magic Leap One. Prior to Ghostpunch Games, he worked on mixed-reality experiences as Head of Technology Operations for Magic Leap Studios. Alejandro's background is in programming on mobile, handheld, and AAA Console titles, including Guitar Hero, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Transformers, Borderlands, Ratchet and Clank, Gears of War, and other franchises.
Alejandro Jimenez is a Colombian attorney. He's worked at Sony Music for over 20 years. He was General Manager at 5020 Records, a label with artists such as Christina Aguilera, Residente, Tini, Beele, Ryan Castro, C Tangana, and Nathy Peluso. He was the President of Sony Latin, Iberia and is currently the Vice President, A&R at Sony Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.
Aleshia Hayes, PhD., is an Assistant Professor of Learning Technology at the University of North Texas and the director of the SURGE (Simulation, User Research, Game Experience) VR lab, where she leads the development and testing of technology for learning. Dr. Hayes is passionate about developing, evaluating, and iterating on games and virtual experiences used for learning in formal and informal environments. Previously Dr. Aleshia Hayes was founding Director of SURGE (Simulation Research and Game Experience) VR lab at Purdue University in Fort Wayne, where she led design, development, testing and implementation of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality, Serious Games and gamified Learning Technology tools for commercial and military partners. In addition to a passion for the effective implementation of emerging technology for learning, Dr. Hayes works tirelessly to encourage students at all levels to pursue STEM education and STEM careers, with the explicit goal of expanding and diversifying STEM education and the STEM workforce. Her efforts to recruit students into STEM range from public exhibits of Virtual Reality, to K12 classroom visits, to app development camps for middle and high school-aged students, to hosting interdisciplinary game development events. Dr. Hayes leverages her research funded by NSF, NIH, the Department of Defense and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to inform Learning Technology design and implementation across learners from K12 and university levels, to the workforce. Aleshia has earned a PhD and MS in Modeling and Simulation at University of Central Florida, a MA in Communication, a BS in Psychology, and certificates in Computer Science from Purdue.
Alesis Heaps is a Freelance Motion Desiner at Amotion Design. She has a Bachelor of Art degree in Digital Film and Video Production from The Art Institutes. Before starting her freelance career, Alesis was the Senior Motion Designer at Animal Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and the lead editor at 321 Blink. Alexis specializes in directing and executing motion/Animation projects. Throughout her career, she has directed, managed, and created animated content for broadcast, web, and social platforms. Alesis also conceptualizes creative ideas and works with creative teams to effectively execute concepts.
Alexandria Perryman is an Associate Producer at AT WILL MEDIA, a leading podcast production company that creates original and branded audio content for audiences around the world. She earned a degree in Recording Arts in 2015 and has since become an Emmy Award Winning Audio Engineer, and the Lead Audio Engineer for live broadcast events with the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She has worked with clients such as the Vice President of the United States, the Pope, the Prime Minister of Canada, Will Smith, Katy Perry, and many others. Alexandria is also the Chief Engineer and Producer of NASA’s “Houston We Have a Podcast" with guests such as Astronauts, the director of NASA, and the band STYX. In 2017, the podcast won PRSA’s Silver Excalibur Award in the podcast category. Alexandria is also a successful TikTok Creator, with over 300,000 followers and 22 million likes. She creates entertaining and educational videos on topics such as audio engineering, music production, and podcasting, and leverages her social networking skills to grow her personal brand to reach new audiences.
Alexandru Malos is an Air Force Veteran that has been a key contributor in information security operations and software engineering where he has demonstrated his passion for the art of securing the enterprise. He currently holds two Masters in Computer Science and Information Technology. In his current role as a Security Engineer at CORE & MAIN, he is enhancing the application security service area and cloud services to mature security operations. He has also worked for companies such as PCC Airfoils and at the Engineer's Consulting Group.
Alexia Mandeville is a founder, game designer, professor, and writer. She runs a small indie game studio and teaches game design at a university level. Her career started at University of Central Florida, graduating with a BA in Game Design and an MS in Modeling & Simulation. Since then, she's worked in serious games in Orlando, FL, and haptics, VR, AR, and games at places in SF Bay Area like Niantic, Meta, High Fidelity, and Immersion. Some of the products she's shipped at scale include Peridot at Niantic, and Horizon Worlds at Meta/Oculus. These days, Alexia teaches game design remotely at ArtCenter of Pasadena, and is working on scaling her game studio and shipping two games with her co-founder at Bodeville. She also speaks remotely and in-person at schools across the US on game design and development. You can find her writing on game design and development at www.medium.com/@alexiamandeville.
Alisha Janowksy is a full time senior lecturer at the University of Central Florida where she teaches courses ranging from General Psychology to Statistical Methods in Psychology to Advanced Social Psychology (graduate level). Alisha teaches on campus and online. She is also the Associate Chair for Instruction and Students and is responsible for training fellow teachers in the development and application of online education. Alisha earned her MA and PhD from Florida Atlantic University in Social/Personality Psychology.
Dr. Allison Powell is the Chief Academic Officer for the Evergreen Education Group. In this role, she leads the field of K-12 online, blended, and digital learning by developing and shares promising practices through new research from the membership organization’s experiences and perspectives. Prior to her current role, she served as Director of the Digital Learning Collaborative and the Program Chair for the Digital Learning Annual Conference. Allison taught in both face-to-face and online K-8 environments. She has been working in the field of online learning for over 15 years, starting as a K-8 blended teacher for Odyssey Charter Schools in Las Vegas, NV. After teaching in a blended environment, the Clark County School District asked her to help start the Virtual High School in the fifth largest school district in the country. In her role as an administrator for the program, she helped with training teachers, building courses, overseeing technology, and educating leaders on the benefits of online learning. Allison was the Senior Learning Strategist for BloomBoard, where she worked as a thought leader in re-thinking professional learning by designing new platforms and writing micro-credentials, policies, and processes for and with states and district leaders to transform professional learning and licensing. Allison is also the former Vice President for State and District Services/New Learning Models of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), now the Aurora Institute. Working at iNACOL, Allison helped write the National Standards for Quality and several other reports to expand and improve the field of K-12 online, blended and competency-based learning. Allison earned her Bachelor degree in Math and Reading Education from Eastern Washington University, her MAE in Education Technology from Lesley University, and her EDD in Education technology from Pepperdine University.
Ally Nichols is an award-award winning writer and marketing director with hands-on experience in creating socially engaging content, crafting witty scripts, and writing copy specifically with SEO in mind. Ally graduated from UCF with a degree in Film and a minor in Creative Writing with the hope of becoming a screenwriter. Straight out of college, Ally was hired to work at a marketing agency creating blogs and social posts for a variety of clients, which eventually led her to Digital Brew where she expanded her professional career to include script writing.
Amanda Watlington is the founder of Searching for Profit, a search marketing strategy consulting agency. Prior to founding Searching for Profit, Amanda was Director of Research for a leading search engine optimization firm. Amanda’s creativity and expertise enabled her to develop patented language-based analytic tools and methodologies to support search engine marketing campaigns. She has served on DMA’s Search Engine Marketing Council and was co-chair of the Council from 2002-2006. In 2006, Amanda developed the DMA’s search engine marketing certification program. She is currently the co-chair of the Web Analytics Association’s research committee and has served on the search and research committees of IAB. She went to Douglass College and earned her Bachelor degree in Classical Civilization, a Ph.D. in Classics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Eastern Michigan University.
Amy Kirkland is the Associate Vice President for resource and Economic Development at Seminole State College (SSC). She has worked at SSC for over 15 years and has previously held positions including Director of the Center for Business Development where her team worked with small business owners at all stages, providing resources, programs, and services that help them to start and/or grow their business as well as the Small Business Development Center Manager.
Amy Wise is the VP of Marketing at Special Olympics International (SOI), working with seven global regions to improve the lives of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities and to promote inclusion. Prior to joining SOI, Amy led the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games development and marketing departments. Amy is a strategic business development and marketing professional with 25 years of experience with leadership and management roles in the AAF, NHL, AHL, and collegiate athletics. She’s held an executive role in marketing and business development for Orlando game tech start up HypSports, digital customer experience platform Solodev DCX, and with the award-winning advertising agency, Appleton Creative. Her diverse experience in cutting-edge technology, sponsorship and marketing has given her unique perspectives into the seller/client dynamics and has allowed her to explore the future of fan engagement and game integration in sports - an area of immense personal interest. She is a relationship-driven leader. In addition to her work with Special Olympics, Amy has worked with numerous charitable organizations, including with the Girl Scouts of Citrus on their Women of Distinction committee and with CareerSource Florida as a member of the Community Engagement Committee. She's also mentored through Big Brothers/Big Sisters, creating a bond which began in 2001 and extends through today. She is a proud graduate of Leadership Orlando, class 100.
Andrew Theophilopouls is an illustrator, concept artist and educator. He currently works freelance for Theonidas, his own concept art and illustration company. Prior to beginning Theonidas, Andrew was a Principle Artist and brand ambassador for Infinite Painter and software, Workshop instructor for Ringling College of Art & Design as well as a freelance concept artists and illustrator. Andrew has been working in the industry for over 10 years.
Andy Ray has over 20 years of experience in the software and technology services industry, working with companies ranging from small startups to large global organizations. Andy is equally comfortable driving code-level technology or business strategy discussions. Andy was the founder and CEO of Evanios, a product and services company which was acquired by HP, Inc. in 2018. While at Evanios, he created a vibrant consulting services practice, working with large multinational customers on complex IT Service Management implementations. Andy designed and built the first Evanios software product, then scaled out the team to develop, support, and sell. This enabled the company to grow beyond a services company, into a product-centric company with strong recurring revenue. The Evanios SaaS product offerings for event correlation, event prediction, and automation received accolades from industry analysts and companies like Fujitsu, Land O’ Lakes, Ubisoft, 20th Century Fox, and AstraZeneca. At HP, Andy become Senior Director of TechPulse Platform, Insights, and Automation. The Evanios technology was merged into the HP TechPulse platform, which enables HP to deliver a continuum of services for endpoint devices by providing device telemetry, fleet insights, and automation. Andy was also a key contributor to the overall strategy for HP’s Services portfolio. After merging Evanios with HP, Andy acted as Managing Partner at Malvern Link, engaging in limited consulting and investment opportunities. He is currently employed as Senior Director for Software and Services Product Management with HP.
Ann Marie Murray is presently self-employed after a 40-year academic career within the State University of New York (SUNY). For the first 24 years, she was a full-time faculty member at Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY in the Mathematics Department. During that time, she advanced to administrative positions including the Department Chair of Mathematics, Engineering Science and Computer Science; Associate Dean for Academic Services including Faculty Development, Online Learning, Instructional Technology and Television Studio and production; and Dean of Business and Engineering and Industrial Technologies overseeing two of the four divisions in the academic unit. Ann Marie left Hudson Valley in 2005 to become the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Broome Community College, Binghamton, NY. As the Chief Academic Officer, she reported to the President and the Board of Trustees overseeing the faculty, enrollment, program development, budgeting, and accreditation (Middle States Commission of Higher Education, MSCHE). In 2008, she was hired as the President of Herkimer County Community College. As the President, Ann Marie was responsible for the faculty, students, facilities, government relations, community and industry engagement, and fiscal responsibility for the college, its ancillary affiliates and the 501 C-3 Foundation. She brought the institution to full accreditation with MSCHE. After retiring in 2014 from her Presidency she was hired by the University at Albany to build a new computer engineering program and establish a new College of Engineering and Applied Science. She lead a team that created the program and the new College using the existing College of Computing and Information Science. Ann Marie remained at the University as its Vice-Provost for Program Development and Strategic Initiatives until 2020 when she relocated to the Space Coast in Florida. She is a member of the Association of Governing Boards (AGB) and presently is a Trustee sitting on the Board of Mt. St. Mary College, Newburgh, NY of which she is an alum. The Board meets quarterly, and she is the co-chair of the Academic and Faculty Affairs sub committee working with the Chief Academic Officer and the Board on programmatic changes, faculty promotions and tenure and with the President and Chief Fiscal Officer in reviewing College business including the College budget, facilities, development and enrollment. Ann Marie has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University at Albany and did her dissertation in first-time calculus students discovering the product rule: Function, Notation and APOS Theory. She also has a Master of Science in Instructional Technology from the University at Albany, a Master of Arts in Advanced Classroom Teaching with a concentration in Mathematics, and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Mount Saint Mary College.
Anne Roun has worked for a handful of Engineering companies, the latter was focused around Theme Parks and Resorts. Projects for her include Volcano Bay, VelociCoaster, EPIC Universe, Universal Beijing, Baha Mar (Bahamas), Margaritaville (St. Thomas), and Beaches Resort (Barbados), to name a few. Most recently Anne has been the Project manager for Larson Design Group. Prior to Larson, Anne was the Project Manager for both KPM Franklin and Harris Civil Engineers, LLC. In addition to Engineering, Anne has worked at US Space Camp as a counselor and was Director of Marketing for UMA Solar (Solar manufacturing company). She has planned events for multiple functions at various companies she worked for (holiday parties, training events, employee activities). She is a member of TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) and an IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) attendee since 1994. Previously, she has volunteered at Give Kids the World and the Pink Army (Breast Cancer). Anne started her own photography business, researched trademarks/copyright info, created an LLC, and conducted social media marketing activities. She also assisted with the startup of SlotChannelUS, went to Germany to tour the manufacturing plant and learn about the product, and worked with Company Founder in Germany and the founder of the US company to create a plan to introduce the product in the US. She also assisted with the creating of an LLC for Heart and Glass. Anne is currently assisting on the startup of a terrazzo flooring company, including bringing a unique product from China into the US. Company that has her listed as COO. Anne attended the University of Central Florida and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. During her time there, she also took courses in Hospitality Management, Education, and Psychology. She received her MBA from Rollins College with a focus in Management and International Business.
Anthony Bailey is an experienced C-Suite executive with a demonstrated history of working in the sports industry. He is skilled in television and media production operations and business development. He is also a strong business development professional. With 25 years of experience, Anthony provides excellent industry insights to enhance Sports Marketing curriculum for students. Currently, Anthony is a Managing Partner for Triple-B Media, a company that creates single sport or single genre focused Worldwide FAST TV networks and delivers new growth and monetization opportunities for its partners.
Anton Artenov has a background in psychology. His deep scientific understanding of human behavior has given him the ability to work as a user interface and user experience designer for over 15 years in the games industry. His specialty is in making big data systems usable through highly scalable user interface design and data visualization. Anton is a lead UX designer and his main function is designing user experiences with a team. This involves applying UX theory and concepts on a daily basis in order to fulfill his role as a UX lead. During his time in the industry, Anton has served as the UX Lead for Sledgehammer Games, the Senior Manager of Product Design for Unity, an Advisor for Stealth startup, and is most recently freelancing using his user experience skills.
Throughout Ari Patrick's career, he has the fortune of working on high-profile award-winning games (e.g. Rage, Doom, Paragon, RoboRecall, Fortnite) , movies (e.g. Book of Life), attractions (Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem ride at Universal Studios), and technologies (Unreal Engine 4 & 5), culminating in his work at Epic on the MetaHuman team, where he leads the production team developing bleeding-edge technology for democratizing the creation and use of of high-fidelity digital characters. Throughout his career, Ari has specialized on working with deeply technical teams on challenging projects. Volunteering and giving-back are incredibly important to him, so he regularly does speaking engagements for collages, universities, and high schools, provides mentorship for students and junior colleagues, and leads an employee resource group at Epic focused on improving diversity at Epic and across the industry, with a particular focus on improvements to hiring pipelines. His most recent endeavor includes that of Production Director at Epic Games.
With a background as an Instructional Designer, Ashley Salter has led numerous professional development projects and played a key role in strategic planning and policy development for distance learning in higher education. Her professional research endeavors have focused on creating and testing active learning strategies tailored for high-quality online and blended learning environments. Ashley has published several peer-reviewed journal articles, presented at both international and local conferences, and served as an esteemed member of editorial boards for international academic journals. A passionate educator, Ashley finds joy in sharing innovative tools and techniques that keep learners motivated, engaged, and achieve enhanced learning outcomes. Ashley previously served as facilitator and instructor for UCF’s online teaching credentialing course, IDL6543. In her current role, Ashley focuses on professional development and areas of enhancing best online and blended teaching practices. In 2021, Ashley win the Quality Impact Award for her influence to UCF faculty through motivation and support to think and apply out of the box instructional practices. This increased student engagement and active learning practices within their courses. She worked with a faculty member to develop a course historically referred to by students as “dry” and “not engaging.” By guiding the faculty member to use best online pedagogy, implement a teaching persona, and utilize resources to engage students, she helped revitalize the course. Ashley holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from the University of Central Florida, a M.A. in Instructional Design and Technology, and an EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of New England.
Austin Thomason's passion for media planning drove him to accept an opportunity as a media planning intern at a reputable full-service agency. Throughout his tenure, he had the privilege of working closely with renowned campaigns such as Visit California and Visit Napa Valley, immersing himself in the captivating world of analytics across diverse media platforms, encompassing varying budget allocations and target demographics. The invaluable experiences gained during his internship propelled him forward, enabling him to assume diverse roles within the dynamic realms of marketing and analytics within both digital marketing and the vibrant tourism industry. Today, Austin proudly holds the position of Senior Solutions Service Analyst at Flexcare Medical Staffing, channeling his expertise to make impactful contributions to the organization's success.
Barbara Packer received her bachelor's degree in speech pathology with a minor in psychology at Douglass College, Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. in 1974. She completed her master's degree in audiology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1976. She then worked for approximately 12 years as a clinical audiologist in a large private practice in NJ and NY, as a supervisor of 12 audiologists. She moved to South Florida in 1987 to begin work at Nova Southeastern University as a clinical audiologist to direct the audiology clinic and to teach full time in the master’s degree program in speech-language pathology. In 1990, she began work on her doctoral degree in education while working full-time at NSU. She completed her EdD in 1993 and began working as the director of doctoral degree programs in audiology and speech-language pathology (programs that she designed and implemented). Between 1993 and the present time, she held many administrative roles at NSU, including Dean of Academic Affairs at the Fischler College of Education, Executive Director of Institutional and Community Engagement at NSU in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Director of two NSU Quality Enhancement Plans (QEPs) to successfully earn approval through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. During that time, she also completed some post-doctoral coursework in qualitative research. In 2017, she developed and implemented an undergraduate program called Razor's Edge Research Scholars Program. This program is geared toward high-achieving high school seniors to earn a minor in research studies, using both didactic and applied research coursework and experiences over a four-year period. While in South Florida, Barbara was a volunteer Guardian ad Litem (for about 12 years) representing children and youth who were adjudicated dependent in the Broward County judicial system. Barbara has taught in online environments, in blended teaching and learning environments, and face-to-face at the undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels since 1987.
Beau Benson is the Emmy Award winning Animation Director for Digital Brew – a company based out of Orlando, FL that specializes in motion graphics. Beau has directed thousands of animations for business and brands for over 10 years. He specializes in both 2D and 3D character animation. Beau oversees at team of 10 illustrators and animators that create brand animation, digital explainer videos, and advertisements. Beau has worked with the team to create story-driven animations for 7 years. His work includes countless animated explainers for companies like Kissmetrics and Florida Hospital, Logo animations for film studios like Dos Dudes Productions and Yale Productions, and awareness videos for the ACLU and Florida Hospital.
For over 15 years, Ben Clyde has been helping clients tell stories that expand their reach and deepen their bond with audiences. Ben is the Executive Producer for Clyde Brothers Studios, a creative production company he co-owns with his brother. His most recent short film, If I Could Tell You, won Best Television Pilot at HollyShorts Film Festival and is currently available on Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, and more. As an award-winning commercial director, editor, and writer, his understanding of the filmmaking process has led him to create a wide variety of content for agencies in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Washington DC, Richmond, Orlando, Houston, Detroit, and more. Ben’s dedication to clear communication and an uplifting environment allows his crews and talent to perform at their best, while freeing up clients to join in the creative process. He is always excited when projects allow him to meet new people and travel to new places.
A third-generation coffee roaster, Ben Johnson has worked in the coffee business from a very young age. A 4th generation Jacksonville native, Ben is currently the president at Martin Coffee Company, a company founded by his grandfather, Fred R. Martin, in 1957. He delved full-time into the business in 1998 after studying Business Management at the University of Central Florida. During his time working for his family’s business, he worked in all aspects of the coffee industry but realized that his real passion lied in sourcing the finest coffees from around the world and them finding the perfect roast profile to bring out all the unique flavors of the bean. He also attended the Seattle Barista Academy (The Original Coffee School). Ben has held up his grandfather’s legacy and has been an active participant in the Jacksonville culinary community for over 22 years. Today, he has overseen the roasting of over 3 million pounds of coffee at Martin Coffee Company roasting facility. His extraordinary roasting skills and proficiency have earned him recognition with the industry frontrunners including the former Florida Restaurant Association, past president of the River City Purveyors Association. Additionally, he has worked as a coffee cupping instructor to the Specialty Coffee Association of America. In 2020, Ben was recognized by the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce as the “Small Business Leader of the Year.”
Benjamin Miles holds a bachelor's degree in Game Development. Since graduating in 2014, he has worked at=s a software engineer at Serious Simulations, where he created VBS and Fusion plugins as well as C++ dlls to interact with experimental VR HDMs; Engineering & Computer Simulations, where he developed apps in Unity and Unreal Engine 4; AMD for five years, where he worked on OpenGL Driver Team as well as Design Verification; and Tripwire Interactive LLC, where he worked on Maneater + DLC and Killing Floor 3. Currently, Benjamin is employed by Traega Entertainment, which just released Dawn Of Defiance. He most often uses Unreal Engine and ue5 in his everyday work.
Bill Lia is a Senior Technical Artist for Warner Brothers Games. Havign worked in the industry for over 25 years, some of his career highlights include serving as the technical artist at Bit Fry Game Studios which produces officially licensed arcade-style sports games, Senior Technical Arts at Rumble, and Senior VFX at ChronosFX as well as Big Dreamer Design. He has also taught in the OCPS system in modeling and simulation.
Blair Heiserman is a self-employed information security consultant and has more than twenty years of experience in network engineering and IT security operations at federal agencies and in private industry. His prior roles include: vulnerability and security configuration program manager at NIST, team lead for the Managed Endpoint Teams (Windows, macOS, and Mobile) at NIST. In this role, he directed the administration and security for over 11,000 enterprise clients at NIST. He also held multiple roles at NASA Glenn Research Center as network engineer, incident responder, IT security awareness and training subject matter expert, IT security policy author, and assessment and authorization. He holds a M.S. in Information Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and Bachelor's degree from Oberlin College, and holds GIAC certifications GSEC (#2469), GPPS (#3841), GCWN (#3233) and GPYC (#726).
Bob De Schutter is the C. Michael Armstrong Professor of Applied Game Design at Miami University, where he is affiliated to the College of Education, Health & Society, and the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies and a Research Fellow of the Scripps Gerontology Center. He is also the owner of award-winning game company Lifelong Games (LLC). He has been invited to teach, speak and exhibit in Europe, North America and Asia. His research on gerontoludic design, gameful instruction, and gaminiscing has been published in leading publications of several fields, and he has been credited with the design of a wide range of indie, educational and therapeutic games. His work has received several awards and recognition, including Miami University's Distinguished Junior Scholar Award. Bob has a Ph.D in Social Science and Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Visual Arts.
Bob Zwarycz has spent his professional career in higher education and the tech field. He is a Cloud Architect employed by Aptean, seeking to help colleges, universities, and private institutions move their student, finance, human resources, and CRM systems to the cloud. Bob studied Chemical Engineering at Florida State University and is interested in how technology impacts education.
Brent Talbot is the editor of one of the best selling books in music education, Marginalized Voices in Music Education (Routledge), the curator of an indigenous-centering resource, Gending Rare: Children's Songs and Games from Bali (GIA), and co-author of the acclaimed book Education, Music, and the Lives of Undergraduates: Collegiate A Cappella and the Pursuit of Happiness (Bloomsbury). As coordinator of music education at Gettysburg College, Brent was in charge of taking the entire program online in March 2020. This included converting in person student teaching experiences to online learning instruction. Though this content was initially designed to assist k-12 music teachers, many university faculty also found this helpful. Additionally, he workshopped and led faculty at the College in redesigning the curriculum to accommodate online learning. Over the past decade, Talbot has published over 30 articles and chapters with leading journals and publishing companies and has delivered over 140 presentations on topics that promote equity and inclusion and diversify approaches in music learning and teaching. He currently teaches at University of Illinois and serves on the steering committee of the MayDay Group and on the editorial boards of Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education and the Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education. He earned a Ph.D and M.A. in Music Education and a Diploma in Ethnomusicology from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester as well as a B.M.E. in Choral/General and Instrumental Music Education from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Additionally, he is certified in three levels of Orff-Schulwerk.
Brian Carico is the owner of BigLook Productions and has extensive knowledge and experience in the lighting and video live production fields. Brian has worked on a number of live performances and won awards for his work with Blake Shelton. Brian has regularly returned to Full Sail University to present to students in the Show Production program and assist in labs.
Brian Fleming has an associate’s degree in Digital Media from Full Sail University as well as a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Teach from Columbia College. He has had a series of positions as interface designer, senior designer, art director and studio art director during his time helping to design and develop mobile games such as Row Sham Bow, Zynga, and FanDuel. He's worked for Electronic Arts as an interface designer on games such as Madden Football and Tiger Woods Golf. He spent several years as the Studio Art Director for Glu Mobile. Brian uses the same 2D and 3D tools that DAD & GRD students utilize and is a great example of a graphic artist who works in a highly technical field. For the past several years, Brian has worked at Third Time Entertainment Inc., an independent video game development studio based in Orlando, FL, that focuses on NFT and crypto gaming that he cofounded. Brian currently serves as the Chief Creative Officer for Third Time Entertainment. In addition to his work in the field, Brian has served on Full Sail’s Program Advisory Board for the Visual Arts BS degree program for over ten years.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Bryant Freitag began a career in the game industry when he took a job with the Developer Relations Division at Intel Corporation. There, he worked for over three years with publishers and game studios to enhance and optimize titles for Intel’s latest technology. While at Intel, Bryant contributed to titles such as Sacrifice and Giants: Citizen Kabuto, co-authored a paper on real-time shadow-casting, and researched concepts such as seamless distributed compilation environments and 3D graphics engines. From Intel, Bryant moved on to Big Huge Games, where he is currently the CEO. Prior to becoming the CEO, Bryant was a Project Tech. Director as well as a Sr. Technical Manager.
Bubba Gaeddert earned his Bachelor in Science in Recreation Management from Oklahoma State University. He is currently the Executive Director for the VideoGames and Esports Foundation. Prior to his current position, Bubba was an Adjunct Professor at MidAmerica Nazarene University where he taught physical health and sports among other subjects. He was also the Executive Director of Varsity Esports Foundation which is a 501©(3) program established to assist schools and students to reach their potential through gaming and eSports. While an Adjunct Professor he constructed curriculum for his programs which involve General Education courses while also designing courses for an online platform. While teaching the University, he also helped design curriculum for General Education courses specifically in the Science and Health departments.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Music & Recording
As Senior Director of Story for candy Digital, Caitlin Burns (she/her) is a globally recognized expert in franchise storytelling, experience design and brand strategy. She has spent more than a decade creating multiplatform content strategies for well-known IP, Brands and institutions including: Pirates of the Caribbean, Descendants, and Tron Legacy for Disney, James Cameron’s Avatar for Fox, Halo for Microsoft, The Happiness Factory for The Coca-Cola Company, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Nickelodeon and Transformers for Hasbro, Dexter for Showtime, and UNICEF Kid Power. Currently, Caitlin is Director of Story at Palm NFT Studio, where she’s creating superfan experiences for partners including DC, Warner Bros. Discovery and UMG. Currently live, check out the Bat Cowl Collection, a multiyear fan experience that invites collectors to become characters in Gotham City and play in online experiences, vote on the direction of the original comic book series, Batman: The Legacy Cowl and get exclusive behind-the-scenes access to upcoming DC releases. In 2021, she designed and wrote Harley Quinn: R.S.V.P. for Mayhem - DC’s first token-gated game, as part of a 3 month online alternate reality game narrative. Previously serving on the Board of the Producers’ Guild of America’s New Media Council for 6 years, with 3 as Vice Chair, Caitlin is recognized as a global specialist in emerging media production and sustainable development.
Camdon Wilde has been working as a graphic designer in the media design field since 2005, specializing in digital graphics, visual branding, identity creation, and brand consulting for a wide variety of clients and a diverse number of businesses and industries. Camdon holds an MFA in Media Design and, as Co-Founder of Leighton Moo, is a successful design practitioner with a diverse portfolio of cutting edge projects.
Candela DeMarco is a designer and art director with over 20 years of industry experience in branding, design and concept development. She is Partner & Art Director for The Candela Creative Group, which specializes in illustration, design, web development, 3D Renders and motion graphics.
Caris Frazier-Baker is experienced in agile project development, object-oriented design and implementation, version control administration, 3D modeling and sculpting, PBR and legacy texturing workflows, 2D and 3D animation, and rigging. As Senior Technical Artist for Capgemini Engineering, she utilizes her background in computer animation and video game development to design and develop virtual reality software for the AEC industry.
Carissa Craven is Senior VP & Managing Director at Westfall Gold, an Atlanta-based fundraising consultancy that serves as a catalyst for growth among non-profits. To date, Westfall Gold has raised more than $1 billion on behalf of non-profits and charities around the world. Carissa manages a team that helps organizations develop, refine, and express their message through video and print work in the context of live events.
Carlos Rodriguez is a senior technology and security officer with a proven track record of identifying critical problems and risks, which he translates into programs that support the urgent and long-term needs of the business. He achieves this by building trust with peers and executive leadership through engagement and transparency. Carlos developed a program for an online education institution titled Information Security Management. Today Carlos functions as the CEO and Fractional Chief Information Security Officer of CA2 Security, serving various organizations by building and leading the execution of a long term continuous, adaptable, and actionable security strategy.
As CEO, Caroline Castille's current focus is scaling her ads agency, Clickable Impact, and other portfolio companies such as -Bstepsdancewear.com, Flightpathgolf.com, and Tiktokinsiders.com. Caroline graduated with a dual major in Finance & Spanish from UCF and started the Clickable Impact UCF Intern Program where Clickable hires UCF students every quarter to learn the wonders of digital marketing. So far, over 50 students have graduated out of the Clickable Internship Program. A majority of the Clickable Impact workforce comes from this program. Caroline has been awarded and recognized for her hard work and entrepreneurial endeavors with the following awards and mentions; in 2020 - Caroline was inducted into the UCF College Of Business Hall Of Fame With The Notable Knight Award and was an Awardee for the UCF 30 Under 30. Caroline has an extensive background in Venture Capital and the government sector which aided building & selling one of the largest angel groups in the state of Florida - Florida Angel "NEXUS" - These investors deployed $20MM of Capital to 69 Florida-based tech companies & was acquired by Florida Funder in August 2018. NEXUS started out of UCF with co-founders Mike O’Donnell and Blaire Martin who added Caroline on their team to serve as the Fund Ops Manager of the FAN Fund (www.thefan.fund), which launched in October 2015.
Carolyn Malachi’s extensive performance history includes Jazz festivals and solo concerts in China, South Africa, Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Kuwait. As the founder of Call & Response LLC, performing artist, sound engineer, and educator, Carolyn received a Best Urban Alternative Performance GRAMMY Award nomination for her single "Orion” in 2010. She has released five albums and several singles. The latest, a cover of Phoebe Snow’s classic R&B / Folk song “Poetry Man," released Summer 2020. Carolyn's academic research focuses on the intersections of sonification and blockchain technology. As a sound engineer, she works with nonprofit organizations and independent artists while advocating for women within the music industry’s technical professions. She volunteers her time to the Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation in Washington, DC and serves on the Recording Academy’s national board of trustees. Carolyn also serves as an assistant Communications professor at Howard University, teaching Multimedia Audio Production and Audio for TV & Film courses. Carolyn holds a masters degree in Audio Technology from American University, received a Fulbright for her work in three Eastern Caribbean nations, and celebrates the honorary doctorate bestowed by her undergraduate alma mater, Shepherd University.
Catriona Barbato has over 22 years of experience as an instructional designer, having worked for four businesses that specialize in designing and developing learning materials for a variety of industries including her current role of Director of Transformation Management for Cognizant Technology Solutions. Catriona holds a Master of Arts degree in Instructional Systems and Technology from the University of Central Florida and is currently working on her dissertation for an Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Central Florida. In her roles as Project Manager and Lead Learning Strategist, Catriona has designed and developed eLearning programs for the aerospace, management consulting, transportation, and banking industries.
CeCe Taylor is a results-driven marketing professional with a diverse skill set and a wealth of experience in the digital marketing landscape. Specializing in Email Marketing, Marketing Strategy, and Integrated Marketing, she has established herself as a seasoned expert in driving impactful campaigns and nurturing customer relationships. CeCe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication/Media Studies from Bethune-Cookman University, where she honed her communication and media skills. CeCe is presently serving as the Leader for Practice Area Marketing and J&J Learn at Johnson & Johnson. Prior to this position, she was the Digital Marketing Manager at Amazon Web Services, where she diligently concentrates on top-of-funnel lead generation utilizing established digital marketing channels, while also driving marketing innovations. CeCe's extensive prior experience encompasses constructing a comprehensive CRM program for the four brands under Benihana National Corp, orchestrating impactful email and SMS communications for loyalty, partner, and affinity card programs at Spirit Airlines, and skillfully managing email marketing and SMS strategy for three major brands at Darden. Outside of her professional pursuits, CeCe is dedicated to advocating for music and the arts through her membership in Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women.
Cesar Escobar is an Orlando-based graphic designer, web designer, UX designer, and teacher. Cesar has worked for companies such as ProTrainings, where he conducted internal research to identify product gaps and devised design strategies based on findings and feedback; Tetra Tech, where he developed intuitive wireframes and prototypes and closely collaborated with cross-functional teams to implement design solutions; GE Aviation; and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Cesar graduated from The Modern College of Design with an Associate's degree in Graphic Design in 2017 and will earn his Master's degree in UX Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2025. Cesar also has taught and designed online courses at the Maryland Institute College of Art and The Modern College of Design, where he taught online courses about Photoshop, Illustrator, and Indesign as well as how to ideate through sketches and understanding what users value from a product. Currently, Cesar is a freelance graphic designer out of Cesar Escobar Design LLC and is an adjunct instructor at Valencia College.
Chanae Evans is currently a Senior UX designer at AT&T. Her passion for interactive storytelling through powerful experiences inspired her to pursue a career in the UX design field. Chanae helped with onboarding training according to industry compliance standards from Sep 2012 - April 2014, which is also related to skills sets seen in UX (developing intuitive training materials using technology and adhering to compliance standards). Furthermore, she has served as a client point of contact from March 2015-August 2015 for Oracle, which is a cloud based software which speaks to her ability to work with a client to navigate and understand a particular piece of software. She has worked with tech companies such as Amazon, Samsung, and Microsoft, where she has designed end-to-end experiences for enterprise, SaaS, e-commerce, and native apps for Android and iOs. Chanae also dedicates her free time to leading the Seattle Chapter for Ladies that UX, a global organization of women working in UX and Product.
Chandler Schumacher received his finance degree from Fort Hays State University, bought his first business after graduation, and hasn't looked back from a 17-year career in business ownership. He grew his first retail liquor store 4x, meanwhile opening a manufactured stone company, and expanding his investment property portfolio. More recently, Chandler took up the position of managing partner at Dodge City Appliance.
Charles Norburn has been with Microsoft International for several years as a Technology Strategist for U.S. Education. In this role, he assists and guides both K-12 and higher education institutions on the use of technology in the classroom as well as the data center. Focus areas for Charles include the use of Azure Cloud services for hybrid data center, research, and education scenarios, industry leading productivity solutions such as Office 365, and “flip the classroom” digital classroom technologies and traditional client/server solutions. Prior to working at Microsoft, Norburn was an Infrastruction Manager and IT Division Manager at the University of Central Florida for eight years. There, he led programs for student development and enrollment services as well as Identity and Access Management and Application Development. Norburn started his IT career over 17 years ago as a Systems Administrator and Project Manager for Siemens Power Generation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems and an MBA, both from the University of Central Florida.
Chelsea Filley has a master's degree in Business Administration from Rollins College and a Master's degree in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University. In her role as Vice President of Revenue Planning and Optimization for The Walt Disney Company, Chelsea uses analytics to inform and execute critical business initiatives to both drive revenue and demand to the destination through a combination of data analytics, innovation, business strategy, and guest insight.
Chris Martignago is a music industry veteran with over a decade of experience in the A&R space. Chris began his time in the industry in 2012, working in Music Supervision for the Florida Music Festival, then in 2013 operating his own artist management company, LikeVines Management and working as a Show Runner for AEG Live. In 2014, after serving as an A&R intern with an Atlantic Records' A&R VP for a year, he started in the role as an A&R Consultant with Atlantic Records. During his nearly 9-year tenure there, he was promoted to the A&R and Research department and then held the role of Director of that department for three years. Currently, Chris is a Senior A&R with Prescription Songs where he signs and works with artists and songwriters.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Music & Recording
Chris Murray is a 3D artist that has run his own animation studio, worked for Autodesk (3D software company), held the Senior Manager for Online Education at Epic Games role, and is currently the Director for NVIDIA. He was also an adjunct professor at UNC Asheville for two years. Chris taught computer animater 2006-2008 and has a MFA in Computer Animation from Miami International University of Art & Design. While teaching Full Sail, he interacted with the online LMS and designed curriculum specifically for students to interact with on an online context. While developing his coursework, he learned to adapt and became an expert in molding curriculum for the best online interaction with students.
Chris Nault founded Growth Marketing Firm, which is a partner of several industry leaders including Facebook, Google, Shopify, LinkedIn, and HubSpot. At Growth Marketing Firm, he helps companies solve complex marketing and sales problems. He is also the Director of Marketing and Business Development of San Francisco Fleet Week Association, where he has modernized their marketing and sales practices. While in college in 2006, Nault founded Whats2Hot.com, an online platform that curated event calendars, lists, and blogs.
Chris Thomason is the executive over product development, production, and marketing for 5 record labels and responsible for recording/post production facilities. These products were distributed in over 160 countries and generated multiple Platinum and Gold RIAA awards. He is the president/CEO/co-founder for In::Cite Media.
Since 2005, Christina Horn has found high-level professional involvement in every major aspect of the music industry within the breath of her impressive career, including Production Manager, Musician, Artist, Composer, Producer, Educator, Live Production Manager, Stage Manager, Talent Buyer, and Industry Advisor. Before that she earned her Master's of Music at the University of Tennessee School of Music, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2003. Her awards and certifications include: recipient of the MTNA Student Teacher of the Year Award, recipient of the TMMC award for outstanding research in ethnomusicology, winner of the 2003 Concerto Competition, winner of 2019 Bailey Grant for Music Composition, Avid Certified Instructor (ACI), Sibelius Certified Instructor, Pro Tools Certified, Ableton Live Certified. Her current role is Production Specialist for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Christopher Perry graduated from Binghamton University, while working as a Floor Director for the Channel 34 News and moved to Manhattan to work as an Editor (print) at PR Newswire. There he soon took an interest in programming and game design and began working in Macromedia Flash. While attending the Master of Science in Digital Imaging and Design program at New York University, he worked at Animation Collective, first as a 3D modeler and animator on the web series SKWOD, and then as a visual effects artist on 2 seasons of the Nicktoons show, Kappa Mikey. As an adjunct at College of Westchester Christopher taught evening classes related to Adobe products (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Flash) and also taught a 3-term game design course that helped students create physical and digital prototypes of their game ideas. He then worked in a few freelance positions involving programming or media at New Rochelle Bar Association, Buzz magazine, independent websites, and eventually landed in a Flash development position at a pharmaceutical advertising agency, EURO RSCG Life (now HAVAS Health and You). This role mainly focused on making presentations for sales representatives to use as tools when detailing pharmaceutical products to health care providers. Over the years and with the invention of the iPad, he transitioned to working mainly with CLM (closed-loop marketing) platforms (Veeva, Exploria, Proscape, INGSA, etc.), working in HTML5, Objective-C, Swift, python, and other proprietary languages, while leading teams of developers and providing guidance through documentation, best practices, templates, and convenience scripts. Eventually he became tech lead and now technical director while leading offshore and in-house development teams, providing creative direction to internal/ external agencies/IT teams, and also working with our innovation department to create cutting-edge projects. Christopher has worked on convention pieces, websites, games, standalone mobile applications, AR and VR experiences using Unity and Vuforia, machine learning and AI projects. He is currently the head of the Veeva Center of Excellence that provides information and guidance to clients and agencies regarding Veeva capabilities as well as managing certification for employees. He also attends conventions and conferences related to programming, technology, AR/VR, development and CLM platforms.
Clem Harrod, author of Career Projection 101 and Video Projection 101, has more than twenty years of experience helping to brand and market Fortune 500 companies as well as professional athletes through his work in the Live Event Production Industry. Before creating his own company, Clem enjoyed a fifteen-year career in the sports broadcasting arena, working on major live events like the College Football National Championship Series, NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, the World Series and the Superbowl. A graduate of Florida State University, Clem is the founder and owner of CLEMCO.AV, an organization with the mission to Coach, Lead, Educate, and Mentor independent contractors in the Audio-Visual Technology and Live Event Production Industry. Understanding the ever-changing dynamic of labor laws around the country, Clem also created Certified AV to help provide jobs and opportunities to the many technicians who operate in his space. Adding to his schedule, Clem is a frequent speaker at universities and nonprofits on the topics of entrepreneurship, leadership, perseverance, and the power of using technology to amplify one’s personal and professional brand.
Colin Hesterly is one of the world’s leading commercial 2D animation directors. With a background in printmaking, his animated films are unrivalled in their graphical style, emotional narrative, and seamless transitions. With a body of work spanning a broad range of creative fields - from commercials, TV to film titles, short films and illustration-led campaigns - Colin has developed content for companies including Disney, Nickelodeon, American Express, Eurotunnel, Skoda, TomTom, and Michelin. He is currently the Senior Art Director at Yuga Labs.
Colleen Reiner has over 15 years of experience in the strategic development of sustainable, educational programs, and the creation of research-driven, learning experiences for global audiences. Colleen earned her Master of Education at the University of Illinois. At the university, she worked on Applied Technologies for Learning in the Arts and Sciences where she specifically dealt with the intersection of technology and general education curriculum. She then moved to the Center for Innovation and Learning where she produced all the original, multimedia course content for several MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) within advanced STEM disciplines. Colleen also collaborated with instructors, researchers, and other CEs to design and develop evidence-based, STEM curriculum for training and certification programs, University courses, and other strategic initiatives. She was also the Instructional Design Project Manager where she crafted online courses for STEM classes at the University of South Florida. She is now the Director of Education and Research Administration, Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation at the University of South Florida.
Corey Whiting graduated from Duke University and started his career as a software developer for one of the largest and most well known sports big data company in the USA: Stats LLC. He is now the co-founder and product developer for a funded baseball big data company in Orlando called Baseball cloud as well as the CTO of RoyFi, Inc. Corey has a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Chicago.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
With over a decade in the games industry, Dan Butchko is an expert at uniting and empowering developers, brands, and fans through video games. In his role at Arkadium as Director of Developer Relations, he is committed to building the future of browser-based games through Arkadium's third-party developer program, Arkadium for Developers. He is passionate for bringing games to life and supporting the developers behind them at Arkadium, as he leads the process of connecting developers with Arkadium’s large audience of over 18 million monthly users through a global distribution network. Dan believes games are the best form of entertainment for the masses, as they have the power to unite through the shared love of play, regardless of background. Working at Arkadium allows him to feed his deep appreciation for the art and science of games and especially for the people who make them. He takes a community-positive and business-focused combined approach in his role, which is important in today’s game industry. Dan built and was previously the Founder and CEO of Playcrafting, a nationwide network and ally for game creators and brands. Dan ran Playcrafting for 8.5 years. In that time, he provided 100+ multiweek courses and one-night classes (virtual and IRL) on the art, science, and business of video game development. Through Playcrafting, he built a community of over thirty thousand game developers around the world. Dan has produced over 300 events for developers and helped bring 150 games to life alongside partners like Verizon, Google, Rockstar Games, Epic Games, Bose, and the NFL. As a lifelong gamer, it wasn't until a visit to the Game Developer Conference (GDC) that Dan was inspired to move into games professionally. He also has a background in social work as an Events and Creative Manager at Help for Children, a non-profit aimed at child abuse prevention and treatment. Dan built a foundation for taking a people-first approach to his work, which has remained consistent throughout his career. Dan is a graduate of NYU and also studied Fine Arts at The School for Visual Arts. He serves on the Digital Games Industry Council for the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment, and provides mentorship with new and aspiring game developers and professionals. In addition to playing games in his free time, Dan enjoys singing, Japanese culture, experiencing nature, and reading comics. He lives in the Tri-state area with his husband and adopted dog, Milo, who is his pride and joy.
Dan Migala has worked for or advised virtually every level of sports franchises, including organizations in MLB, NHL, NFL, NBA, NCAA, MLS, the LPGA, Cricket Australia, New Zealand Rugby and more on issues related to non-traditional revenue generation, sponsorship, technology ticket sales and sports & entertainment marketing. A graduate of the University of Missouri, Migala served as the Director of the master's in Sports Administration Program at Northwestern University, where he designed a "Non-Traditional Revenue Strategies" course. He is currently the Co-President & Chief Revenue Officer of Legends. Dan holds a master's of Sports Administration from Ohio University.
Dan Patrick has been a network-level host and/or reporter since 1983. When he anchored the 11 PM SportsCenter with Keith Olbermann at ESPN, that show was regarded as the preeminent sports show in the country. The show won numerous Emmys during the time Dan was hosting. Since leaving ESPN, Dan has created his own radio/tv show that has risen to national prominence and is one of the most recognized sports talk radio shows in the country. Dan also worked for NBC, where he was among the hosts of their Olympics coverage, and he has been the host of their Super Bowl coverage, including conducting the postgame interviews, with the winning teams.
Daniel Corey is a writer and comic book creator based in Los Angeles, CA. His graphic novels have been distributed worldwide, and he has been recognized as a noted influencer in VR and new media. He continues his work as the Owner and Managing Editor at DangerKatt Creative Studio, where he writes many different forms of comics, and does Teleperformance at ABC News Transcription
With forty years of experience as a professional musician and a master's degree in Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado, Daniel Flick has performed in a wide variety of music styles and settings. From Solo to Symphony, from Bluegrass to Bach, Daniel’s passion for music has played out on international stages, on numerous stringed instruments, and includes music for theater and film. He has been featured in productions by theater companies such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Denver Center Theater Company, and the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Daniel has composed and produced a variety of multimedia concerts for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, written several youth theater productions, and was a contributing author in Shakespeare Plays the Classroom, a Pineapple Press publication, with forward by Fred Rogers. Daniel is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Rollins College, where he teaches through distance learning methods and an online LMS.
Darcy Nichols serves as Vice President for Dairy Management, Inc., where she leads the NFL relationship for the Fuel Up to Play 60 program as the main point of contact for the NFL League, NFL Players Association, 32 NFL Clubs, and NFL Alumni Association. She joined the organization fall 2000 after a 10-year career that included work in radio and television, plus theme park marketing in Orlando. Utilizing a blend of vision, creative skills and leadership, Darcy has achieved exciting success in marketing and special events throughout the country. Darcy makes time to stay involved in her community through volunteer work and service on the boards of several organizations throughout Central Florida.
Dave Shirley Jr. began his career as an internet for REVOLT, a pioneering minority-owned media company, where he steadily ascended the ranks and contributed to the launch of REVOLT. After two years at the company, he established his own company, Day at Nite, and started freelancing for clients such as TikTok, Coach, Activision, and Bumble. Dave is currently the Senior Director of Creative Development and Production at REVOLT where he orchestrates cross-functional teams and spearheads the development and production of award-winning shows. Notably, ‘Caresha Please’ earned the title of Best Hip-Hop Platform by BET for two consecutive years, and ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ garnered recognition as a 2022 Silver Telly Winner for Online Web Series – Non-Scripted. Dave’s diverse experience not only shaped his expertise in the dynamic realms of media and entertainment but also fueled his commitment to pushing boundaries and crafting compelling narratives that resonate with audiences worldwide.
Dave Drabik is the owner of Fine Line Productions, an Emmy Award-winning, full-service production and live event company based in Atlanta. Fine Line has created and produced two live-action series for Adult Swim and a 19-episode pet series for UP TV, as well as numerous pilots across the entertainment spectrum. Dave initially earned his stripes as a staff writer for Late Show with David Letterman, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, and other network shows. He’s been a writer/producer for Cartoon Network and consulted on 13 ESPY Awards, as well as dozens of other live-events. In addition to the 2016 and 2017 Emmys he won for the production of The GA Tech InVenture Prize, Dave has also received an Emmy nomination for co-writing Justin Timberlake’s song "Why I Love Sports," performed on the ESPY Awards.
David Brown began his career as a musician, touring during the 70s. He opened his first studio in Jacksonville, Florida in 1980. In 1982, David moved to Orlando to run day-to-day operations at an independent record label. In 1987 he joined HBJ Video (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) as an audio mixer, and in 1988-89 was a dialog editor for episodic television shot at Universal Studios. In 1990 he formed Eastern Sky Media Services, Inc, where he currently serves as Recording Engineer and Studio Owner. Outside of the publishing industry, David has mixed films for Oscar-winning director Ira Wohl, HBO, Cinemax, BBC, PBS, Sundance Channel, Hallmark Channel and more. He’s done the sound design and mix for exhibits at EPCOT Center, Sea World and The Kennedy Space Center. He’s recorded or mixed for several titles in the gaming industry and has also recorded, mixed or produced numerous music albums.
Technical Consultant David Hackett has spent over 10 years in visual effects as a lighter on various projects, with clients ranging from Marvel Studios to Coca Cola. Since then, he has discovered he likes helping artists achieve an understanding of their software, and moved to Pixar to begin work at RenderMan on documentation and design. He also provides production experience for lighting and rendering scenes that are difficult or complex within time and technology budgets. David has a BFA in Fine Arts from Austin Peay State University as well as an AS in Computer Animation from Full Sail University. This combination of skills helps him create a bridge between artists and developers. David speaks at conferences, demonstrates new technologies, and interacts with professionals on everything from visual effects and software to the business of visual effects.
David Houston has been a motion graphics artist at GoConvergence in Orlando for over ten years. He has worked with and trained Full Sail graduates and has a bachelor's degree from Morehead State University in Jazz Studies. His experience as a motion graphic artist at GoConvergence lets him create projects with animation and 2D/3D motion.
David Laks is a video and audio content creator, professional musician, music educator, band leader, and music therapist. He is the founder and owner of David Laks Productions, a full service video and audio production studio near Woodstock, NY. In his educational work, he tought music both online and in person for Onteora Central Schools and created curriculum for music in the public school system. He holds a Masters in Education from SUNY New Paltz as well as a master of science degree in Education Media Design and Technology.
David Lawson Jr’s love of film started at an early age while living in Baltimore, MD. Once he graduated high school, he enlisted in the US Air Force. He served for over 4 years as an Airborne Radio Operator aboard the AWACS E-3 Sentry deploying for both Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). There, he not only met many people with the same affinity for cinema, but also took to heart their core values: integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all you do. After leaving the Air Force, he attended Michigan State University where he continued his personal growth. He also has guest lectured at USC and AFI and has developed and taught virtual courses at Sundance Collab Labs. He has since brought the values and friendships he made along the way to Los Angeles, where since 2005, he has been working his way up the commercial and feature film ranks. After years of working as an independent producer, David joined Snowfort Pictures as their Head of Production from 2015 until 2017. Then, along with long time collaborators Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, he formed Rustic Films. His features include Something in the Dirt, Breathing Happy, Synchronic, The Endless, After Midnight, Trash Fire, 68 Kill, 24X36: A Movie About Movie Posters, Spring, and Resolution.
Dr. David Mengel is the Provost at the University of Portland. Prior to his current position he held status as the Dean of Arts & Sciences at Xavier University. His PHD is in History. Both his educational and professional experience give Dr. Mengel the background to comment on general education curriculum and distance education techniques. He has been instrumental in updating campus and online teaching practices at Xavier University.
David Meyers is an artist, designer and educator with over 30 years of industry experience. His experience includes being the youngest staff illustrator at USA Today in 1983, publishing one of the first digital illustrations in 1985 for Macworld Magazine, creating innovative websites in the 1990's, and teaching at the Savannah School of Art & Design as a full time professor since 2019.
David Nye is a writer and editor who started his career as an Army airborne journalist. He often writes as Logan Nye. He was an associate editor for WeAreTheMighty.com from 2015 to 2019. His writing has appeared on Fox, Business Insider, Real Clear Defense, and more. He's now the managing editor for Fisher House Foundation and an occasional freelancer on History Channel and Discovery Networks.
DeQuan Foster was born and raised in Newark, NJ. He attended Science Park High School and shortly after graduating independently published his first two sci-fi novels. DeQuan has worked in the publishing industry on the publicity side beginning in 2008, having done stints at Macmillan and Penguin Random House where he worked on several award-winning titles. He currently works as a Junior Account Executive at Allied Global Marketing where he has worked on over two dozen marketing campaigns for film studios such as Paramount, Warner Bros, and The Walt Disney Company. In his spare time, he volunteers at the local Boys & Girls Club in Newark where he grew up. He believes that a person should not only set out to blaze a trail for themselves but also inspire and encourage those coming behind them.
Debi Carr is a Cyber Security and Crisis Management Consultant, Speaker, and CEO of D K Carr and Associates, LLC. She assists private practices in obtaining and maintaining HIPAA HITECH Compliance including performing risk analysis, team security training, crisis management and incidence response. Debi holds several certifications including HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner, Certified Associate Healthcare Information and Management Systems and is a member of AADOM, ADMC, HIMSS, ISC2, IAPP, ISSA, ISSAC, InfraGard, SCN, Women in Cyber Security.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Art & Design
Derek Bertubin has over ten years experience in his industry. He started as a mid-level mobile developer and has recently held senior-level developer and mobile development management positions. Derek has diverse work experience working for small software development boutique companies to large companies like Universal Orlando Resort and Chopra Global where he had influence on future employees/candidates. He currently works as Senior Software Engineer II at LTK. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mobile Development and a Master of Science in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Derrick Guinyard has 14 years of experience as a drummer, bass guitarist, producer, and audio engineer. He is currently the Lead Audio Engineer for Live Church Orlando, where he works with Pastor and Grammy award-winning artist, Tye Tribbett, on his music and album productions.
As a high schooler, Devin Hance attended the New York Film Academy in NYC and went on to major in Television-Radio in college. She obtained two Associates degrees, one in Digital Cinema and one in Broadcast Production. She then went on to obtain her Bachelor’s in Television-Radio from Ithaca College with a minor in media production. During her time in college, she interned with NBC Universal (NBC Sports & CNBC) as well as at CNN HLN for the Jane Velez-Mitchell show and some of their other broadcast entertainment programs. Upon graduating from Ithaca in 2015, Devin was hired at CNBC where she began her professional career as a digital video producer. She then moved on to work at Fortune Magazine as a video producer where he traveled the country doing field shoots and interviewing CEOs and C-Suite executives. She also managed and created all their video content for fortune.com and Fortune's social media platforms. Most recently, February 2021, she was hired to work at Axios as a Senior Producer where she specifically works on projects managing creative branded video projects for clients as well as editorial news content for the web and social media platforms. She currently serves as Senior Video Producer at Axios. Devin occasionally speaks with college students during panel discussions at Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College.
Diana Christomer-Thomson is the Program Manager of the English Language Institute at Seminole State College, where she has been teaching for over 25 years. Since 2016, she has served in her current role, leading the intensive English program with a passion for language education and cultural exchange. Diana holds an Master's in TESOL from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, which she earned in 1993. Her career has taken her to English programs across the United States and abroad, enriching her teaching experience and broadening her perspective. She feels fortunate to have a profession she loves and to spend her days with students from all over the world.
Dianne Turgeon Richardson holds undergraduate degrees in Geology and English as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. Her career has included stints as a writing tutor, managing editor of a nationally circulated literary magazine, freelance editor and content creator, and college professor. She is currently employed as a technical/proposal writer for a government services contractor and serves as the Poet in Residence at First United Methodist Church of Orlando. Dianne's creative work has appeared in print and online in such places as Glass Poetry, Sundog Lit, Collective Unrest, Cooweescoowee, and The Florida Review, among others. In her experience as a college professor, she helped design curriculum for English courses for online and face-to-face instruction. She undertook special care into designing courses for the online platform Canvas. Dianne is a highly accomplished and team-oriented marketing communications professional adept at crafting solutions-driven content. She has several years of experience in proposal development/management and content creation in the AEC industry with advanced knowledge of water, wastewater, and reclaimed water sectors. Dianne is an active member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services and serves the SMPS Central Florida Chapter Programs Committee as the Program Chair for Water/Wastewater. Her current role is the Marketing Pursuit Manager at Dewberry.
Dillon Deveney is the Principal Narrative Game Designer Lead Designer for Wizards of the Coast. Dillon has worked with virtual reality gaming for several years, contributing to the creation of a variety of virtual reality experiences for both clients and the public. His experience with QA and with game design from a junior and lead perspective will offer value insights to the curriculum being discussed. Dillon received his Master's in Game Design from Full Sail University in 2015.
Don Sommerfeldt is a Instructor of Computer Programming at Wake Tech Community College and Software and Web Development Instructor at Durham Technical Community College. He has the credentials to be impactful with his higher education teaching experience on campus and online, with software programming languages in JAVA and Advanced C#. Don holds a Master of Science with a focus in Instructional Technology. He is a software developer instructor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. He is skilled in computer science, educational technology, instructional design, and leadership. He has over 15 years experience as a software developer instructor and over 20 years experience in the information technology field as a software developer/systems analyst. His current position leads him to interact and develop curriculum for classes with an online context and for an online LMS.
Dondi Sanchez owns a company called Immanuel Production Group that has been around since 2005. It is a multi-media production company that specializes in video production, web design, graphics, aerials, and 360 video. Dondi earned his specialized associate's degree in video and film production at Full Sail University in 1992. He started his career in news working for Univision Orlando, running their traffic and master control, and then went to Channel 6 in Orlando for a few months. During that time, he got his foot in the door at Nickelodeon Studios and Disney and worked on most of the stage shows as a camera assist from 1993 to 2001 for sitcoms and game shows. Dondi has also worked on many sporting events for Fox Sports, Golf Channel, MLB, and others throughout the years. In 2005, he opened his own production company, Immanuel Production Group (IPG). Since then, IPG has worked on various projects for many different clients in all different arenas of production. Its clients include A&E, Food Network, National Geographic, Disney, Academy Sports, Sprouts, Jockey, Golf Channel, Fox Sports, Bally Sports, and many others.
Course Director, Sports Marketing & Media Bachelor's
Business
Doronne Perras is a commercial real estate transactional attorney at Milgrim Law Group based in Orlando. Prior to practicing law, he was was an on-air personality and producer at a large radio station. He received a BA in Communications from the University of Central Florida, a JD from the University of the Pacific (McGeorge) School of Law, and his Graduate Business Law Certificate from the University of Southern California. He is a member of Enzian’s Advisory Council.
Dr. Devon Cadwell Bazata joined UCF in 2008 and Interdisciplinary Studies in 2013. She has a Doctorate in Education (Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in College Teaching & Leadership) from UCF, a Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from UCF, a Master’s in Journalism-News/Editorial from the University of Nebraska, and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a minor in math from the University of Kansas. Her work at UCF includes the development of the Integrative General Studies (BGS) degree program, Institutional Effectiveness assessment plans for the IDS and BGS degree programs, and a strategic communication plan based on the university’s dimensions of organizational culture. Dr. Cadwell Bazata’s research interests include the intersection of organizational culture and strategic communication as it relates to equity in opportunity in higher education for all learners, including non-native English speakers and interdisciplinary/integrative teaching, learning, and assessment.
Dr. James Hutson is the Lead XR Disruptor and Professor/Department Head of Art History, AI, and Visual Culture at Lindenwood University. James is also the Editor-In-Chief for the International Journal of Emerging and Disruptive Innovation in Education at Lindenwood. In addition to his responsibilities in these roles, Dr. Hutson teaches a variety of courses under the umbrella of Art History, AI, and Visual Culture, including courses in the Game Design MA program.
Dr. Jeremiah Blanchard currently serves as the Director of Computer Engineering at Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida. His research focuses on how programming language representation connects to learning, remote digital computing assessment techniques, and educational games in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Dr. Blanchard graduated from the University of Florida with his PhD in Computer Engineering. He served as the CISE UF Online Director from from 2017-2021. Previously, he worked as a freelance game and application developer and lived, worked, and studied in the Osaka region of Japan. Among his educational game experience, Dr. Blanchard has worked with the National Flight Academy in Pensacola, Florida, developing flight simulator scenarios to help teach at-risk middle and high school students learn mathematics, physics, and history. He also worked with Design Interactive on CogGauge, a game-based cognitive battery system developed with the intention of testing brain injuries in space.
Joseph Fanfarelli is currently the Department Leader at Edward Jones. Prior to this position, Joey was an Associate Professor at Marist College. He was previously a professor at the University of Central Florida centering on Games and Gamification, where he focused on integrating principles of Psychology and Game Design to better understand how to develop entertaining and effective educational games interventions. During his time at UCF and Marist College, he designed curriculum for courses in person and online. He also designed courses for primary interaction with students through an online LMS with special care to differences in educational standards from in person to online. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, his Master of Science in Modeling and Simulation, and Doctor of Philosophy in Modeling and Simulation, all from the University of Central Florida.
Julian Abich IV taught online and mixed-mode for multiple courses while at UCF. He was also on the Curriculum Committee for the Modeling & Simulation Graduate Curriculum. Currently, he is a Graduate Faculty Scholar at UCF. He has a Ph.D. in Modeling and Simulation with a specialization in Human Factors. In his current position as Senior Human Factors for Engineer Quantum Improvements Consulting, he advocates for user centered design throughout the entire product design and development life cycle. He applies end-to-end user experience research skill sets to cross domain applications, many of which are focused on extended reality and mobile applications.
Dr. Kevin Meehan is a professor with the UCF English Department but is also an accomplished individual in academic research and teaching of Cultural Studies . Kevin is also a musician, producer, and owner of the Sugar City Studio and Sugar City Music label. Kevin has taught English literature courses for the general education program at UCF since 1996, taught writing for agriculture studies majors as a Fulbright Core Scholar at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College in St.Kitts (2017-18), and helped design and implement a general studies curriculum for the University of Nouvelle Grand’Anse (UNOGA), a university in rural Haiti (2007- 2012). Beyond teaching general education coursework, Kevin's teaching and research specializations include Comparative Caribbean and African American cultural studies, environmental humanities, and climate change education for sustainable development. His research has been funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Organization of American States among other agencies. Having started teaching college-level students as a Teaching Assistant in the late 1980s, Kevin began his academic career before online education existed. As a UCF professor since 1996, he has participated in online teaching and curriculum design as technology online learning models have evolved together from their earliest beginnings through the present day. Kevin is also a professional musician who has played a wide range of styles and toured for more than three decades. He writes and records original music at Sugar City Studios and releases original work by himself and other artists on the Sugar City Music label. Kevin earned his Master's and PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Maryland at College Park.
Dr. Kristy Custer has served as an educator for 24 years. She first developed online high school English classes in 2001. She has also helped develop the Gameplan Esports Management Platform (which is an online LMS) and write educational content for high school students. She leads a team that writes curriculum which assists schools in fully integrating esports scholastically, socially, and competitively. Dr. Custer is deeply involved with the esports industry, to help prepare and engage students in this industry post-graduation. Dr. Custer received a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership and Administration from Kansas State University, a Master of Education (MEd) in Education Leadership from Baker University and a Bachelor of Education (BEd) in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Wichita State University.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Music & Recording
Dr. Mike Rupp works at HP where he leads user experience and physical ergonomics research on computer technology products such as displays, laptops, and virtual reality. Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology is directly and tightly related to User Experience. Mike is a Human Factors Researcher. His work directly impacts User Experience theory and design. Michael received his Ph.D. in Human Factors and Cognitive Psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2017.
Dr. Michael Russell earned a Doctor of Education from Baker University, a Master of Education in Secondary School Administration/Principalship from Fort Hays State University, and a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education from Fort Hays State University. His experience as a teacher at the High School level has given him the opportunity to understand best learning practices and foundational knowledge for college-level students. Dr. Russell's experience creating curriculum for Esports courses, through a virtual learning model, provides insights into both distance education and the esports industry. He is currently working with esports industry organizations to help provide knowledge and skills to students that are looking to join the industry.
Dr. Patricia Smith has a PHD in Philosophy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They have 20 years of teaching logic and philosophy courses at the college level. This includes creating curriculum for online and in person courses, especially introductory courses of Philosophy that constitute a part of General Education. In their time at Century College they have helped create coursework and adapt classes for an online mode, paying close attention to how Philosophy courses can translate to an online learning environment.
Dr. Rosie Branciforte earned a BA from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York, with a double major in English Writing/Literature and Elementary Education; then continued to the University of Bridgeport for a Master’s in Education with a specialization in Remedial Reading. Dr. Branciforte taught for two years, sold paper, printing, and electrical supplies, and finally owned a company. She sold wires and cables nationally and internationally for over fifteen years. In 2001, she returned to her first love - teaching. Over the past twenty years, she has taught English Composition, Expository Writing, Persuasive Writing, Speech, Business Writing, Critical Thinking, Professional Development, and Literature courses at universities, community colleges, and career schools. Since 2006, she has taught online at Valencia College using learning management systems including Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, and Sakai. And, along the way, she successfully balanced teaching responsibilities and learning; in May of 2011, she completed a Doctor of Education degree (in Curriculum & Instruction/English Rhetoric).
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Dustin Clingman is the Senior Manager of Product Management at Sony Interactive Entertainment, where he has been leading product strategy and delivery for PlayStation since April 2021. His role also allows him to collaborate with teams across global locations to enhance user engagement and compliance with legal standards. Additionally, Clingman's role focuses on player discovery and communication, overseeing key product outcomes related to user-generated content, platform chat, and player search across various platforms including console, mobile, streaming, and VR. Clingman has extensive experience in product management within the gaming industry. Prior to his current position, he held roles such as Staff Product Manager at Sony, in which he developed strategies for user-generated content on PlayStation 4 and 5 and worked on integrating features with platforms such as YouTube and Twitch. Clingman also co-founded and serves as Director of Product Development for Together Games, LLC, and is involved in other startups, contributing to product strategy and development. He holds a degree in Computer Science and Information Technology from the University of Central Florida and has an Associate of Arts from Valencia College.
Edward Spelman is an educator and video game writer with a Bachelor of Science in English Literature from Northwestern University and a Masters in TESOL from Hunter College. Edward has taught general education at both charter and public schools in the New York City Department of Education with a specialty in teaching English as a new language. In addition, he has held an online tutoring practice in general education and test prep since 2018 and has taught English as a new language to refugees at the esteemed International Rescue Committee. Since 2019, Edward has been a video game writer and producer. His game, "Interference: Dead Air,” won best horror game at Dreamhack 2020 and will be released widely by Epic Games in Spring 2023. Edward currently works as an Educational Consultant for the International Rescue Committee.
Eleni P. Mylonas is a Writing Lecturer and the Director of the FDU Center for First Generation Scholars at Fairleigh Dickinson University Metropolitan Campus. She teaches Academic Writing and Rhetoric, Assessment and Methods in the Second Language Classroom, and Academic Writing and Research for international students. She is the Faculty for Freshman Committee chair, a member of the Campus Standards Committee, and former Assistant Director of the Office of Global Learning at the Metropolitan Campus. She has twenty-two years of experience in education, ten of which have been at FDU. Ms. Mylonas taught ESL overseas for five years to adult English language learners and university students. She is also the former Director of Early Childhood Education for a private elementary school in Bergen County, NJ. Eleni has experience with designing and delivering curriculum through online learning platforms, including BlackBoard, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other communication platforms. She also performs freelance consulting for higher education institutions in the New York area, focused on instructional design, curriculum development, and delivery of online courses to adult learners. Ms. Mylonas received her B.A. in Psychology and Creative Writing from New Jersey City University and M.A. in TESL/TEFL from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Her Master's thesis focused on addressing the college experience for female students, and the impact faculty mentoring has on creating a positive, non-biased learning experience. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education.
Emily Duong is an art director and designer who focuses on brand identity, UI/UX design, UX research, and marketing and design project management. As a former freelance consultant, Emily has worked with clients such as New American Economy, Alliance for Safety and Justice, Credit Agricole, and the United Nations. For over four years she was the Art Director for LDLN software which created tools for disaster relief agencies such as FEMA and the Red Cross. Emily has been a Blue Ridge Labs Design Fellow where they conducted research to build human-centric technology to improve the lives of older adults and their caregivers. Currently, Emily is the Junior Art Director for Havas North America.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Media & Communications
Erica Lee Sanders-Ricketts traveled abroad for two years as a student & teacher, operating the FIU Study Abroad Program in 2016 and 2017, while focusing on doing business overseas for the Hospitality Management School. During this time she taught in Europe while simultaneously teaching students remotely. During her time as a student & past graduation she worked at a Hilton dual hotel property and Mattamy Homes in marketing and sales. Then Erica transitioned over to the Nonprofit Industry at Ronald McDonald House Charities working intuitively to increase their donor base and event attendance. Erica has been awarded top corporate event designer, top home spec marketing collateral, & received accolades for creating donor systems that produced over 125k in donations in 3 months. After working for some of the top brands for over 10 years, she launched her own marketing agency where she came alongside these brands and began to offer custom marketing services. She has worked with over twenty companies & currently works on small projects for businesses and organizations. Erica currently works as the Communications & Marketing Consultant for Inspire & Convey. Erica’s mission is to give organizations authentic consulting to achieve their business goals with strategic marketing and impactful hospitable community events.
Erin Eberhardt graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Miami University and a Master of Science in Game Design from Full Sail University. She has been the Project Manager and Senior Project Manager Playstation and Blizzard in various projects. After spending many years as the Senior Project Manager of eSports at Blizzard Entertainment she transitioned to her current role as the Director of Publishing Operations at Dreamhaven.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Ethan Levinson is a Senior Talent Buyer with AEG Live. He has decades of experience in the industry, including 15 years with AEG and nearly a decade with Fantasma. He currently handles booking concerts of all genres in venues ranging from 500 to 15,000 capacity.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Music & Recording
Frannie Ferrara is a veteran communications professional with over 30 years experience. Working in the nonprofit sector for the majority of her career, she specialized in crafting compelling narratives that broadened the reader’s worldview and challenged them to take action. Currently, Frannie serves as the communications manager for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida where she pushes the boundaries of traditional/nontraditional media to connect the reader to the courts and the courts to the reader.
Frank Scheuring is an award-winning rerecording mixer and sound editor whose career spans nearly 20 years. His credits include the groundbreaking Discovery Channel miniseries Planet Earth, Madden 20 (EA), NBA Live (EA), StarTalk (Nat Geo), Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan (G4TV), National Geographic: Explorer, In Performance at the White House (PBS), and many others. In addition to television programming and video games, he has worked with numerous political candidates, government agencies, production companies, and corporations. Frank has received four Telly Awards, ten TIVA Peer Awards, and an MPSE Golden Reel nomination. He has also been a part of programs that have been nominated for a dozen Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Sound Mixing for Planet Earth: Pole to Pole. He currently works as Producer for Lineage Film, Senior Audio Artist for Electronic Arts, and Chief Creative Officer for Whatever Productions.
Fred Daunno has been a designer and illustrator since 1972 when he started with Hallmark Cards then moved to Tupperware Brands, where he had 33 years of design and art direction experience. He currently works as a freelance illustator, culminating his years of knowledge into a personal brand. He attended Ringling College of Art & Design and graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree in 1970.
Furey DiDomenico is the Principal Security Architect with GuidePoint Security, and has over twenty years of experience in the information security and IT industry. Previously he was the Information Security Manager for TopBuild, and spent 11 years at Masco Corporation as an Information Security Manager and Analyst. He holds his ISC(2) CISSP and GIAC GCIH and GPEN certifications.
Gabriel Causse is the current Esports Partnership Manager for the Orlando Magic. His current responsibilities include the management of all sponsorship sales and activation efforts for the property. He is the first Esports Partnership Manager in the history of the NBA. He was also the Director of Sponsorships for Switchbacks FC where he was head of the partnership department for the professional team. He graduated in 2012 with his Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado.
Garry Lewis is a creative director and visual effects artist with a focus in lighting. He currently is the Central Art Manager for Sumo Sheffield and has worked on feature films, videos, commercials. Garry has also worked with game engines such as Unreal Engine 5, Unity, and Cry Engine. For the past 20+ years, he has successfully worked on various campaigns, advertisements, and video projects for clients such as Sprint, U.S. Army, UK MOD, NFL Teams, Seattle Mariners, the Marines, and more. Garry is responsible for art direction, scheduling, and studio management on a daily basis. He enjoys the technical aspects of lighting and rendering and is known for producing HDR images, training tutorials, zbrushes, kitbash set, and more. Garry is an author of the Maya 5 Fundamentals book and was the tech editor on Maya 4 and 4.5 Fundamentals books. He was a paid demo artist for Max, Character Studio and Combustion at Discreet for Siggraph 2002. Garry demoed all three software. Garry also makes brushes and other items in ZBrush for sale on gum road and attends the Zbrush summit every year he can. He also has some training in Nuke, Combustion, and other editing packages such as Avid and the Velocity. Garry graduated with a bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture and Product Design from Kansas State University in 2000.
Gavin Morrissey is the Motion Lead for Accenture Interactive and has nearly 20 years of industry experience. Prior to his time at Accenture Interactive, he worked as Senior Motion Designer at Fjord in Chicago with 15 years of industry experience. He's also worked at Critical Mass, Wirestone, and Two Door FX. He has an Associate degree in Digital Media from Full Sail University and a Bachelor degree in Organizational Management from Colorado State University.
Geisa Dennis is currently an ESOL instructor At Orange Technical College and an ESOL Compliance Specialist at OCPS. She has a Linguistics Ph.D. with a strong background in Language Acquisition and has worked with the adult ESOL program in Alachua County from 2002-2007 and with Orange County ESOL program since 2008.
George Riemer has been employed at Hewlett Packard Enterprise for the past 10 years. He currently holds the title of Enterprise Account Manager and is also an IOT Ambassador for HPE IOT labs. George has also been an Enterprise Architect where he was responsible for pre-sales solution selling, training, and speaking. He has given IT presentations to many diverse backgrounds and IT-related subject matters. George holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Arkansas. He co-authored Marty Poniatowski’s book Ideal Platforms for Optimizing IT Workloads where he wrote Chapter 12, “Hyper-Converged Systems Running Multiple Workloads" and has authored many IT Transformation white papers.
Gina Witzke has over 13 years of experience in broadcast television, and her previous positions include Associate Director, Studio Technician, Jib Operator, and Video Engineer for NBC Sports, CBS News, ESPN, and Disney. She has also held lecturer positions in both online and face-to-face classrooms at Full Sail University. Gina holds a master's degree in Educational/Instructional Media Design from Full Sail University, as well as a Bachelor degree in Communications from Western Michigan University. During her time as a lecturer, she created curriculum geared for online students, with respect to how students will understand instructions in an online medium. She has experience with interacting and instructing with an online LMS. She currently serves as the Product Manager for Camera Motion Systems at Ross Video.
Gino Perrotte is the Founder and Lead Educator, Coach & Mentor of Right Brain Journeys, Consultancy and a full-time lecturer in Communication Studies at Baruch College. In this role, he founded the L&D Consultancy and Mentoring Membership Community for young professionals, recent graduates, and aspiring leaders to help them grow their network and gain valuable business and professional communication soft skills and insights. Gino has designed, developed and delivered customized live and virtual learning solutions including his 9-week online instructor-led course Virtual Public Speaking for Professionals, instructional videos, custom workshops, one-on-one coaching, and curated content via social media channels. In his time lecturing at Baruch College, he has taught face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses ranging in size from 10 to 30 students. In his role as a full-time instructor of Human Communication, Technical Presentation, and Public Speaking at the University of Central Florida, Gino prepared & presented lectures to classes ranging in size from 30 to 300 students for the courses Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, Nonverbal Communication, Family and Communication, Attitudes and Persuasion. Gino has his M.A. in Interpersonal Communication from the University of Central Florida and his B.S. in Business Management from Grover City College. Gino has received the Teaching Incentive Program Award from the University of Central Florida in Spring of 2016 for sustained high levels of teaching effectiveness and was awarded "Teacher of the Year" from the Florida Communication Association 2015-2016 that awarded honors demonstrating teaching excellence where nominees must have taught courses in communication and have taught full-time for at least two years. As the Founder, Lead Educator, Creator and Speaker for Right Brain Journeys, Gino writes original content for their LinkedIn Newsletter "Conscious Communication." Gino also develops and delivers customized online and face-to-face learning solutions and workshops, and produces original content for podcasts, books, videos and blogs. Gino has contributed to six publications discussing multiple topics.
Glen Levine is currently the VP of Mobile Unit Engineering at NEP Broadcasting LLC. For over 30 years, NEP has been a worldwide outsourced technical production partner supporting premier content producers of live sports, entertainment, music and corporate events. Glen can speak towards the industry as well as the changes that have occurred and continue to occur in the production industry.
Glenn Osten Anderson is an award-winning documentary producer and journalist from Alexandria, Virginia. In 2015, he left his role as the Senior Producer for Social News and Streaming Video for BBC News in the U.S. Before joining the BBC, Glenn spent a decade working as a freelance and staff producer/journalist at outlets and publications including Military.com, CBS College Sports (CSTV), Financial Times - Money Media, The Guardian (UK) and Runner's World - Rodale, to name a few. Glenn currently works as a digital media producer and educator in and around the Washington, D.C. area. He received his master's degree in Film from New York University. He developed the curriculum for and teaches Introduction to Video Production and Intermediate Video Production for both in person and distance learners at the Catholic University of America. He also assisted in the transition of Olympics on Film from a campus only to an online format and currently teaches he course.
Glenn Swan is an over 30-year veteran of the music business. He works in a joint venture relationship, doing music production and serving as studio management for Quad Studios/Halo Records and production/engineering for Glenn Swan Entertainment. Glenn was previously the Director of Operations/Music Production for Premier Studios in NYC, and Manager of Operations for the famed Sony Music Studios. Before that, he managed three of NYC’s other top studios: Quad Studios, Chung King Studios, and Unique Recording. Glenn was signed to Warner Bros Records in the '90s as a solo R&B Dance Artist. Glenn is a graduate of the famed New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, where he studied Jazz with Ellis Marsalis, before attending Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Gordon Walton is currently a board member for Yotta Energy in Austin, TX. Gordon is a veteran of the game industry, with almost 30 years of industry experience in production, senior production, and studio management. He builds, leads, and manages teams to make great games, and specializes in executive management of Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, including game development, live service delivery, business, operations, community management, marketing, customer service and QA. In his prior role at Playable Worlds, Gordon served as the Chief Product Officer/Executive Producer. He's worked for industry giants such as Maxis, Sony, Konami, BioWare, ArtCraft Entertainment and Playable Worlds. Gordon earned his BS in Computer Science from Texas A&M University.
Grant Salisbury is the owner and creative director for GFX Creative in Orlando, FL, where he has provided video editorial, 2D & 3D animations, and motion graphics for a multitude of media clients for post production. Grant is a graduate of the Digital Media program at Full Sail University with over 20 years of experience. Grant also has a bachelor degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida. His clients have included The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios, Sea World, Lockheed-Martin, AAA Insurance, 3M, Siemens, Honda, A&D Medical, Toyota, FedEx, and others.
Grant Shonkwiler first started making games when he was 12 years old, starting with modding and programming. Since then he has filled many different roles in the game industry: programmer, lead designer, technical producer, and currently is a leadership and production consultant for his own consulting company, Shonkventures LLC. His career has taken him from Lead Game Designer at AMI Entertainment Network Inc., to AAA shooters at id Software, and to Epic Games to work on Fortnite. With over 20 years of game-making experience, Grant has shipped over 70 titles in his career, and has worked with over 30 teams. Grant is also the co-author of three books, including Gear Up: Advanced Game Development Practices. Grant is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, with the Atlantic Council.
Gregg Farrington is the Marketing Design Manager at E.W. Scripps Company. There, he leads the art direction for a team of designers for shows on the Bounce and Discovery Networks. This includes promotional materials as well as UI/UX, Illustration and Print/Web design. Gregg has over 10 years of experience and has worked with major entertainment brands such a Discovery Networks Latin America, Hotheads USA and Modern Salon magazine.
After 30 years in educational executive management, Dr. H. Lynn Cundiff is a Principal at C&G Educational Consulting, in addition to serving as the Executive VP at Mohave Community College and Assistant Basketball Coach for Eastern Florida State College. Dr. Cundiff consults in conjunction with Dr. Fred Gainous to provide niche consulting opportunities to HBCU's and Community Colleges with single and multiple campuses. As an executive at many different higher education schools for 30 years, he managed many areas, including technology integration, finance, system planning, legal, and distance learning. Dr. Cundiff received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Educational Leadership at Southern Illinois University, a Master of Arts in Educational Administration at Truman State University, and a Bachelor in Arts in Mathematics and Physical Education from William Jewell College.
Hannah Corlew is a Senior Employee Experience Specialist at FIS, where she focuses on listening across the company's global employee base and leveraging data to influence decisions. Hannah earned her BS in Journalism at the University of Florida and produced local television news before joining the Fortune 500 financial technology company. Her nearly decade of business experience spans Risk Management, Corporate Systems, Banking Solutions and Human Resources, where she has implemented process improvements, workplace learning, and strategic communications to improve ways of working and engagement. Hannah earned an Adobe Certified Associate in Print & Digital Publication in 2018. She supports Children's Miracle Network fundraising program Extra Life, through which she has helped raise more than $40,000 for Arnold Palmer Medical Center. She lives in Orlando, Florida with her husband and two children.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Art & Design
Hillary Bressler has bachelor’s degrees in advertising and French language & literature. She is a digital marketing executive and analytics fanatic with 20+ years of digital marketing experience. Her specialties include digital strategy, online media buying, increasing online sales and leads, lower cost per acquisition, programmatic media buying, SEO/SEM, conversion optimization, social media strategy, and growth hacking. As the founder and CEO of .Com Marketing, one of the first digital marketing firms in the world, Hillary’s career has always been on the cutting edge of digital marketing. In fact, .Com Marketing is recognized as the first advertising agency to launch pay-per-click services in 2000. Some of her clients include Verizon, Phillips, Marriott, and Universal Studios. Hillary sold .Com Marketing to Edgecore in 2014 and is now a Commercial Real Estate Broker for NAI Realvest. Prior to founding .Com Marketing, Hillary was the manager of the digital division for the Golf Channel and successfully led the development of their first website in 1995. Two years later, thegolfchannel.com was recognized as the top-rated cable TV website according to Broadcasting and Cable Magazine. In 2015, she founded Happy Traveller, a travel media brand designed to assist single parents to give their children cultural experiences and core memories. Hillary was a member of the Board of Directors for the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce for nearly six years and has shared her knowledge of the field by sitting on the Program Advisory Committee for Digital Marketing.
Holly Springsteen served five years in the Marine Corps as a general mechanic having worked and been trained in several trades to include mechanics on gasoline, diesel, and helicopter engines, refrigeration, electricity, hydraulics, welding, metal working, and painting. After her contract ended, she spent time working in sales and marketing before perusing her passions for photography and design. After some time, a poor distance education experience, and having a client request a website, Holly was intrigued to pursue an education in software development. She quickly enrolled in the Web Design and Development degree at Full Sail University. During her time at Full Sail, she was able to land several jobs working for startups, both as a designer and as a developer. Upon graduation, Holly landed a position as a Front End Developer at IBM. During her time at IBM, she was afforded the opportunity to form a new team. The team's mission was to create a new product for measuring client experience, utilizing Net Promoter Score (NPS). After a major re-organization at IBM, Holly moved on to Fjord, where she served as a Senior Front End Developer. In that role, she led a front end team on several projects for a couple of Fortune 50 companies. She later began a new journey to lead the entirety of the web development team at Circle Internet Financial, a crypto finance company. She is currently the Lead Front-End Software Engineer for ClosedLoop, building an AI health service designed to supplement users' primary care physicians, and providing advice and guidance to improve and maintain health, especially for under-represented and underserved communities.
Horica Ionescu currently works as the Information Security Manager at Finvi. Horica is a security professional with a passion for growth in the technology field, and skilled at driving organizational change to strengthen security posture. He is adept in supporting major incident response initiatives and has a substantial interest in security architecture in the cloud. Horica possesses multilingual abilities (Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish) and exhibits superior communication skills while collaborating with technical teams. Horica holds degrees in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida and Information Systems Technology from Seminole State College of Florida.
Irene Pynn currently teaches the following classes at Seminole State College: ENC1101, ENC1102, Writing I, Writing II, Intensive Language Arts. As a Course Content Writer, Irene wrote several courses for online students, researched pedagogies, and scripted interactive materials. She is currently working as the Innovation Architect for FL Virtual Schools. In these positions, Irene handles curriculum for introductory English courses for in-person and online platforms. Within creating curriculum for these courses, Irene takes special care in what is covered and how best to cover the lessons with regard to how these lessons will be taught. Irene also worked as a writer and game designer for Pistolsniffer for seven years. During this time, she has become familiar with storytelling, writing, and editing, key skills for writers within the industry. Irene earned a Ph.D. in English in 2017, in addition to a Creative Writing MFA from Seton Hill in Writing Popular Fiction. She has taught graduate level courses and designed coursework for these graduate level English classes.
Isaac is an award-winning director with a master’s degree in documentary film production from University of Florida’s Documentary Institute. His thesis film, Gimme Green, won over a dozen awards, screened on the Sundance Channel, and played at film festivals around the world. Isaac is a Florida Individual Artist Fellow; he directed the documentaries Terra Blight and SiDiKi. He’s currently a Professor of Communication and Media & Digital Media at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Isaac is a licensed captain and a FAA-certified remote pilot. He continues to create documentaries at Jellyfish Smack Productions, found at www.jellyfishsmack.com. Since 2020, Isaac has taught online classes (both synchronous and asynchronous) at Florida State College and the University of South Carolina.
Iyube L'Bert is currently a Public Affairs Officer for the United States Department of Defense. Iyube began his career in public relations at ProMed Industrial in 2011, and his education enabled him to gain even more valuable experience in the field of communications, where he finally launched his own business, Line Leader Media. Most notably, from 2019 to 2022, Iyube was the Lead Creative Producer for Mood Media, servicing the (corporate) Walmart Radio account. In this role, he was able to create marketing campaigns, script and produce commercials, produce three separate radio shows, interview celebrities, plan celebrity radio integrations, produce and plan in-store events, and create social media content, amidst many other career-expansive tasks.L'Bert's superpowers are spontaneous creativity and storytelling via multiple mediums.
Jack Cottle is the Art Director for GFX Creative in Orlando, Florida. He specializes in 2D & 3D design for animation and motion graphics. He has a Bachelor degree in Design from East Carolina University. As the Art Director for GFX Creative, he leads projects using Cinema 4D and after effects to design and animate motion graphics for various clients. He also guides and supervises junior artists on all projects.
Jacob Norris is the President and Creative Director of the Art Outsourcing studio, Sierra Division. Some artists may know him by the nickname "PurePolygons," where he has shared many tutorials and artworks within the 3D community. Jacob has worked at some of the best game studios in the industry, as well as high-end tech companies and has had multiple freelance opportunities. During his time in the games industry, he has worked as an Environment Artist at Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and Kojima Productions. While freelancing as an independent artist, he also had the honor of doing some work for the feature film The Lion King, released in 2019. Before starting Sierra Division, he worked for five years as the Lead Environment Artists at NVIDIA, working on tech demos, cinematics, and digital twin simulations. As often as he can, Jacob does his best to mentor artists, share online tutorials, offer workshops, and give interviews/presentations at many conferences to give insight regarding workflow and ideas to other artists. Jacob was on the advisory board for both CGMA and ArtStation Learning. He has also done multiple Live Stream sessions online for students, as well as mentorship programs with students or artists through his company, Sierra Division. For a short time, Jacob taught at CG Master Academy online. He has done workshops at The Art Institute of San Diego, Los Angeles Film School, and presented at GDC and View Conference in Italy. Jacob creates a lot of online content and tutorials that he shares with the art community as well, which can be found on YouTube, ArtStation, Gumroad, and his website at www.purepolygons.com.
As a long-tenured TV executive at FOX Sports with over 30 years in the industry, Jacob Ullman provides clear mastery and knowledge of the Sportscasting industry. He is currently the Senior Vice President of Production and Talent Development at Fox Sports and has worked in tandem with the NFL as a Coordinating Producer. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California and also serves as a volunteer board member for Westcoast Sports Associates and USC's alumni association.
Jake Tickle has worked in the production industry since 2006. He serves as the VP of Business and Innovation for Bandit Lites, Inc., where he has worked for over the last 18 years. Bandit Lites provides production services for a wide variety of events and tours and is very well-known and respected in the production industry. Jake also serves as a volunteer board member for Touring Career Workshop, which provides touring professionals with education, connection, and mental health resources that inspire career growth, action, and balance.
James Calderon is currently a Senior IT Developer for Florida Blue where he has developed software while ensuring alignment with enterprise technology standards (solution patterns, application frameworks, and technology roadmaps). He has over ten years of experience as a software developer, with a focus in data mining, reporting, business intelligence components, and web design. He earned a Master of Science degree in Business Intelligence . James has taught and developed Web Development curriculum at UCF both virtually and remotely. His time at UCF had him develop coursework for online courses and how courses should interact with students through their online LMS. His role as a Full Stack Development Instructor included responsibilities of interacting with curriculum through an online medium.
James McCurry is a 3D designer and motion graphic artist with 10+ years of experience. He currently works as a 3D Render Artist at Encore, where his primary role is to accurately and realistically create 3D models of ballrooms and event spaces of hotels and resorts around the country. This includes indoor and outdoor spaces. In his prior role for Skanska, a global construction company that designs and builds large-scale buildings and events, James created original 3D assets and animations and designs for the development and promotion of large construction projects. James holds a BS in Computer Animation from Full Sail University.
Janette Berrios is the VP of Corporate Marketing at digital music distribution company, Symphonic Distribution, where she defines and executes global corporate marketing brand strategy, strategic vision, and budget guidance for all of Symphonic Distribution and its brands. Janette holds and education in Finance and Economics from the University of Tampa with a certification in Digital Marketing from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Her industry expertise spans over a decade and involves a broad swath between the intersection of music and technology.
After attending Rollins college where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication and Public Relations with an emphasis on journalism, Janice Tonger acquired her Master of Education in curriculum and instruction from Nova Southeastern University. She has spent the last two years working as an ELA instructor at the Galileo School for Gifted Learning. Janice’s passion is to empower audiences to know more, do more, and be more through effective communication. She strives to solve problems, provide innovation, and to communicate clearly. Prior to her experience at the Galileo School for Gifted Learning, Janice was an Instructional Coach at Richard Milburn Academy, spent over two decades as an English teacher at Volusia County Schools, and was an ELA teacher and AP Testing Coordinator at Orange County Public Schools. Janice’s goal is to empower her students and adults alike, whether through direct instruction, digital materials, or online conference calls.
Jason Brace was a Full Sail course director for the Introduction to Show Production course in the Show Production program, and assisted with developing curriculum for students to gain a basic knowledge of live sound theory and practice. Topics included FOH and Monitor Engineer and Technician responsibilities, Stagehand Basics, Backline Interface, Microphone Theory, Stage Volume Management, and more. He currently works as the Product Manager for Audio for PRG, which is the world’s leading provider of services and solutions in entertainment and events, where Jason maintains standards of Quality Control for audio production equipment in warehouses throughout the US and Canada.
Jason Dundas is the Founder and Director of Dundas Media, a full-service content creation company specializing in producing premium short-form videos for brands across all digital channels and television. Jason was an international TV host and media entrepreneur, appearing on such shows as The X Factor, Entertainment Tonight, MTV, and Getaway. After hosting the world's biggest TV shows for over 15 years, Jason streamlined video production with the goal of producing fast and cost-effective video content for the new era of media consumption. He is also a Creative Consultant for ListedReserve, an investment firm based in Sydney, Australia, specialising in decentralised technologies and blockchain assets. Additionally, Jason is Host and Producer for Getaway, Australia’s longest-running and highest-rated travel TV show. Jason has a Bachelor degree in Graphic Design from Western Sydney University, Leadership Principles coursework from Harvard Business School Online, and certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Jason Gozikowski is currently a Senior Program Manager at Boeing, where he manages large development and production programs focused on strategic planning, development, negotiations, and stakeholder communications, resulting in on-time delivery of key space exploratory systems for NASA's ARTEMIS mission, among leading other diverse programs. In his prior role at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control (MFC) in Orlando, FL, Jason lead a robust analytics department for Supplier Quality. He uses analytical skills, SQL, R, Microsoft Office Tools, and Tableau to analyze trends in overall supplier health. Jason developed business rhythms based on historical data while also creating forecasts with predictive analytic tools that kept supplier bases in a healthy state. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Jason served 25 years in the United States Army and retired as a Chief Warrant Officer 5. Jason served in numerous leadership positions across the globe during his Army career. He has extensive experience in leadership, program management, logistics, and business analytics. During his time in the service, he was an educator for the Army Logistics University at Fort Lee, VA, where he taught Supply Chain and Logistics Management at the university level to Army Warrant Offers, managing the distance learning platform for the students by providing instruction and proctoring exams. Jason's deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) where he led large scale logistics operations in support of combat operations. Jason has also served in JBMDL, NJ, Fort Lee, VA, Schweinfurt Germany, Fort Benning, GA, Fort Leonard Wood, MO, Camp Castle, Korea, and Fort Carson, CO in various leadership positions. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (2nd Award), and Meritorious Service Medal. He also earned the Parachutists Badge, Senior Instructor Badge, and Educator of the Year award. He holds a BA in Business Administration from Columbia College, MBA from The University of Arizona Global Campus, Graduate Certification in Business Analytics and ERP Systems from The University of South Carolina, and a MS in Business Analytics and professional certificate from Syracuse University.
Jason Katsoff, a Senior Customer Success Manager at Adobe, works with a select group of leading institutions of higher education with a focus on student and graduate success and excellence in teaching. Prior to joining Adobe, he was an art & design educator for over 15 years. His teaching philosophy is rooted in learner-centered and project-based education. At The Art Institute of California, Jason served as the Dean of Academic Affairs as well as Department Chair of six degree programs at the San Diego campus. As the Dean, he immersed himself in topics related to accreditation renewal, institutional effectiveness, and measurement of student and graduate success. Jason's industry experience spans twenty years as a Digital Content Creator in advertising, broadcast design, and game development. His client list includes Microsoft, Disney Imagineering, Nintendo, Capcom, Time Warner, ABC, NBC, Fox, Qualcomm, and others. Jason earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Graphics from Syracuse University and his MBA in Entrepreneurship from South University.
Jason Odom has spent the past decade supporting students, parents and teachers in online learning with the Florida Virtual School (FLVS). His current role at FLVS has him leading Instructional Leaders/Principals in both FLVS Flex and FLVS Global School as a Director of Instructional Models. Jason began his education career 15 years ago in the elementary classroom but expanded into the virtual environment seeking the need to cultivate more individualized instruction. Throughout his career with FLVS, Jason has taught all levels of middle school math, mentored nearly 200 new employees in online teaching strategies as an instructional mentor, and served as an Instructional Leader/Principal in both FLVS Flex and FLVS Global School leading full-time online teachers. He has experience with designing dual enrollment courses as well general education courses. Jason has presented nationally on blended learning, FLVS instructional models, evaluating and supervising remote employees, and ensuring high-quality student experiences in online education. Jason is a graduate from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Education. He earned a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University.
With a background in entertainment and creative marketing, Full Sail University graduate Jason Ross has fathered companies including The Bottlestar, a unique bar product; Xcell Advertising, a digital advertising company; Next Move X; and the reputable media powerhouse, Trusun Media (TSM). He has owned and managed a facility with numerous employees for over eight years and has brought profit and national recognition to all of his endeavors thus far. Some notable clients include NBA All-Star Dwight Howard, Grammy Award winner Brian McKnight, Gospel singer Fred Hammond, Comedian Chris Tucker, Television Star John Walsh, and many more. In 2010, Jason co-authored a best-selling book “ROI Secrets Revealed," where he discusses the steps to success and other valuable marketing secrets. He is also the Co-Director for Keller Williams Sports + Entertainment.
Jate Earhart is a designer/animator with a focus on motion graphics, projection mapping and streaming content. Jate worked at Quince Imaging on large scale projection mapping projects including mapping for the Cleveland Cavaliers stadium. Jate was the Digital Media Producer for New Life Christian Church and is now a Visual Artist, Content Creator, and Streamer for JateDesigns.
JD Dworkow has worked in live event production since 1970, including acts such as Peter Frampton, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Billy Idol, Prince, Bon Jovi, and The Rolling Stones. His job titles included guitar technician, backline crew chief, equipment manager, stage manager, production manager, and tour manager. Additionally, JD worked as a backline and staging supervisor on many music events, including Live Aid (Philadelphia 1985), The 12.12.12. Hurricane Sandy benefit concert, New York's Central Park shows (with Sting, Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi, and the Global Citizen concerts), Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festivals, and five Grammy awards telecasts. He was a production manager for the Electric Zoo festival (2011-13) running the Sunday School stage.
As Senior Instructional Designer at Carley Corporation, Jeff Martin designed, developed, produced, and implemented instruction to meet specific learning objectives. As Project Lead for three major Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) contracts for Camber Corporation, Jeff conducted and wrote reports for front end analysis, design strategy, and technical specifications documents. He also established project guides, planned and maintained a schedule of production for courseware, prepared and delivered courseware for customer reviews, and implemented feedback during storyboard reviews. In addition, he planned and conducted Course Pilot and Pilot evaluation. Jeff holds a Master of Science degree in Instructional Technology from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is currently a Senior Instruction Systems Designer for Cubic Missions & Performance Solutions, and has experience with curriculum development and training analysis. Jeff has over ten years of experience writing courseware, and teaching experience with online adult education courses. In addition to being an online instructor at the University of Phoenix, Jeff was an Instructional Designer at the University of South Alabama's Online Learning Lab, where he trained and assisted faculty in the use of technologies for online courses. He developed the tutorial, "Pedagogy for Web-Based Courses."
Jeff Villanueva is a four-time Grammy award-winning engineer who has worked with some of the biggest names in music. With his experience in the pop, R&B, Rock and Hip-Hop worlds, Jeff also has vast experience in the TV, film, and gaming worlds as a music and post-production engineer and producer. Jeff has worked with DJ Khaled, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Destiny’s Child, Mary J. Blige, Sugar Ray, Mariah Cary, and Celine Dion. Now with Ty Fy Studios, Jeff is adding his expertise to Disney shows such as Disney Frozen 2 Light Show at SAKS (Disney Entertainment), A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas (Magic Kingdom), Discovery Island Christmas (Animal Kingdom), and New Year’s Eve 2019 (Animal Kingdom).
Jeffrey Parrott has been an Associate Art Director and Artist in the video game industry since 2005. His focuses have included artistic direction, organizational leadership, team health, and talent development and hiring. Parrott's teaching experience includes teaching classes at the university level in addition to guest lecturing at numerous colleges. He has experience with art outsourcing (overseeing and directing internal efforts), as an external outsource contributor, and has contributed to over 25 projects inclusing World of Warcraft, Minecraft: Story Mode, Game of Thrones, Tales from the Borderlands,The Walking Dead: Season Two, and more.
Jennifer Akana Sturla is an experienced teacher, lecturer, freelance filmmaker, and copywriter, with scripted and non-scripted content. At Chapman University, she teaches a film/story critical thinking-focused freshman course. Jennifer has a background in film production, having worked as a producer/director/writer in fiction and documentary. She is a former Sundance Institute Native and Indigenous Program fellow and has a broad skill set cultivated in development, writers’ rooms, on-set productions, and post-production. Jennifer's USC graduate thesis film, Karnea, won top prizes at several festivals, including Best Short at the 2004 Hawaii International Film Festival, and still airs on television in Hawaii. Following Karnea, Jennifer was hired to write and direct the action-sports narrative film, Ride the Wake, which found distribution on Amazon and Netflix. Since her first entertainment industry job as a polyester-clad NBC page in Burbank, CA, Jennifer has spent 20 years working in film and television, on both large studio films and smaller independent productions, as well as scripted and reality television. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in Literature from the University of Santa Cruz and a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television (now the School of Cinematic Arts). Jennifer formerly taught both on campus and online at L.A. Film School. She has also taught at California State University, Northridge, and UCLA Extension. There, she designed curriculum for on campus programs and online programs, with special attention to how certain lessons should transfer over to an online medium.
Jennifer E. Gonzalo is the Associate Professor of Exceptional Student Education at Seminole State College of Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from Curry College, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, Pi Lambda Theta, and the founding president of the Curry College Education Association. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Stetson University and is currently in pursuit of her Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum and Instruction, also at Stetson University. Professor Gonzalo holds Florida Department of Education certifications in Elementary Education, Exceptional Student Education, and Educational Leadership. Prior to joining the Social Sciences Department at Seminole State College of Florida, Professor Gonzalo spent 15 years in the field of public education serving students with disabilities in Volusia County Schools. She began her teaching career in Exceptional Student Education in 2007 and for 7.5 years served as a consultation teacher, resource teacher, support facilitation teacher, and separate class teacher. She also designed online modules for educators within Volusia County Schools to complete for professional development credit. She additionally facilitated literacy-based parent programs for students and their families. Professor Gonzalo then served as an Exceptional Student Education program specialist for the district Exceptional Student Education department. In this role, she developed and delivered Exceptional Student Education professional development trainings to various stakeholders, and supported building administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, and families in meeting the needs of students with disabilities. Most recently, Professor Gonzalo served as an elementary school assistant principal and Exceptional Student Education administrator. Professor Gonzalo’s research interests include the recruitment and retention of special education teachers, inclusive practices for students with disabilities, and best practices in online instruction. Her personal interests include spending time with her family, friends, and pets; visiting beaches and state parks; singing; and photography.
Jennifer Marrero graduated with her BFS in Animation, Interactive technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects from the School of Visual Arts in New York City (SVA) in 2015. She has professional experience in animation, live action video editing, storyboarding, & animatics an animator, illustrator and video editor. She is currently the Video Editor at Wolf Games, her freelance company, but has previously worked for companies such as Titmouse; Bold TV; WWE, where she created, edited, composited, and rendered content for network shows, including Wrestlemania, Raw, and SmackDown; eLL Cartoons, where she Interpreted storyboards to create keyframes for "Kate & Kit" and demonstrated expertise in scene staging; Jellysmack, where she Edited, supervised, and ensured quality control for high-profile clients, including MrBeast, Kendall Rae, Patrick Starrr, MrBallen, Philip DeFranco; and MultiVu, where she edited sizzle reels and promotional videos for digital distribution.
Jeremy (Jay) Marcano has been the CEO of Live 360 Inc. for over fifteen years, which specializes in booking, negotiation, project planning & management, event promotions, artist relations, tour routing, and contracts. Jay's booking agency works with national talent in multiple ways pertaining to performance and other areas. He provide fresh insight into the entertainment and music industries.
Jeremy Vickery is the founder and CEO of Lighting Mentor, mentoring people in light and color for digital art. Jeremy was formerly the Lighting and LookDev Director at Magnopus, working on virtual production projects that now combine both his film and game experience. During his 25 year career he's worked on the animated features The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Brave and InsideOut. He's worked on game titles such as Uncharted Lost Legacy, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and Days Gone. Jeremy has also worked as a freelance artist with companies such as LEGO, Disney, Mattel, Swatch and more.
Jesse James Allen is the Audio Manager for Insomniac Games, and is a versatile digital artist who has published as a photographer, independent film maker, sound designer, and audio engineer. As Editorial Director of Falcon’s Creative Group, he created multi-media audio/video content for themed venues including The Kennedy Space Center: Heroes and Legends, National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyessy, National Geographic: Tomb of Christ exhibition, Busch Gardens Williamsburg: Battle for Eire Action VR Ride, and Motiongate Dubai: The Hunger Games Panem Aerial Tour. He is a veteran video game sound designer, having worked on 53 video games that have sold more than 97.6 million copies worldwide, including hit franchises such as Madden, Tiger Woods, Need for Speed, Warhammer, and NBA Live. He has first-hand experience in developing on every major video game console since the Sony PS2 era. Jesse’s work in recording and audio postproduction includes a diverse array of clients, from ABC/Disney to Discovery Channel/Animal Planet to the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He is also known for composing the "Club Afterlife" music track for Mass Effect 2 that became the viral video known as "Wanna Dance." He co-produced a remix for house music artist Joi Caldwell that spent two weeks at #1 on the Billboard chart.
Jessica Balsamo is the Marketing Manager for Ole Red Orlando, an Opry Entertainment Group. Jessica has a unique combination of experience in sports and tourism industries. She has worked for Central Florida Sports Commission, Orlando City Soccer Club, and Diamond Resorts. As a graduate of Full Sail University's Sports Marketing program, Jessica brings a good perspective of what has historically been taught, how it integrates into the industry, and what the needs of both the students and industry are. Jessica has a master's degree from Entertainment Business with Sports Management electives. Her experience volunteering as a student, working in the industry after graduation, and then transitioning to a business that hosts a sports event along with working primarily in marketing make her a valuable member to the committee.
Jim Menkevich is a 16+ year veteran of Information Technology and Security. He graduated from Drexel University in 2000 with a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Jim also graduated with a MIS degree from Temple's Fox School of Business in 2013 earning a certificate in Business Strategy. Most recently, he earned his certification as a Certified Information Security Systems Professional (CISSP). During his undergraduate program, Jim worked as a co-op for General Electric. His work on the eCommerce team lead to a full-time position as a business systems analyst. While at GE, Jim worked on Sales and Operations systems, including mobile development and automation using Palm Pilots. This was years before the iPhone boom. Currently, Jim is the Senior Solutions Engineer for Netskope, where he specializes in applying methodologies, frameworks, and ideas outside of intended domains, generating new and fresh angles to existing opportunities.
Joanna Puello has 25+ years of experience as an educator in K12 through graduate education, both in person and virtually and is a nonprofit founder and director, senior instructional designer, and project manager. She plays the piano and violin and has participated as an actress and director in multiple theater productions. At her company World Upside Down, Joanna is the Director of large-scale course production and curriculum-production operations. Joanna guides and collaborates with subject matter experts to ensure that deliverables align with project requirements and product architecture with a focus on personalized learning. She develops, implements, and evaluates courses for middle school theater teachers and elementary music and classroom teachers and ensures that online lessons are accessible for all teachers. She creates and manages focus groups to assess the course design, content, and deliverability, and designs survey questions for subject matter experts to assess the curriculum and rate their experience for optimal quality control. Due to her experience in instructional design, Joanna applies instructional design theories, practice, and methods for optimal eLearning and reviews course materials for accuracy and consistency of course objectives, educational effectiveness, and compliance with national standards. As an educator, Joanna designs engaging learning activities and compelling course content to enhance retention and transfer of knowledge and engagement for students. She has a Master's degree in Instructional Design and Technology.
Joanne Pamela Bentley has 20 years of experience as a public speaker and mentor and 10 years of teaching experience as an Assistant Professor in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences at Utah State University. She has taught a variety of graduate-level classes in project management, instructional design and evaluation, and visual design. She has also taken eight study abroad trips with multiple groups of college-age students to help them appreciate a global perspective for resolving problems. Joanne spent three years working with the USAID-Cairo training office as their Senior Instructional Designer and Project Manager developing accounting training for 70 third-world units to comply with USA congressional reporting standards. She spent five years working with Abreon on a variety of performance improvement projects as a consultant. She worked on the instructional development team for the USAA New Member Solutions Training Redesign, which saved the company over a million dollars by the end of the pilot and won a national design award. Joanne worked as a senior instructional designer and facilitator for the Strategic Problem-Solving Workshops where she helped individuals and companies make innovative changes to how they live and work. She has spent five years in her current position with Blue Consulting & Resourcing. She also serves on the board of the AECT Foundation as the President for the past six years. Joanne received her A.A. in Internal Communications and B.S. in Organizational Behavior and Business Management from BYU-Hawaii, and her Ph.D. in Instructional Technology and Psychology from BYU-Provo.
Joe Romano is a professional game programmer and senior software engineer with over 15 years of experience working on games at Atari, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, and Certain Affinity. Joe has a Computer Science degree from the University of Maryland. His expertise with industry giants qualifies him as an expert with integral knowledge of what it means to be successful for a graduate.
John Bainter's most recent corporate experience includes 7 years at Meritain Health, where he creates and curates video content for the company. John produces video content using branded work from the creative services team to generate client specific and organizational video content. He also assists the creative services team to produce standard graphic design compositions, such as logos, stationery, custom wellness and motivational content and more. Prior to entering his position at Meritaiun, John held an extensive freelance career as a Video Jockey. He produced animations and videos that utilized in live events, including video mixing for a multitude of national and international DJ acts and live performers aboard The Vanguard and The Groove Cruise. This has led him to travel around the world as well as work on cruise ships. Additionally, prior to earning his degree in Digital Arts and Design, John was a Public Affairs Photojournalist and Aircraft Fuel System Repairman in the United States Air Force.
John Diaz has over 14 years of experience as a game designer for studios all around North America, including Midway Games Austin, Rockstar San Diego, WB Games Montreal as an AI Systems Designer, Amazon as a Tutorial Designer for their Lumberyard engine, and now at Electronic Arts on their Frostbite engine working out of Seattle. As a Senior Tech Designer on EA’s Frostbite engine, John is driven to design tools and workflows to empower developers to build the most engaging games imaginable. He promotes inclusivity and diversity while sharing his experiences to help other developers break in and promote the craft of technical design, in part through his game dev podcast Out of Play Area. John graduated from Full Sail University in 2006 with a B.S. in Game Design & Development.
John Flynn has been the owner of *POST LLC since 2005, which is a retouching and post production studio that specializes in visual effects for the advertising industry. This includes creative retouching, color grading, and CGI. Their clients include many national and international brands, including Under Armor, Johnson & Johnson, and Nike.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
John Kracum is the current General Counsel for the Misfits Gaming Group. There, he develops corporate strategy, aligns internal and external legal processes, and leads Esports operations. Prior, he was President of Mayhem & Mutineers for Misfits Gaming Group. He was also an associate of DLA Piper and Securities practice where he drafted and reviewed contracts in deals dealing with assets and equity. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Geology in 2007 from Carleton College. He also earned his Doctor of Law in 2014 from Northwestern University.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Hailed by many as one of the country’s most valuable young musicians and producers. Jon-Jon is revered by industry professionals and music lovers for his ability to interpret and deliver complex rhythms. He is most noted for his production debut on Beyonce’s “Deja Vu,” for which he won a grammy. Also, for his subsequent coproduction efforts on Bobby Valentino’s “Turn The Page,” J.Holiday “Ghetto, and “We Are Family”; which was sponsored by The Points of Light Foundation. That project was an all-star single with Chris Brown, Ciara, Patti Labelle, and George Clinton, recorded in response to Hurricane Katrina. His many accomplishments have helped to solidify his place as one of the country's most sought-after producers. Raining from St. Louis, Jon-Jon has amassed an incredible array of songs and tracks and has reached his successes through sheer hard work, dedication, and determination. In addition to his production credits, he has been featured as a bassist, drummer, keyboardist, and music director with artists such as Nelly, The Nappy Roots, Black Coffee, Kirk Franklin, Wess Morgan, Donnie McClurkin, Bobby Jones, Micah Stampley, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard, Myron Butler and Levi, Venessa Bell Armstrong, Me’shell Edegeocello, Michelle Williams, J. Holiday, Karmin, and the list goes on. Presently, Jon- Jon is signed to EMI Music Publishing and has been working with the likes of Sean Garret, Harold Lilly, La Shawn Daniels, Brian Michael Cox, and Rodney Jerkins. Jon-Jon and Jerkins have collaborated on several projects in the past and continue to have an ongoing working and personal relationship. He is the owner of Jon Jon Traxx LLC.
Johnny Mrozek graduated from University of Florida’s College of Business in 1998. He is a Business Intelligence Architect with over 19 years of experience. After many years at SAP in the BI and Supply Chain spaces, he went independent, helping companies like Duracell and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants improve their businesses via analytics. He is certified in HANA, Business Objects Enterprise, and Web Intelligence. Johnny has spent the last five years as a manager and Solution Architect for Dickinson + Associates, a Navisite company that implements innovative solutions and competitive business advantages to focus on measurable business results rather than simple technological advantages. In addition to his numerous impacts within the field, Johnny has spent more than ten years representing industry professionals on Full Sail’s Program Advisory Committee for the Business Intelligence MS degree program.
Jon-Paul Scheff is the Principal Engineer at Veraxx Engineering Corporation. Veraxx Engineering Corporation is an engineering services company supplying technology solutions. Veraxx services include hardware, software, design requirements, assessments, implementation, documentation, and customer support services. Veraxx has a high level of expertise in software development, flight simulation, computer architecture, avionics systems, mechanical and electrical design, and real-time embedded systems.
Jonathan A. Coad has leveraged his varied background into a curriculum design role for the U.S. Navy. His industry experience is related to UX because his role includes user experience as a main function of production. Additionally, psychology is a major topic in user experience design. Jonathan has worked as an instructional designer and an instructional systems designer, and used UX theory and concepts in fulfilling his role as a designer. Johnathan has a degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Additionally, Jonathan has degrees in Modeling & Simulation/Instructional Design.
Jonathan Goodman has a BFA from Ringling College in Graphic Design, a Master of Science in Computer Science from The College of New Rochelle and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has been the Vice President at Halyard Consulting for over thirteen years, where he has been instrumental in orchestrating the company’s transformative shift into a premier AI consulting firm. Jonathan is also a Tutor for MindStudio, which offers specialized tutoring services to help clients excel in their journey to becoming a Certified AI Expert.
Jonathan Maricle holds a PhD in English, Rhetoric & Composition from the University of South Carolina, as well as an MFA in Creative Writing. Jonathan has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in English, Creative Writing, Business Communications, Rhetorical & Social Theory, Greek Philosophy, Professional Writing, and Business Management & Communications, in addition to serving on multiple accreditation and assessment committees throughout his 13 years in higher education. In addition to teaching, Jonathan has held academic posts as Program Advisor for University of Texas-Austin’s Rhetoric & Writing program; Business and Communications Consultant at the Darla Moore School of Business at USC, Assistant Director of the First-Year English Department at USC; Managing Editor of Yemassee International Literary Journal; Interviewer and Archivist for the South Carolina Jazz Archives, Speech Writer for USC president Harris Pastides, and Guest Lecturer at various universities across the country. In his professional career, Jonathan has worked in marketing and software development for over 20 years. He first began designing and building websites for the Maryland state government in the late 1990s, and also worked as an AP journalist and marketing researcher during that time, as well. Since then, he has held various positions as a senior copywriter; software product manager building enterprise learning management platforms; Vice President of Production at a 60-person marketing and technology firm; and curriculum manager in charge of international eLearning content for Fortune 500s. Currently, he lives in Orlando, Florida, and runs his own consulting firm overseeing social impact projects for nonprofit organizations, for-cause brands, and enterprise corporate clients.
Dr. Jordon Shaw currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer for the National Safety Council, where he leads the development of data-driven solutions and application development initiatives to enhance organizational performance and user engagement. With a career spanning over 20 years, Dr. Shaw has extensive experience in software development, data analytics, and custom application deployment, including e-commerce platforms, mobile applications, and SaaS solutions. In addition to his professional work, Dr. Shaw has 19 years of teaching experience at the university level, focusing on information systems security, data analytics, and business intelligence in both online and on-campus environments. The institutions Dr. Shaw has taught at include University of the Cumberlands – (08/2017 – Present), Lipscomb University – (5/2017 – 12/2022), Bethel University – (9/2006 – 07/2017), DeVry University – (10/2008 – 1/2016), Athens State University (1/2010 – 5/2013), and ITT Technical Institute (11/2005 – 5/2007). Dr. Shaw is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Artificial Intelligence at Capitol Technology University, where his research explores the influence of age, experience, and gender on AI use behavior. He holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems from Argosy University, a Master of Information Systems in Computer Information Systems from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Bethel University. His academic and professional expertise is centered on leveraging data and technology to solve complex business challenges and improve decision-making processes through advanced analytics and custom software solutions.
Jorge Lega is an Orlando-based motion graphics designer with over 15 years of experience. In his current position as Creative Director at LEGA Design & Animation, Jorge's expertise focuses upon motion design, 3D product renders, VFX, web animation, and real-time graphics using Houdini. Prior to his position with LEGA, Jorge has held positions such as Broadcast and Motion Designer at TeleFutura, where he used tools such as Cinema 4D and After effects; Senior Designer & Animator at CBS News, where he created live broadcast graphics for the Miami Dolphins events and day-to-day motion packages for new and TV programs; CG Generalist & Motion Designer at Sapient, where he created web graphics and interactive animations for clients including Coca-Cola, Target, and Jeep; Motion Graphics Instructor at the Miami Ad School; Art Director at Discovery Communications; and Creative Director at Gamut Creative. Jorge earned his BFA in Visual Effects and Motion graphics with an emphasis on Design Direction from The Art Institute in 2008.
Jose Monsalve is an Orlando based designer that has a wide variety of experience. He is currently an Art Director at Rocket Chimp - a Creative Marketing Agency for the past 4 years. Before that, he was a Graphic Designer at Cool Stuff, Inc. and a Design Manager at InstaNatural. He's also worked as a Motion Graphics Artist and owns the business - Monro Pets. Jose has a wide range of design skills including motion graphics, web design, marketing and branding which allows him to comment on both Graphic Design and Digital Arts & Design degrees.
Professor Joseph Weber, BFA, MFA is a educator with several years of experience in distance education. Professor Weber, in addition to his Department Head responsibilities, teaches a variety of courses in programs that fall under the umbrella of Art, Design, & Media, including the Game Design MA.
Julia Wilde is the Co-Founder of Leighton Moon, a partnership in designing brand assets and campaigns, print collateral, digital graphics, and countless other communicative and artistic projects. Julia has years of industry experience in media design, specializing in print media, illustration, web design, social media, video production, and presentations. Julia holds an Master of Fine Arts degree in Media Design and is a successful design practitioner with a diverse portfolio of cutting edge projects.
Juliana Goriounov is a Game Designer for Quantic Dream. She has worked as a user experience researcher and game designer at both Epic Games and Ubisoft. Juliana offers valuable insight into the AAA game industry in both disciplines. She also has useful perspectives to offer on the relationship between user experience research and the design process. Her experience includes contributing to research later presented at the Game User Research Summit, the industry's most prestigious GUR/UX conference. She has a master's degree in Game Design.
Julie Anne Wight is a screenwriter and children's book author. Her credits include the Urban Movie Channel's hour drama series "Fifth Ward" and over forty illustrated children’s books for the storybook app FarFaria, including the award-winning "Sofia’s Flower," recipient of the Royal Palm Literary Award. Julie began her career as a radio copywriter before transitioning into writing for film and television. Her screenwriting accolades include being named Winner of National Lampoon’s Search for Comedy Gold, a top finalist in Universal Pictures' Emerging Writers Fellowship, Final Draft's Big Break Competition, America's Newest Scriptwriter and Script Pipeline's Film and TV Writing Competitions, and a Quarterfinalist in the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. She also freelances as a Story Consultant and Audio Description Writer. While at Full Sail University, Julie created all the curriculum for three CWMFA classes: Literary Research (retired), Creative Writing Portfolio II, and Episodic and Serial Writing. Breaking this process down, she created the framework, curated industry assets (films, instructional guides, scripts), created videos and podcasts, and developed lessons for all these classes. Julie holds a bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in Broadcasting from Central Michigan University, an master's of Fine Arts degree in Film from Florida State University, and is a graduate of the UCLA Professional Program in Writing for Film and Television and the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting.
Julie Lockwood is the VP & CCO at Sussman Consultants. She specializes in web design and branding with over 13 years of experience. She has designed websites for a variety of clients and has created animations for brands. Her experience gives her intuitive insight on the industry at large, especially from a consulting firm perspective.
Katalynn Lee Hagston started out as a production manager at Fox Sports, where she managed all the home and road show broadcasts for Tampa Bay Lightning, Orlando Magic, and Tampa Bay Rays. From there, she went to Universal Orlando where she managed intellectual property licenses for Beijing, Hollywood, Orlando and Singapore Universal parks and new resorts. Katalynn changed careers to work in big tech with Amazon Web Services where she managed high profile contracts such as Facebook, Amazon Kuiper, Amazon Prime, and much more. She then took a break and became an independent consultant for Microsoft where she helped their global team put marketing products in stores, such as Target and Best Buy, managed global ad campaigns, and introduced Metaverse techniques to get customers more involved in store. Currently, Katalynn is at Mythical Games, where they are at the forefront of NFTs in video games. As Director of Creative Operations, every marketing/public creative asset that goes out comes from her work. She manages from concept to launch trailers, social media, partner executions (such as Miami Dolphins partnership), and more. Katalynn graduated from the Valar Institute with her Executive MBA in January 2024.
Kate Crockett is the Owner/Operator of Your Market Growth Consultant LLC, which provides marketing needs to clients in the Real Estate, Healthcare, and Cybersecurity industries. Crockett worked for ECPI University as the Campus Business Development and Career Services Director for the healthcare and technology programs, which led her into starting her own business. Her career spans 20+ years with a focus on people, process and technology in the healthcare and government sectors, as well as working with different clients to implement new marketing and operations strategies.Kate is active in the community and its currency involved in several charitable organizations. She serves on the Business Advisory Council for Croom’s Academy of information Technology as a fundraising chairwoman for their signature annual event TechFest. She is a member of the Seminole County Grants and Scholarship committee and currently serves on the Seminole County Chamber Business Advisory Council. In addition, she is Chair for the Business Alliance Council for Winter Springs/Oviedo. She also enjoys giving her time to a few charities including, Safehouse of Seminole County, For Their Fight and the Sharing Center, to name a few.
Katherine Winter has over nine years of experience as a software engineer working with companies in the entertainment and virtual engagement industries, such as EA and Total Immersion Software. She's also been a conference associate for the Game Developers Conference and a speaker and mentor for Girls Who Code. Katherine's extensive experience as a software engineer makes her uniquely able to advise a computer science program. Katherine's current role is the Software Engineering Manager for Spotify.
Katie Spofford is currently a Senior UX Designer/Staff UX Designer for IDEXX, where she emphasizes her knack for untangling complex product workflows and creating thoughtful, human-centered solutions that bring great experiences to users. Before her current position, Katie spent 6 years at Pulp + Wire as a Senior Designer / Illustrator where she worked on major branding and advertising campaigns which included print, packaging and web media. Before Katie transitioned to the design industry she received a Bachelors and Masters in Education and spent 6 years teaching at the middle school level. This included the implementation of early online education. She continues to utilize her educational background as she implements user experience and instructional design concepts in developing technical products for online deliver (web & mobile).
Program Advisory Committee Member
Media & Communications
Keith Nowlin has over 25 years of experience in Information Technology with 15 years in IT management. Currently, he is employed as the IT Manager for the Orange County Comptroller. Prior to joining the Comptroller, Keith served as IT Manager for a software development company where he was chosen as IT Manager for multiple companies during corporate transition periods. Keith completed his Bachelor degree in Management Information Systems at Florida State University in 1991, received his CGCIO from the Florida Institute of Government in 2008, and earned his CISSP in 2015. Keith is a member of the Orlando SIM, the Orlando InfraGard chapter where he serves on the board, and is the district director of the Central East chapter of the Florida Local Government Information Systems Association (FLGISA).
Kelli Tarala is the Owner/Principal Researcher for AuditScripts, a subscription service platform that provides large and small organizations with audit and security policy resources and knowledge. Kelli is also the founder and principal consultant for Enclave Security and has over twenty-five years of experience in information security and systems. She previously was a Sr. Enterprise Security Engineer for WPS Health Insurance and Sr. Network Architect for Integrated Information Systems. She holds a Master’s Certificate in Information Technology Project Management and a BFA in English and Technical Writing from the University of Wisconsin. She also holds industry certifications ISC(2) CISSP and HCISSP, CISA, CGEIT, and PMP.
Kelvin Leach is a music industry veteran, artist manager, and the CEO/founder of The LOX Entertainment Agency. The agency represents Grammy winning artists, including Tye Tribbett and Hezekiah Walker.
A popular speaker and facilitator, Kelvin Thompson regularly addresses groups throughout the U.S. on topics related to online/blended learning and educational technology. He served as the Executive Director of the University of Central Florida’s Center for Distributed Learning with a faculty appointment as a graduate faculty scholar in UCF’s College of Education & Human Performance. Dr. Thompson has collaborated on the design of hundreds of online and blended courses over the past 20 years and is active in the online education community. Dr. Thompson developed the BlendKit Course open courseware as part of UCF’s Blended Learning Toolkit, and he also co-hosts TOPcast: The Teaching Online Podcast available on iTunes. Dr. Thompson is active in the higher education professional development community and has held leadership roles within the work of EDUCAUSE and the Online Learning Consortium. His personal research interests center around how interaction affects learner engagement, and information on his Online Course Criticism qualitative evaluation model for facilitating the scholarship of teaching and learning in online and blended environments is available online. Dr.Thompson holds an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction, a master's degree in Instructional Systems Technology from UCF, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University. He currently serves as the Vice Provost for Online Strategy and Teaching Innovation at the University of Louisville.
Ken Bowser is the owner of Ken Bowser Design & Illustration. Ken has been an illustrator, designer, and art director for over 40 years. He recently has authored and illustrated a series of books published by himself. He founded the advertising agency Bright Rain. He graduated from the Ringling College of Art & Design with a degree in Illustration.
Ken Lehner is the Vice President of the Professional Bull Riders, LLC and Founder of Skye Management, where he advised and consulted on a bid to purchase the New York Mets, among other limited partnerships. Kevin has worked with NHL, NFL, Fox Sports, Minor League Baseball and much more in the sports industry over the past 30 years. He has been a part of major strategic projects, as well as managing businesses/organizations. Ken has a master's degree from the prestigious Duke University, Fuqua School of Business. Along with his industry experience, Ken is well-versed in the education requirements needed for students to succeed. He understands what skills, knowledge, and understanding need to be taught in an undergraduate program to allow students to thrive in the sports industry.
After graduating in 1988, Kenyon Congdon worked in music and broadcast television production through the 1990's, including touring and recording with with regional bands as a Senior Sound Engineer. In 1993, he began working for FOX13 Tampa Bay in Creative Services, producing short- and long-form content for internal and external projects. He won multiple creative awards including regional Emmy, ADDY and Telly awards while with FOX13. In 1999, Congdon began working with RDV Sports Broadcasting as Senior Editor for NBA, WNBA and AHL teams, where he won multiple regional Emmy awards for sports broadcast production. During that time, he began writing software to integrate arena scoring to broadcast graphics. He founded his own company, Broadcast Logic, in 2004 developing products for broadcast services, then began working for SunGard Public Sector as their Senior Developer in 2006. Congdon continued various positions as the company went through various M&A events, and ultimately concluded his time with CentralSquare Technologies as Director of Product Design in 2024. Since leaving CentralSquare, he have been active with the local startup community, mentoring and leading projects in digital product design. He began working for PlanetBids as Principal Product Designer in December 2024, where he serves as local leader for the Orlando group of the Interaction Design Foundation. In addition to PlanetBids, Congdon continues to be active with multiple startup projects including Orlando Innovation League, TechStars, 1 Million Cups, and Startup Weekend Orlando, among others.
Kevin Rabun is currently the Principal Product Manager for Microsoft, where he is responsible for defining and driving the product roadmap and strategy for cloud services that meet the unique needs of government customers. After graduating in 2001 with an Associates of Science Degree in Video Game Design, Kevin went to work as a software developer with a local defense contractor in Orlando, FL. During his career he has served as a software developer, software architect, engineering manager, and product manager across Defense & Intelligence, Video Game, and Cloud Platform companies. He continues to learn and grow every day in both technical and non-technical areas of interest. Full Sail sparked his passion for lifelong learning and taking on new challenges to facilitate his personal and professional growth. During his 20+ year career, he has had the opportunity to build Electronic Warfare and Live/Virtual/Constructive simulations for the military, create video games for the Nintendo DS and Xbox 360, stop terrorists and human traffickers, track Santa Claus for NORAD, and help create new products to empower governments around the world to safely adopt cloud technologies.
Kevin Thomas is currently a Producer for Bethesda Game Studios, with years of industry experience as both a Designer and Producer. Prior to his current role, Kevin was an Assistant Producer at EA, where he produced content for Madden Ultimate Team in collaboration with other teams for content. He also operated the Madden Competitive League and its major functions and entertainment. Kevin has experience in AAA standard and live game development, with honed skills in management, product ownership, Agile workflows, Systems/Game design, eSports, and more.
Kim Alpert is an Independent Consultant for Make Amazing, a Creative Strategy Consulting Firm & Art/Design Studio led by Kim's philosophy on design thinking, strategic frameworks, and multi-channel communications architecture. It is focused on experience design, impact and solutions. Kim is an experienced designer outside of the simulation industry. Her specialties are experience-based immersion, design, strategy, digital, consulting, meaningful marketing, content, social, intermedia projects, and all things video. Kim also works with interactive architecture, new and emerging media concepts and technologies, motion design, motion interactivity, and event production.
Kirk Wingerson is a creative marketing and communications strategist with extensive experience in live entertainment. He is a well-rounded marketing and communications professional, specializing in live entertainment, with proven leadership crafting and executing strategic campaigns.As the Marketing Division Manager for Orlando Venues, he oversees branding and communications for the Amway Center and Camping World Stadium, along with the marketing of numerous events presented in those venues. Prior to joining the City of Orlando, he spent five years as Director of National Marketing for Broadway Across America where his diverse responsibilities included overseeing season subscription materials across 40+ markets, establishing branding campaigns, and editing the national monthly e-newsletter. Before joining BAA, Kirk was Senior Director of Marketing at Florida Theatrical Association where he worked for nine years planning, budgeting, and implementing marketing and promotional campaigns for season subscriptions and national touring productions at the Carr Performing Arts Centre. He attended the University of Florida where he received Bachelor of Science degrees in both Telecommunications and Public Relations. His industry experience and skills include: marketing strategy, branding, communications, public relations, social media, editing, copywriting, creative design direction, promotions, media buying, and event planning.
Kristina Repstien Peters graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine with a dual major in Communications and Graphic Design. For the first decade of her career, she tried out a variety of business environments, ranging from small family-run local businesses to internationally known brands. She also taught at Valencia College and Tulane University. She has worked on the fringes of the music industry, personal development, publishing, marketing, and advertising. Kristina took the knowledge she had gathered from working with a variety of people and industries and started her own graphic design business, KP Creative. Recently, Kristina accepted a position as the Visual Communication Associate II (Senior Designer) in the Communications Department of the City of Altamonte Springs. She is enjoying a renewed passion for being a part of a team with a shared goal, learning about opportunities for individuals and groups, and once again, making and strengthening community connections.
Kyle Harter obtained his Bachelor's degree in Film and Video Studies from the University of Central Florida in 2013. Immediately after graduating, he began working in motion design, and has been a professional in the industry ever since. In his current freelance work, Kyle adds custom 2D motion and design to branded content that drives engagement with his client's intended audience. His work has spanned across explainer videos, digital advertising, commercials, live events, UI/UX, and Film & TV. His past clients include Cisco, AWS, 3M, Campbell Soup, Comcast, Disney, Primark, Nintendo, and many more. Kyle's passion is to help those who are in need of adding motion design to their advertising and marketing content, especially small businesses, startups, and non-profits to collaborate with. Kyle works with companies such as Digital Brew, Google, AirBnB, Nintendo, Buck, MDSX, and Oxenfree. He's also the organizer of the Orlando Motion Graphics professional group.
As CEO and Co-Founder of 302 Interactive, Kyle leads the development of immersive experiences using XR, AI, and digital twins to solve real-world challenges. Kyle is passionate about pushing the boundaries of augmented and virtual reality, and he possesses over a decade of experience in interactive technology, cross-venturing with industries such as healthcare, education, and smart cities to integrate cutting-edge solutions. Kyle frequently shares his expertise at prominent events, including AWE (Augmented World Expo), Synapse FL, and Metacenter Global Week, providing audiences with actionable insights on how technology can drive innovation, enhance design, and improve everyday life. Outside of 302, Kyle is dedicated to fostering Orlando’s scaling tech community and enjoys spending time outdoors.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Media & Communications
Kyle Tesalona is the Audio Department Head/Production Sound Mixer of Adrenaline Films, based in Central Florida. After completing a Bachelor of Music at Florida State University and a Master of Music at the Berklee College of Music, he went on to pursue production sound, with a specialty in post-production. If you’re talking about voiceovers, ADR, dialogue editing and re-recording mixing, you’re speaking his language. Kyle has a vinyl obsession and craves the feel of owning his music and being able to see the artwork of his favorite artists in his hands. He’s proud to have mixed on a wide variety of high-profile projects with clients such as Universal Orlando Resorts and Space X, as well as composing the soundtrack to the PC game Liminal, now on Steam.
Lance Hudson is a versatile full stack software development and network operations professional, bringing more than 12 years in software design, development, and systems integration. He is versed in all stages of the development cycle for dynamic web projects and all aspects of the infrastructure needed to support them. Lance also has experience in bringing security to the entire development cycle and infrastructure as well as supporting various compliance programs. Currently, Lance serves as the DevOps Director at Paramount and was previously a Senior Software Engineer for OpenText. Lance has a bachelor's of science degree in Information Technology from the University of Central Florida and a master's in Information Security from Nova Southeastern University.
Laura E. Monroe, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor and Dissertation Writing Advisor & Coach at the University of Central Florida. Prior to that, Laura was the Program Manager for Dual Language Support through Technology Enhanced Programs and Strategies (DL STEPS), also at UCF. She earned her B.A. in Secondary English Education/French Education from the University of South Florida and both her M.A. in TESOL and PhD in Education from the University of Central Florida. She is the managing editor of the Journal of English Learner Education.
Lauren Stark is a live music industry professional and experienced Talent Buyer, with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry for over a decade. Currently, Lauren is a talent buyer for Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. since 2023. Before that, her responsibilities included negotiating and booking talent for a variety of Live Nation venues in the southeast. She has also held a role at the Paradigm Talent Agency working alongside talent, booking tours, marketing shows, and other related activities, as well as serving as an Agent Assistant and Trainer for over six years with William Morris Endeavor. Lauren began working in the industry in 2011 with roles at various, talent management, merchandising and other entertainment-related companies.
Lee Sheldon began his writing career in television as a writer-producer, eventually writing over 200 shows ranging from Charlie’s Angels (writer) to Edge of Night (head writer) to Star Trek: The Next Generation (writer-producer). Having written and designed over forty commercial and applied video games, Lee spearheaded the first full writing for games concentration in North America at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the second writing concentration in North America at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The second edition of his book, The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game, was published by CRC Press in March 2020. The second edition continues the story of multiplayer classrooms from elementary schools to post-secondary classrooms, designed and taught by Lee and sixteen other educators. A companion book, The Multiplayer Classroom: Game Plans, was published by CRC Press in March 2021. Complete with design documents and associated production materials, the book covers in detail four multiplayer classroom projects, funded by grants or institutions and played in the real world in real time to teach and entertain. They were collaborations between Lee, as writer/designer, and subject matter experts in various fields. They are written to be accessible to anyone--designer, educator, student or layperson--interested in game-based learning. The subjects are increasingly relevant in this day and age: physical fitness, Mandarin, cybersecurity, and especially an online class exploring culture and identity on the internet. This third edition of Lee’s book, Character Development and Storytelling for Games, is a standard text in the field. He is a regular lecturer and consultant on game design and writing in the U.S. and abroad. His most recent commercial game, the award-winning The Lion’s Song, is currently on Steam. Recently he was a consultant on an “escape room in a box,” funded by NASA, that gives visitors to hundreds of science museums and planetariums the opportunity to play colonizers on the moon. He is currently narrative designer on a new game for Microids that is his second adaptation of one of the best-selling mystery novels of all time.
Dr. Lee W. Sciarini is the Deputy Director of Research and Technology Programs for the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD). He is also a U.S. Naval Aerospace Experimental Psychologist focused on improving human-system performance. He has over logged over 500 flight hours in a variety of military aircraft and managed or played a key role in a wide range of projects that have directly impacted operators’ interactions with their systems. Further, Dr. Sciarini has been involved in all phases of systems development and acquisition, including basic research, applied research, advanced development, test and evaluation, and an array of technology application areas including human engineering for aviation systems, aviation selection, simulation, and training. His work includes over 50 publications, technical reports, and presentations at national and international conferences. Dr. Sciarini was an Assistant Professor with appointments in the Human Systems Integration program and the Modeling and Simulation program at the Naval Postgraduate School. He taught several distance learning courses. Additionally, he was also the program manager for the distance learning health care modeling and simulation graduate certificate. Dr. Sciarini has an MS and PhD in Modeling and Simulation from UCF.
Leigh McGrath is a Graphic Artist for IATSE Local 829 in the motion picture industry. Leigh has been a graphic designer for multiple other companies since 2011. These include Relevant24, which pioneered high volume social media marketing, as well as a series of television shows. Leigh has done the graphic arts for shows such as The Jim Gaffigan Show, the Get Down, and Quantico, among others.
Leslie Brathwaite is an award-winning Mix Engineer/Producer. Leslie's impressive list of GRAMMY awards include TLC's Fanmail (Best Rap Album), Brandy and Monica's single, “The Boy is Mine” (Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group), Outkast’s Stankonia (Best Rap Album), Pharrell Williams' G I R L (Best Urban Contemporary Album) and “Happy” (Best Pop Solo Performance, 2015).
After a decade of teaching communication courses in higher education, Leslie Salas has shifted her career focus to corporate Learning & Development. Leslie is currently the Senior Trainer with Centene Corporation, where she builds curricula and leads facilitation for AcariaHealth Specialty Pharmacy's New Hire Orientation and Patient Care Coordinator courses. Leslie was formerly an Instructor of Humanities and Communication at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition to her 5/5/2 teaching load, she maintained a commitment to research by conducting several concurrent pedagogical studies while working on several book projects. Leslie has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of South Florida, a Publishing Institute certificate from the University of Denver, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida.
Linda Martz is a Guest Experience Manager for Disney, where she leads entertainment teams at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Campfire Sing-a-long, Fort Wilderness Beach Bash events and various acts at Boardwalk and Resorts. Furthermore, she represents an organization that regularly hires graduates of the Show Production program at Full Sail University. Her experience deals with handling shows and managing important aspects of the entertainment staff duties at one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world.
Determined, insightful, and curious are just a few of the words colleagues use to describe Lindsay Liszewski. As the Vice President, Business Insights and Analytic Services with Choice Hotels, Lindsay uses her keen analytical skills to successfully deliver strategic across the organization’s portfolio. An opportunity to intern at Disney put Lindsay on the path to her career in data science. Over the past 15 years, Lindsay has had a variety of advanced analytical roles, not only harnessing her technical abilities but also demonstrating her talent to lead and influence others. She has worked for big brands such as Marriott, Universal, and Disney, and has had multiple functions in the fields of strategy, omni-channel analytics, data science, product personalization, predictive modeling, machine learnings, and consumer insights. Her skills have earned her accolades throughout her career, including the Marriott 2015 Vision Award for Performance and the Macy’s MVP Award in 2010. A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Lindsay pays it forward by supporting the March of Dimes, Dr. Phillips Little League Baseball, and Give Kids the World Village. She graduated from the University of Florida with her Business degree, her master’s degree in Statistical Computing from the University of Central Florida and received a certificate in Artificial Intelligence at MIT.
Lindsey Spalding is the Director of STEM Programs for the National Center for Simulation. Lindsey is a highly effective professional STEAM educator/trainer. She has vision and leadership insights to strategically develop, implement, and lead a comprehensive approach to building internal and external leadership with education and the STEM industry. Lindsey is an innovating pioneer with a proven track record of successfully collaborating across academic and career fields to support learners in the acquisition of knowledge and skills in STEM fields. With support from NCS and the MS&T Industry, Lindsey developed and taught the nation's first four-year Modeling and Simulation high school program. Lindsey built three innovation labs to allow students to experience everything from project management, 2D/3D modeling, animation programming, small circuit prototyping, VR, AR, LVC simulations, and more. Lindsey worked on the team to write a program framework that was approved by the state of FL. The program culminates in the opportunity for students to earn a M&S certification sponsored by NCS which gives students opportunities for internships in the MS&T industry. The program is now successfully being taught throughout The High Tech Corridor in FL. and being introduced in Virginia. During her lab research and position, Lindsey helped develop curriculum for the lab courses in an online medium. Lindsey has a Master of Education from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Stetson University.
Link Hughes is a Design Director for Xbox Game Studios Publishing. He is a professional game designer with a varied background in licensed product development and AAA blockbuster game development. From indie companies to massive companies, Link's programming and design credentials are outstanding. He participates in Project Horseshoe yearly, a game design-focused meetup to tackle industry-wide issues in design.
Louis Bianco is a Cybersecurity Program Lead for the New York Power Authority, after previously holding the role of Sr. Information Security Analyst. He has been working in the information security industry for over fifteen years, specializing in critical infrastructure security. Previously, he was with Con Edison as a Cybersecurity Analyst NERC CIP Compliance lead and has also served in the Air National Guard specializing in Electronic Warfare. He holds a MS in Cyber Security and Intelligence from Utica College and earned his BS in Entertainment Business and AS in Computer Animation from Full Sail University. He also holds industry certifications from ISACA as a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Autidor (CISA), and CompTIA Security+, Server+, A+, Network+, and has also earned several Homeland Security and Anti-Terrorism certifications.
Luis Ríos is a Senior Technical Animator with PUBG Corporation. He studied Graphic Design at Atlantic University in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico where he received his bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design in 2006 and completed his master’s degree in 2009. In 2017, Volition released Luis’s first AAA title – “Agents of Mayhem” – where he worked on 60% of the characters. In 2022, his second title was released – “Saints Row” – where he has collaborated with cinematic, animation, character, vehicles and weapons departments, building tools, pipelines and rigs. Throughout his professional career, Luis has taken online python courses with teamtreehouse.com to improve his python knowledge to build tools and pipelines for said teams.
Lyka Segura is a AWS and Google Cloud Professionally Certified Cloud Engineer with knowledge in cloud computing, focusing on architecting solutions in both public and private cloud, automation, and deployment of Big Data environments. Lyka passed the Linux+ and Security+ exams in 2018 to supplement her understanding of infrastructure design. Lyka currently works for Google as a Cloud Security Consultant, and was previously employed with Deloitte Consulting as a Cloud Engineer. She has led and architected a project with Google, Informatica, and Deloitte that is currently valued at $100 million.
Malik Williams has more than 10 years of experience in the live event, music production, and studio production industries. His career began as a studio production lead and A/V Technician at Universal Studios for the Stars Program. He is currently the Media Director at Orlando World Outreach Church in Orlando, FL where he oversees all aspects of the live, studio, and broadcast production department. Malik is also a songwriter/producer, mix/mastering engineer, and independent recording artist, professionally known as Jelani Malik.
Marc Fishman is a Re-recording Mixer for Formosa Group, and has worked on more than 150 film and television projects since graduating from Full Sail University’s Recording Arts program in 1990, including Trainwreck, Fury, Criminal Minds, Friday the 13th (2009), and Crash. Marc won an Emmy Award in 2009 for Outstanding Sound Mixing for his work on the HBO miniseries John Adams.
Marcos Peres has held several significant roles and responsibilities in the sports industry over the past 23 years and continues to help guide organizations in social, digital, and broadcast strategies today. Marcos is currently a Consultant and Project Lead in Digital and Social Media for Leagues Cup (venture between Major League Soccer and the Federacion Mexicana de Futbol). His responsibilities are overseeing social media strategy, content and operations for the newly created venture, as well as provide extensive influencer strategy, social media listening, and data-driven decision making. Marcos also held several roles with Orlando City Soccer Club over the past 8+ years. As Vice President of Digital and Communications he transformed broadcasting, digital content, communications and public relations for OCSC, Orlando Pride, and Exploria Stadium. As Senior Director of Video and Broadcast, Marcos oversaw multi-million revenue content sponsorship strategies and production, drove cross-platform content creation, hired/trained/developed staff, and was involved in budgeting, strategic planning and data-analytics decision making. Marcos also held the role of an International News Correspondent, Executive Editor for over 12 years. In this role he produced content at major sporting events (such as Olympics, FIFA World Cup, NBA, NASCAR and Tennis U.S. Open) and built relationships in over 30 countries. Marcos’ experience with the cross-over between content, analytics, and engagement is paramount to what is being taught in the Sports Marketing & Media degree programs. His insights would provide excellent opportunities for us to fine tune our curriculum to current standards and strategies. Marcos’ education includes: • Rollins College - Crummer Graduate School of Business - Mini-MBA • FIAM-FAAM- Bachelor's degree, Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs • Rollins College- Certificate in Board Orientation, Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
Margot Winick is Communications Manager at the University of Central Florida. Margot has worked on both sides of the media, having started her career at The Miami Herald, where she was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 1992. She then stepped into media relations teaching and leadership at her alma mater, the University of Miami. She rounded out her 20 years in strategic public relations management in higher education at the University of Florida. In 2019, Margot returned to her love of storytelling at Nemours Children's Health System, where she oversees Florida-wide public relations for the pediatric healthcare nonprofit. Margot has narrated documentary films such as the Emmy award-winning "The Day it Snowed in Miami" and "Sister" for PBS-TV. An avid fan of The Beatles, Winick also serves as a contributor to the nationally syndicated "Beatle Brunch Radio Show." She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami in Broadcast Journalism and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (Semiotics).
Maria Claudia Moria is a Colombian award winning and Emmy nominated sound designer and engineer. She is the Lead Sound Designer for NBAtv, NBAcom and NCAAcom at Warner Bros Discovery / Warner Media Studios. Maria has also worked on audio postproduction (sound design, editing, audio restoration, stereo, surround and ATMOS mixing) for advertisements, television shows and documentaries.She also has experience in live broadcast audio engineer for sports A1 (Soccer, NHL, NBA, MLB). Maria completed her M.F.A Thesis on Loudness Normalization Standards for Programs and Commercial Advertisements in Television and Broadcast.
Mark Anthony Burgarelli is a Product Designer with an academic background in Cultural and Applied Anthropology. He has a strong foundation in research practices and application, having collaborated with high-caliber clients such as Royal Caribbean, ADT, and Papa John’s. This experience, combined with a track record in business development, has shaped his ability to craft user-centered solutions for startups and government services. He has designed and launched impactful products, including DriveFlorida, an appointment management system successfully adopted by government offices. Burgarelli's expertise spans research, product strategy, and lean development, as well as helping companies iterate quickly, identify opportunities, and transform ideas into actionable solutions that deliver measurable results. Beyond his professional work, I’ve spent several years working with foster children and now serve as a child advocate, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met. While he hasn't taught in a traditional classroom setting, his experience mentoring teams and guiding startups has equipped him to share valuable insights, particularly in problem-solving and product development. He is passionate about blending research, strategy, and design to create meaningful and impactful products.
Mark Diaz is a US Navy veteran and Lead Gameplay Programmer at Insomniac Games. Originally from Asheville, NC, he coded his first games on a TI-83 calculator at 12 years old. After completing the Game Development program at Full Sail University and networking with returning alumni and his Career Development advisor, Mark was able to secure immediate employment at id Software upon graduation in 2014. He has since shipped award winning titles: DOOM 2016, DOOM VFR, and DOOM Eternal.
Mark Dvornik is the current Producer & Host of “Rockin on Heavens Door” at Greyhouse Films Corp. Mark has a proven track record of building high performance organizations and delivering solutions for large, mid-sized and start up organizations to drive profitable growth and shareholder value. He is an accomplished executive with over 20 years of highly progressive experience developing new business, and delivering results in organizations undergoing tremendous change in both domestic and international environments. Mark is also an inspirational and motivational leader with exceptional presentation and public speaking skills. He is a full spectrum C-Level Executive who possess a unique blend of expertise in distribution, marketing, production, technology, business strategy, organizational training & development, mergers and acquisition integration.
Mark Gilley is currently the Insights & Strategy Consultant for Citrus Insights & Strategy. He has a bachelor's degree in Managerial Economics from the University of California, Davis and a master's degree in Marketing from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business. He also has certifications in Digital Marketing Analytics from the MIT Sloan School of Management and in Corporate Value Creation from The Wharton School. Mark has extensive experience in marketing and consumer analytics, including roles at Red Lobster, Darden Restaurants, and Clorox Company. His responsibilities have included branding and marketing strategy, consumer insights, loyalty marketing, social media, and analytics. Mark has also managed internal teams and external agencies. He has used consumer and distribution insights to guide branding, creation of sales materials to attract investors, and development of a go-to market pilot program. In addition to his field work, Mark has served on Full Sail’s Program Advisory Committee for the Digital Marketing MS degree program for more than six years.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Dr. Mark Mitchell is the Director of Digital Learning and Strategy at the National Security Space Institute (NSSI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the Head of the Technical Solutions - Education Branch at Sigmatech. He served 21 years in the US Air Force (1995-2016), focusing on space systems, training, and education. He has been an educator and leader within the Department of Defense for 25 years. Mark focuses on innovative digital learning strategies supporting the learning environment, standing up, expanding methods, and sustaining growth within Sigmatech, the NSSI, and the United States Space Force. His efforts have sustained digital learning growth from one course and 1200 students to 16 courses and nearly 10,000 students in just three years. Mark established the NSSI’s state-of-the-art educational technology innovation laboratory in 2022, where his team focuses on developing and testing educational tools in mixed reality, leveraging augmented and virtual reality hardware and software, modeling and simulation, motion capture, system modeling, 3D modeled animations, 3D printing and scanning, holographic presentations, active learning classroom technology and teaching strategies, and multimedia produced simulations and scenarios all designed to support their array of asynchronous and synchronous educational modalities. Dr. Mitchell and his team constantly evaluate and integrate new educational hardware and software technologies, enhancing the teaching and learning experience. As the Head of Sigmatech’s technical solutions group – Education, Mark manages all Sigmatech contracts that support and provide education and training, modeling and simulation, mixed reality integrations, and other produced media visualizations supporting these contract efforts. Mark obtained his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Liberty University in 2023. He resides in Dayton, OH, with his wife and four children.
Mark Rigley is the Software Engineering Manager at Moz, where he builds and manages a team of front-end and back-end engineers,re-architecting and rebuilding a large and complex and very data-intensive application. Mark has deep expertise in software architecture, from 8-bit micro firmware, through embedded systems, all the way up to scalable back-end web applications that serve millions of users. He has also directed the design of consumer products and world-class, award-winning demos, including user experience and interface design as well as very challenging industrial and mechanical design projects.
Marvin “Toneworld” Hemmings Jr., is a 3x Grammy-nominated and Telly Award-winning, multi-platinum record producer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Toneworld began playing piano at the age of six, which eventually led to him studying the art of music production at the age of 19. At the age of 21, he began the journey of producing full-time. Since his venturing out into the world of production, Toneworld has had the privilege of working with a broad range of artists such as Justin Bieber, Kirk Franklin, Jessie J, William McDowell, and Brandy to name a few. He has composed and arranged music for several television networks such as BET, MTV, VH1, NBC Sports, MSNBC, and Fox's hit television shows Empire and STAR. Furthermore, Toneworld's production can be heard throughout Focus Features’ film, “The High Note,” starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Ice Cube. In 2020, Toneworld co-wrote and produced, "It's Ok to Be Black" by Jac Ross for Island Records, which the NBA, NFL, and NASCAR selected to use as their response to the Black Lives Matters movement and racial injustice. In 2021, Toneworld went on to produce “There She Go” for Justin Bieber’s multi-platinum record, Justice Triple Chucks Deluxe, which received 8 Grammy Nominations in 2022, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Currently, he's finalizing a campaign for the global brand, Shea Moisture, and working on music for SONY and MARVEL pictures. Additionally, he's producing music for Kali Uchis upcoming project, Jac Ross' Christmas album and K-pop group, NCT Dream's upcoming project.
Mary Conway Dato-on is the Executive and Academic Director of the Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Bradley University. She is a Fulbright Garcia-Robles Scholar whose research covers social entrepreneurship, nonprofit branding, international marketing, cross-cultural consumer behavior, gender and ethics. She has published 20+ peer-reviewed journal articles, five book chapters, 10+ cases, and 40+ professional conference papers. Additionally, Mary leads efforts to promote social entrepreneurship, including a board position on Rally: The Social Enterprise Accelerator, as the inaugural Faculty Director for the Rollins Impact Hub, and as a leader in developing The Global Links Initiative – a public–private partnership with reach in four countries. She received a certificate in online course design from Rollins in 2012 and took a course on the same with a special focus on graduate business students. She developed and taught several online classes at Crummer, including: Introduction to Design Thinking, International Marketing, and Social Entrepreneurship. Mary has a BA in International Studies & Spanish from Bradley University, an MBA in International Management from Denver University, and a Ph.D. in International Management from the University of Kentucky.
Mary Lee is a public relations practitioner having worked in military public affairs, government relations, corporate communications, community relations, journalism, digital storytelling and production, and brand management. Outside of her career she has an energizing side-hustle as a fitness instructor teaching Barre, Yoga and HIIT. Fitness has been an integral part of her life since early childhood and that developed into competitive long distance running and fencing in early adulthood. After retiring with 20 years+ of military service, she founded a PR agency - a boutique business focusing on one client at a time. Past clients hail from a number of industries, including government, aviation, philanthropy, health care, education, mining, life sciences, nonprofits, and tourism & hospitality. With a BA in Commerce and Business from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) and a master’s in PR from Full Sail University, she still craved the learning environment. She has an insatiable appetite for knowledge, personal growth and development, and is widely addicted to research and curating information. So, in January 2021 she launched a podcast. Years of exposure to many exciting organizations and entrepreneurs inspired her to share their stories of resilience as they fought to survive and thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic. After 15 amazing episodes featuring a variety of entrepreneurs, she put the mic down to pursue yet another endeavor, politics. Never to rest on one's laurels, she accepted an offer to enter into the Federal Election Race in 2021. Although the incumbent was successful for a third term, it truly was an eye-opening experience. For nothing else, it reinforced her love of country and her fight for democracy, sovereignty and to uphold the virtues of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Today, she back where I thrive most, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement. She is grateful to have worked in some notable PR firms, expanding her horizons in different sectors from start-ups to mature corporations. She is also honored to be a past nominee for the PRNews Top Women in PR award in 2022. She is also blessed to offer her skills within her community as the Venue and Community Coordinator for 100+ Women Who Care (Comox Valley Chapter).
Matt Eggert is currently the Director of Instructional Technology & Innovation for Orangewood Christian School. From 2008- to 2010, Matt was the Blackboard administrator for Seminole County public schools. He was in charge of all functions of the LMS as well as being a trainer for teachers new to Blackboard. At TFA from 2012-2019, he helped design and teach Genius Bar, Coding I, Coding II, Coding III, App Development and Aquaponics in Canvas using the Addie Model. Matt was also the teacher trainer for Canvas and Online Curriculum Development manager for all Canvas courses. He also lead the creation of The Virtual Academy, a 9th-12th grade Christian Online school that negotiated the Consortium deal for the Online Christian Consortium for four schools that shared curriculum development and teachers to deliver Full Virtual and Hybrid options to students at The First Academy. Matt was in charge of all curriculum development in Canvas as well as the LMS and backend link sharing so that all courseware would be branded as “TFA” courses but delivered through the consortium website. Matt's master's degree is from Full Sail University in the Education Media and Technology program in 2009. His bachelor's degree is from Florida Tech in Chemistry Education. He taught from 2001-2008 in the classroom before transferring from the classroom into Enterprise IT systems design and management at Seminole County Public Schools.
Matt Garrepy is an award-winning designer, marketer, thought leader, and brand storyteller. With over twenty years of experience, Matt has successfully planned, implemented and managed integrated programs and multi-channel digital strategies for global brands, including the Fortune 500. He has worked in both B2C and B2B industries as well as the public sector, with a strong emphasis on technology companies. His client list includes AWS, Discovery, Hilton Vacation Clubs, IBM, Mylan, Microsoft, Verizon, Sprint, Lockheed Martin, and other leading global brands. A serial entrepreneur, Matt is also the co-owner of two technology startups: PhotoMingle, the industry’s first social touchscreen kiosk for events, and CheckBAC, a patented mobile app for measuring and recording a user’s blood alcohol level (BAC) for DUI courts and fleet applications. Matt has won numerous industry accolades, including several “Best of Show” Addy Awards. He has authored several eBooks, and his writing has been featured on CMS Critic, Upwork, and other notable tech industry publications. His design work has also been featured in Communications Arts Magazine. A graduate of Flagler College, Matt has lectured at the UCF Nicholson School of Communications and taught at the collegiate level as an adjunct professor of design.
Matt Lewis is the Director of Production at iRacing.com. He is a dynamic and experienced marketing and product management executive with a demonstrated history of delivering world class products and results. He is a seasoned veteran with both large corporation and startup experience. Matt is respected, trustworthy, and honest leader with a proven ability to build, mentor, and foster world class teams. Matt's experience while at 704Games allowed him to lead a cross-functional team of engineers, artists, designers and marketers to create and launch auto-racing games based on the NASCAR license on console and mobile platforms for 4 years. In that time, they increased game sales with each yearly iteration. They also grew community engagement by delivering compelling new features on time and on budget, listening and responding to consumer data and feedback, as well implementing innovative marketing programs and first-to-market industry partnerships and esports activations. While at EA, Matt managed a distributed team of Product Managers across every major EA studio worldwide, delivering high-margin sponsorship revenue to over 55 individual teams including Madden NFL, NCAA Football, FIFA, Battlefield, Plants vs Zombies, Need for Speed, The Sims, and many others. He worked with the biggest brands and creative agencies in the world, and developed innovative custom features in each game that generated brand affinity and engagement for our partners, while growing annual sponsorship revenue 10-fold from 2007 to 2015. They supported those in-game integrations with experiential events and activations, bringing each game's IP to life in new and exciting ways and delivering an additional media value. While at Monster Games, Matt was responsible for the strategy and execution for all licensing and corporate partnerships, digital marketing and publishing functions related to Tony Stewart's Sprint Car Racing.
Matt Nolin is a Technical Designer with Epic Games, and holds a varied background in licensed product development and AAA blockbuster game development. Matt holds a BA in Games and New Media from New York University, and understands programming, design, and production.
Matt Thompson is an entrepreneur and educator. He is the managing partner at For the Table Hospitality, where he oversees six hospitality businesses in Tallahassee, FL. He was the Director of Digital Strategy at Zimmerman Agency as well. Currently, he serves as the Department Chair for Flagler College's Strategic Communications Major where he has taught at the Tallahassee campus and through distance learning. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Florida State University in 1998 and his Master of Science in Communications in 2000 from the same University. He was an instructor at the University of Central Florida for four years, where he handled and created curriculum for introductory courses in the Humanities and Communication. During his creation of coursework within the degree program, he demonstrated considerable knowledge of his degree and made his classes accessible for students to gain a General Education background. While at UCF, Matt also designed coursework for courses for an online context, taking into consideration how communications courses can be translated to an online LMS.
Matthew Carson is currently the Vice President of Sales for AVFX. PRG, a company Matthew worked for, provided sales and rental of audio visual and lighting equipment to the corporate meeting, trade show, and touring industries. Matthew was a freelance Event Producer and Technical Director and also served as president of FX Group (design, fabrication, and installation of scenery for video production, lighting design, set remodels, and facilities planning) and Director of Production of Odyssey Creative (created original video content for sales, marketing, training, events, and advertising). Matthew was also an Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida. Matthew holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and an Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Production from Florida State University.
Matthew Lett is currently the Senior Product Designer at Intuit software. He is a web designer, user experience designer, and artist. He was also the design lead for a software development team at Unum and ran Dean & Darden, LLC for 13 years where he consulted with local agencies on design, web development, e-commerce and marketing projects.
Matthew Marcou is currently the Founding Partner & Manager of Tryhard Consulting. He was the Founder of Verge Gaming where he operated a network of websites, managed 50 international known professional gamers and a support team of dozens of volunteers, and developed and executed online and event marketing services for companies who wanted to gain brand awareness with gamers. He was also the eSport Manager for Riot Games, the Senior eSports Manager for Electronic Arts, the Vice President of Marketing, and the Senior Director and Commissions of the Madden Competitive Gaming Division. He was responsible for executive decisions in marketing and management of eSports divisions for various companies.
Matt Potthoff gained his Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University in 2013. He was the Marketing and Brand Ambassador for Gamma Labs where he helped promote GFuel as well as Gamma Labs. He then worked as an Internet Marketing Consultant for Fuel Web Marketing where he was responsible for consulting teams on marketing strategies for Fuel Web. He is currently the Director, Gaming & Esports for PIVOT Agency, where he is responsible for sourcing and negotiating a range of innovative corporate partnership agreements between esports clients and leading consumer brands.
Maureen McGuire is an educator who has been teaching Art History and Art Appreciation at the college level since 2011. She earned a Master of Arts in Visual Studies from University of California Santa Cruz in 2021 and a Master of Arts in Art History from the University of South Florida in 2011. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Sweet Briar College and a Certificate in Arts Management from that school. Since 2018, Maureen's been working on a Ph.D in Visual Studies at the University of California Santa Cruz. She's currently an adjunct instructor teaching Art Appreciation and Art History at Hartnell College (online and face-to-face) and at Weatherford College online. She's also taught Humanities at Seminole State College and Art History (online and in face to face) at Full Sail and History of Visual Art at the University of South Florida.
Maurice "Mo" Henderson is a veteran music producer and engineer who has contributed to projects totaling more than 10 million sales, several Dove awards, and Grammy nods. His credit list includes Lisa McClendon, Tye Tribbett, Fantasia, Le'Andria Johnson, David & Tamela Mann, Grits, Byron Cage, Troy Sneed, and others.
In 2009, Mauricio Ferrazza founded MIA ANIMATION, LLC, a Miami based company specialized in creating unique digital experiences in different platforms, elevating brands and engaging target audiences. In 2015, Ferrazza inaugurated the Miami Animation and Gaming International Complex (MAGIC) at Miami Dade College, the first facility of its kind at a public higher education institution in Florida. Both academic programs “Animation & Game Art” and “Game Development & Design,” are industry focused, with a skilled training curriculum designed to fill jobs currently in demand by the industry. In 2018, The Aspen Institute and the Siemens Foundation awarded the MAGIC program at Miami Dade College with the Siemens-Aspen Community College STEM Award, in recognition of the outstanding preparation and education the program provides students seeking careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In 2021, the Miami DDA enlisted Mauricio to create and animate a state-of-the art 3D projection mapping display, showcasing Miami’s history projected on the exterior of the historic Miami Dade Courthouse on Flagler Street in downtown Miami; during Miami's 125th Birthday Celebrations. In 2003, Mauricio was part of the team who put together the Online Animation program, and its courses, for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.
Max H. Cropper, CEO, Five Star Performance Solutions, an award-winning instructional design consultant, has studied, researched, implemented, and taught M. David Merrill’s and other best-practice instructional design, evaluation, and performance improvement strategies for more than 40 years. He has worked with organizations including: MindsUp!/Safran, Raytheon/Vertex-United Airlines and Balfour Beatty Construction, Information Integration/Morgan Stanley, Abreon/USAA, EnDyna, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Institute of Health, the USDOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Lockheed Martin/Federal Aviation Administration, Western Governors University, Utah State University, Parker Hannifin, and the US Air Force with contractors SHIM/Arrowpoint, NexOne/Southwest Research Institute, and Karta Technologies. He has also done work for Galton/Technologies/Prometric, the University of Phoenix, National Education Training Group, Darryl Sink/Hewlett Packard, Novell, Nu Skin International, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Family History Department. He serves as a board member for the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Wild West Chapter, and has facilitated many presentations and workshops at International Conferences and local meetings. He is also a members of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), and has co-facilitated many workshops and presentations at International AECT Conventions. He has facilitated sessions at the Association for Talent Development (ATD). Max is currently redesigning the online Instructional Design Theories and Models course that he taught twice at St. Thomas University; it will be focused on Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction, and he will be teaching the revised course early next year. At Utah State University, he helped design and develop on online Learning Theory course and he also developed online courses for the US Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Natural Gas and Propane Powered Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety and Electric and Hybrid Electric Commercial Motor Vehicles). Max developed an online course for the Veterans Health Administration (Treating Tinnitus Patients) and online courses for the National Institutes of Health Department of Environmental Protection (Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Training and Storm Water Awareness). In addition, he is working with LeRoy Maughan, a former Covey Leadership facilitator, on a comprehensive leadership development model, “The Five First Works of Leading PEOPLE and Causing MASTERY.” They will be co-facilitating virtual presentations and workshops soon. Max has an Master’s in Instructional Technology from Brigham Young University and a Doctorate in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences form Utah State University.
Meredith Ratcliff is an Associate Professor at Valencia College and a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Central Florida. Meredith has a Master's / Post Graduate degree in Mathematics as well as Master's Degree in Instructional Design & Technology. Meredith has designed and taught at the collegiate level since 2001 at Central Piedmont Community College, University of North Carolina, Kaiser College, Seminole State College and Valencia College. She has created coursework for both online courses as well as in person. She has mostly taught and created curriculum for introductory Math classes as well as helped designed coursework for introductory college courses.
Meredith Sand is a designer and consultant from Orlando, FL. Her company, Meredith Sand Designs, is focused on creating custom, handmade stationery. She designs, hand-prints and packages each set of cards from her home studio. Meredith has always been an active member of the non-profit community, lending her expertise in areas such as communications, marketing and community relations to help amplify their brand. She currently serves as a Trustee on the Orlando Science Center Board and WMFE 90.7.
In his various roles at the Imagination House, Michael Avila is a proven expert in music skills, audio engineering skills, and the necessary industry knowledge to monetize the craft. In terms of studio engineering, has produced the complex orchestral sessions at Abbey Road Studios, Skywalker Ranch, Prague, The Eastwood Scoring Stage at Warner Brothers, and Capitol Records. As a composer, Michael has written music for such brands as Nick’s “Dora the Explorer” and “TMNT,” Disney Channel’s “Phineas and Ferb,” and the Muppets. As a partner in The Imagination House, Michael has grown his business to serve clients such as Disney, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Universal, Macys, Discovery Channel, and a long list of other corporate creative clients. Michael's career touches every aspect of the coursework presented in Music Production Bachelor of Science degree at Full Sail University while representing each from the vantage point of a fully-actualized, highly successful career in the industry.
Michael Behan is a Penetration Testing Engineer with Amazon Web Services and has more than twenty years of experience in information security, programming, and systems security. Previously, he was a Sr. Security Specialist with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts securing networks, point-of-sale systems, mobile applications and wireless devices. He was also a Principal Security Consultant with Secureworks performing automated security testing against hardware and software. He attained GIAC certifications GWAPT (#4648) and GPEN (#8778).
Michael Cardwell is the Owner of Digital Brew, an Orlando ad agency that specializes in video production and animation. From humble beginnings making videos for fun with his friends, Michael went on to earn an Associate’s degree in Film in 2004 and a Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University in 2005. In 2011, Michael started his own agency, Digital Brew, in the spare bedroom of his home. Michael has steadily grown his company over the past 12 years, with a team of over twenty amazing creatives and a hefty list of clients from all over the globe. Digital Brew helps businesses generate more revenue by telling their stories through video and animation. Their client base is very diverse and includes brands such as Cisco, 3M, Volvo, Verizon, AdventHealth, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Huggies, Geico, Cash Money Records and many more. Over the years, Digital Brew has won 20 Emmy Awards, 18 Telly Awards, 2 Davey Awards, 26 Addy Awards and 9 Muse Awards. Michael is also a husband, a father, a billiards player and loves all Asian food.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Audio Production Recording Arts
Michael Kwan is a Staff Systems Designer at Bungie. Previously, Michael worked as a designer at Heart Machine, Giant Sparrow, 1st Playable Productions, and Vicarious Visions. Michael understands the program objectives of Full Sail University's Game Design program from a smaller company perspective while still working on remarkable and successful projects.
Michael LaPlante has worked on a wide range of technology projects for large corporations including, but not limited to, Google, Facebook, and Apple. He is currently the Vice President of Technology at Proforma. Prior to his current role, he worked as a Senior Web Engineer for FireEye Security where he works on cyber intelligence and threat prevention. His specialty is in Front-End Development with an emphasis on JavaScript and React applications. Michael also runs his own design and development company, LaPlante Web Development, which focuses on providing quality solutions to clients ranging from local business owners to Fortune 500 companies. He actively serves on Keiser University's board and is involved in many entrepreneurial activities around Tampa Florida, such as startup digest, startup week, and startup weekend. He received a certificate of Technology entrepreneurship from Stanford University in 2013.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Michael Phillips is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, editor. and industry technologist. His contributions to the industry have been for the co-invention and design of Avid’s Film Composer and Symphony product lines, which offer professional digital online and offline editing and finishing. Avid’s Film Composer earned Michael an Academy Award for Scientific and Engineering Achievement in 1994 as well as an Oscar in 1999. Also in 1999, Michael was recognized with a Massachusetts Innovator of the Year Award. Michael has lectured around the world on the ever-changing nature of digital processes, speaks at industry forums, and conducts workshops on digital post-production. He has been awarded several patents ranging from digital synchronization of picture and sound and other editing technologies pertaining to 24-frame editing, composing, interactive media, and surround sound. Michael has been the Post Supervisor for the Sundance Institute Director’s Summer Labs. Michael continues to research and develop new technology solutions for the digital production process as a workflow consultant to content producers as well as industry manufacturers. He is also the Co-Founder/Chief Product Officer at Source Digital.
Michael Redman is an award-winning composer and serial entrepreneur in the entertainment and media industries, having started over 11 companies including TechnoMedia, PowerHouse Music Library, BackStage Fan, and the Hard Rock Academy. He has published three books, two of which focus on the “Best Jobs in the Film and Music Business," and his highly regarded visual entertainment company, RedHouse Interactive, was one of the largest film production and interactive companies in the southeast.
Michael Rose leads assorted companies here in the United States. His main oversight is in the ongoing expansion efforts of his brand, Bagel Bros Café. He has been in the restaurant & nightclub industry for over 20 years and has first-hand experience in ownership, day-to-day operations as well as providing consulting & management services to dozens of locations nationwide. After more than 2 decades of experience operating over $100 Million Dollars in Revenue, Michael recently started RC Enterprise where he put together comprehensive live in person seminars geared to help entrepreneurs achieve personal & professional growth. He takes his attendees on a journey through the entrepreneurial process sharing decades of experience and trade secrets. He has an extensive background in all facets of marketing & sales.
Michael Schroeder is a Lead Designer for Studio Pixanoh. Prior to his current role, he was a Senior Systems Designer and Product Owner for ZeniMax/Bethesda, one of the most successful game companies in the world. With nearly a decade of industry experience, Michael has a valuable perspective to offer on AAA games as a service due to his years with Elder Scrolls Online.
Michele Cooper has been the CEO of Dairy Farmers Inc., Florida’s milk promotion company, since 1995. There, she has been responsible for an over $4.5 million budget to increase product consumption and enhance industry image. She has also served this organization as the Director of Promotion and as the Advertising/Public Relations Coordinator. Michele s highly active in many professional, civic, and charitable associations, including the University of Central Florida Alumni Association Board of Directors, Maitland Art Center Board of Trustees, Florida Education Foundation, Florida Citrus Sports Executive Committee, Florida Public Relations Association, and the Nicholson School of Communications Hall of Fame at the University of Central Florida. She received her bachelor's degree in Journalism and her master's degree in Communications from the University of Central Florida.
Michelle Moore, founder of MindEQuity Inc., helps caring executives and their tech teams reduce interruptions & focus better. Michelle brings 30 years of global experience leading technology teams, with a decade as equity partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young. Many of her Big 4 roles included employee and corporate client training on subjects including technology implementation, IT risk management, change management, and performance improvement. Since 2021, Michelle has designed and delivered live online training including for a Fortune 500 company as well as her own, 5 week Focus Better course. In 2018, she became part of the Presencing Institute’s teaching team for Social Presencing teaching online and in person. Her chapter on the topic was published in 2021, Advances In Presencing Volume III: Collective Approaches in Theory U, Trifoss Business Press. Recently, Michelle moved to greater Orlando where she joined Starter Studio’s tech accelerator program. In May, 2023, she launched the Orlando chapter of Women in Tech & Entrepreneurship. Michelle has an MBA from the University of Houston.
Mike Kaput is a recognized expert on marketing, content, and artificial intelligence. He is also a writer, speaker, and author. Mike currently serves as Chief Content Officer at Marketing AI Institute, where he uses marketing, content, and AI to grow traffic, leads, and revenue. Mike previously served in a marketing leadership role at HubSpot's first-ever partner agency. Mike is the co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing, and the Future of Business. He has written hundreds of articles for the Marketing AI Institute blog and is the co-host of the Artificial Intelligence podcast.
Mike Tarcan has sixteen years of computer forensic and investigative experience, over five of which has been in higher education environments. Mike has a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Land Development from Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. His professional activities include the High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA), The International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS) and is a former Security Chair of the Orlando Technology Group (OTG). Mike is also a State of Georgia BAR and Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) approved instructor and has received digital forensics training from US CERT, and Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. With Ellucian, Mike, as a member of the Global Information Security Team since 2009, is tasked with leading Security Threat Management of Ellucian products and security incidents. His primary responsibilities include security threat management, security awareness education, incident response, digital forensic analysis, vulnerability tracking and remediation, product security defect management, and social engineering penetration.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Media & Communications
Mikhail (Kale) Howell is a filmmaker, technologist, and developer. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film at the University of Central Florida. After directing several award-winning short films and working across the country on a variety of commercial and narrative productions, Howell turned his eye to software development to create technology for film and entertainment. Howell is the owner of Cinestruct, LLC, a software development firm based in Los Angeles, California and creator of Cinevite, a mobile app that lets users create, discover and share private and special events for movies and shows. Howell is also the Senior Creative Technology Specialist at Herbalife International of America, providing development support and technology consultation to the Marketing department for the North America region. Howell lives and works Los Angeles, California. Kale was previously the Digital Media Coordinator at Florida Atlantic University’s Center for eLearning where he coordinated and oversaw the creation of media (videos, interactive media, etc) for online courses.
Mila Pavlin is a Design Director UX for Monolith Productions. She has more than ten years of industry experience as an artist, lead, and UX designer. She has worked in both mobile and AAA games. Prior to her current role, she worked at Sony Santa Monica.
Mindy Stockfield's career has spanned with senior level positions within the entertainment and media space including Disney, MTV, Cartoon Network, and Scholastic. Her expertise in the digital space has defined her approach to decision making and taking calculated risks to build and grow brands and business for television, publishing, and children’s content and products. She has expanded her scope to not only advise and consult based on my experience but also forge a new path into becoming an educator and speaker for higher education for university campuses across the country. Currently she is a professor at NYU, Newhouse School of Communications, and Marist College where she designs and teaches online and on campus courses. She has worked intimately in specialized areas including: • Digital product launches (OTT, streaming, mobile, app, Alexa Skill / voice-enabled, web, eBook, iTV) • Digital marketing (search, social, email, video) • Transmedia story development (TV to digital, book to TV) • Corporate responsibility and social outreach programs with non-profits • Presenting and communicating to senior management internally for long range plans and for external executive conferences • Marketing campaign development including media planning, buying, data analytics, and creative execution • Brand development - launch and sustain: Harry Potter Her expertise includes: digital strategy, digital distribution, partnership development, data analysis, sales strategy, multi-cultural programs, global, re-branding, positioning, creative brainstorming, native advertising, franchise extensions, live events, omni-channel marketing.
Mitchell Bishop is originally from Northern Virginia and moved to Florida in 2007. During his time in school, he interned at the Daily Buzz, was VP of Law Club, was President of Pre-Law Club, and an Officer of the Advertising Club. After college, he moved to New York City for an internship at an independent record label as a marketer before returning to Florida to begin his career in digital marketing. He worked at three local agencies that started at Launch That, a marketing agency in downtown Orlando. At Launch That he was primarily focused on SEO rankings with included Linkbuilding, content creation, meta descriptions, etc. He also managed paid media initiatives through Google, Bing, Facebook, YouTube, and various display partners. Next, he moved to freelance work at Chatter Buzz for various clients (entertainment, schools, e-commerce, non-profits, etc) as a Digital Marketing Account Manager. This position was held for only four months before he was offered an opportunity at the creative agency, PUSH. At PUSH he managed various campaigns across a dozen client such as Valencia College, Palm Beach Cultural Council, Lake Nona, Rip-It Sports, and others. He was in charge of strategy development, client communications, and creation/execution in various paid media campaigns such as Google Search, Bing, YouTube, Facebook, Print, and working with various display vendors. Bishop was at PUSH for 2 years 8 months before transitioning to his current role at Travel + Leisure Co. There, he has been the Enterprise Global Digital Marketing Manager since November 2019. He is responsible for building strategic approaches to paid, owned, and earned digital marketing channels across acquisition, prospecting, ownership & partnership efforts in collaboration with Brand, CRM & external agency partners. he drives Paid Media strategies to encourage consumer engagement and conversions across Paid Search, Display, Online Video, Native, and Paid Social channels. He is also responsible for leveraging data in channel and via analytic platforms to create cohesive messaging across end-to-end consumer journeys and reporting out to senior leadership and team on performance weekly, monthly, and quarterly via email and Powerpoint.
Mitchell Hartwell has worked with Holovis on the Mario Kart attraction for Universal Studios Japan. This began as a development project in Orlando, then transitioned to installation and commissioning in Osaka, Japan. Due to the incredible success of the attraction and the resulting growth of the business, Mitchell was promoted to be a director of the company and has gone on to architect the systems of several other confidential attractions. In his years in the industry, he has received 3 THEA awards, which are the highest honor of the themed entertainment industry. Today, Mitchell is heavily ingrained in the research and development of the future of theme park attractions at the highest level.
Monica Bermudez formally worked for Pearson Online Learning Services for over six years, serving in various roles within the organization. Having worked for a company that services online degree programs, she also completed her master’s online, allowing her access to participate in online learning as a career professional and student. Monica currently is the Senior Manager of Digital Experiences at Hilton Grand Vacations. While at Pearson, she worked in their Sales, Retention, Marketing, and Market Research divisions, gaining valuable insight on how to use data to closely understand each aspect of the customer journey. Monica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. She also holds a certificate in Digital Marketing from Rutgers University and a Master of Science degree in Project and Program Management from Brandeis University.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Myra is an Instructional and Media designer with over 15 years of combined experience in communications and instructional systems design, including Virtual Reality development, video production, and scenario-based training. Myra has experience in various industries that include higher education, clinical, and corporate learning and development. Myra collaborates with subject matter experts to identify competency-based outcomes for leadership, professional development, and higher education. This information informs the development and design of training curriculum. Additionally, she works with learning professionals to create interactive curricula and materials for online and self-paced instructional learning. Myra has experience in writing, producing, and delivering interactive media and possesses a strong understanding of the unique needs and requirements of developing curricula for graduate-level programs. She is skilled in aligning learning outcomes with the specific goals and objectives of higher education institutions. She has created storyboards and wrote and produced instructional resources to support a graduate-level degree program, consulted with educators to ensure that the course objectives were aligned with the program outcomes, and conducted research and analysis to ensure that the content aligns with curriculum objectives.
Myrna Creasman served in the advisory board of Mid-Florida Tech and served as a committee member in Dr. Ying's High School Senior Science Competition under the sponsorship of Orlando Science Center. In her tenure as Director at CMMS, she served as one of the chairpersons of the Florida Intensive English Consortium. Under Myrna's leadership, UCF was the first to receive accreditation by CEA (Commission on English Language Program Accreditation) in the state of Florida.
Nancy Swenson, Senior Instructional Designer, has worked as an instructional designer at the University of Central Florida since 2000. She has a M.A. degree in Educational Technology from the University of Central Florida and a B.S. from Florida International University in Business Education. Prior to working at UCF, she taught business education classes in the public school system for 13 years. She has also worked as an adjunct with Florida Virtual School, Valencia Community College, and the University of Central Florida. Her online teaching and learning research interests include adult learning theory, accessibility of online education, universal design for learning, usability, and quality of online courses. Nancy has presented and published on similar topics at a variety of conferences including: EDUCAUSE, EDUCAUSE Southeast, Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate, SLOAN-Consortium International Conference on Online Learning, EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Webinar, and Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Annual Conference, and Accessing Higher Ground, Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (CSUN).
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Dr. Narahara Chari Dingari is a data executive who drives conversations with other CXOs and leaders to integrate, manage, optimize, and capitalize data as an asset. Dr. Dingari did his postdoctoral research in AI/ML applications at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. He has a Ph.D. in Computational Physics from the University of Rhode Island, an MSc in Physics from the University of Hyderabad, and a BSc in Mathematics and Physics from Osmania University. He has also recently been inducted as a Foreign Fellow into the Telangana Academy of Sciences. Dr. Dingari is an analytical thought leader who defines data strategy, implements data governance & operating model for Data and AI/ML programs that generate PoV (Proof-of-Value), not just PoC, frames ambiguous business questions into analytical plans, and executes tangible outputs across organizations. Dr. Dingari is also a design thinker with deep data insight with storytelling and visualization skills to present technical concepts to influence non-technical stakeholders. Dr. Dingari has been teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Data Science at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute since March 2015. He is responsible for curriculum design and execution of Master level data Science, Machine Learning, and Big Data Analytics courses. WPI’s Data Science program is one of the first initiatives in the world in training Data Science and AI/ML talent for the needs of the industry. Dr. Dingari joined as Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Powerlytics in 2021. Before joining Powerlytics, he was Head of Data Science, Compliance, and Anti-Financial Crime at Deutsche Bank driving forward strategic data vision by establishing governance, improving data quality standards and principles for Compliance and Anti Financial Crime to deliver novel insights and ML solutions, enabling the organization to execute data strategy and fulfill their regulatory requirements by harnessing data in a compliant way. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Dr. Dingari was Senior Director of Data Science at Dun & Bradstreet. He led data science initiatives such as Deep Connectivity Platform to understand business relationships and growth/decay patterns and laid out the strategy for D&B Analytics Studio. Dr. Dingari built his Data Science and Data Engineering team at Prudential from the ground up. He led the first-ever predictive underwriting model for the life insurance industry at Prudential Financial. Dr. Dingari also led the first Business Data Lake development at Dell-EMC’s Global presales operations team. He published several high-impact journal articles and filed patents on machine learning techniques.
Narie Kay is a Senior Producer for Rocket Science, one of the most successful social/casual game companies in the world. With nearly a decade of industry experience, Narie has valuable insight into AAA games with her work at Bioware and free-to-play, games as a service, and casual games with her work at Zynga. She has a Master of Science degree in Game Design from Full Sail.
Nick Krueger earned his Master of Digital marketing degree in 2014. Prior to that, he attended the University of Central Florida, where he earned his Bachelor's in marketing. Nick currently holds the position of paid Performance Specialist at ThreatLocker, the global leader in Endpoint Protection Systems. Nick has worked in a number of different capacities in digital marketing, including: Marketing Director at a SaaS start-up where he developed the brand's story and created a pitch deck to assist in product development, B2B Marketing Specialist at Dutchie where he facilitated webinars, revamped the email marketing strategy to increase inbox delivery and wrote copy for non-customer-facing emails and organic social media posts for social media, Senior Digital Marketing Analyst at Darden where he supported the SEM initiatives for The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s, and Bahama Breeze, and Senior Manager of Paid Media at NP Digital where he furthered skills in SEMrush, SEM, A/B testing, B2B and B2C marketing, and inbound lead generation, among others. In these roles, he has had experience with search engine marketing for large organizations, Google search and LinkedIn ad campaigns, and content creation, partnership marketing, and data-cleaning efforts.
Nick Nanton is a 22-Time Emmy Award Winning Director/Producer. He's worked on 60 documentaries and has written books, including "StorySelling," which was on the Wall Street Journal Best-Seller list. He also worked on Broadway shows with 43 Emmy nominations. He's written songs that have garnered two million streams and was awarded three Gold records for work with A Day to Remember. His songs have also been featured on commercials and TV shows such as ABC's Falcon Beach, CBS's The Ghost Whisperer, Fox's primetime Glee, and others. Nick earned a JD from the University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law and a Bachelor's degree in Finance/Marketing from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business.
Nick Zippmann is the current Senior Manager of Product Design at DraftKings, Inc., where he designs internally-developed casino games. These include card/dice games, slots, and any new genres imaginable. He develops web/mobile games at a high level of quality, all while expanding his development skills beyond consoles. Nick also has industry experience as a professional game designer at a AAA blockbuster-producing game company, where he managed game design, design architecture, and tools planning for future projects. Nick has years of experience as a freelance game development and software engineer, with expert knowledge of the gaming industry. He has worked with RockStar Games, Guerilla Games, Sphero, amongst others. Nick earned his Bachelor in Science degree in Game Development in 2006 from Full Sail University. As he grew up with the gaming industry, Nick realized games were truly the next big step in media, not just another toy or fad, but a gateway into a world of interactive experiences. Since graduating from Full Sail, Nick has worked on some well-received AAA open-world games, such as Red Dead Redemption, Saints Row, and Days Gone.
Nir Bashan is a speaker and author running his consultant business called The Creator Mindset. Nir was the Executive Creative Director for Synect Media for four years in Orlando. Before that, he was the Creative Director for Javelin Agency and an Adjunct professor at the Art Center College of Design. Nir has hired and worked with Digital Arts and Design graduates from Full Sail University. He has a master's degree in Film and Advertising and a bachelor's degree in Music.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Olivier Lacan is a Senior Software Engineer at Pluralsight, where he works on an interactive learning experience: Pluralsight Projects. Pluralsight Projects bridges the gap between having learned a new technology and feeling proficient enough to build projects with it. Previously, Olivier built and maintained Code School before its acquisition by Pluralsight. He served as a team lead on Code School's platform team, onboarding new hires and fostering a culture of mutual respect and psychological safety where people with different educational backgrounds and experience levels could thrive to produce human-focused educational software. As a frequent open source contributor, Olivier is deeply involved in the Ruby and Rails communities, created the Shields open source badge project, and maintains the Keep a Changelog project with the same focus on human-centered approaches. He hopes to bring a bit more humanity in progressively more software-dominated world. Olivier is a French native, originally from Paris, France, and a proud immigrant. He relocated to Orlando, Florida to attend Full Sail University and graduated in June 2011.
Omar Ortiz has ten years of experience in SEO and Digital Marketing. He worked as a Freelance SEO and PPC Consultant for seven years and helped small businesses with SEO, Paid Search/Google Ads, Google Analytics, and content management. He customized digital marketing plans to help businesses gain online search visibility, acquire more leads, and provide a better experience for their users. As the SEO Lead at iProspect, he was responsible for leading the SEO strategy primarily for a large, global client with the primary goals of reputation management on search engine results and creating brand awareness. At Discover Financial Services, he managed and optimized the public website for SEO, UX, and CRO. He is currently the VP of SEO Analytics at Synchrony, where he is responsible for advancing SEO reporting across Synchrony owned websites to track KPIS and discuss optimization, conversion, and business opportunities with key internal stakeholders on a monthly basis.
Origin Call has been an advocate in education for 18 years. Her journey started as a 5th grade teacher and led her to becoming a guidance counselor, curriculum specialist, literacy coordinator, and assistant principal. She currently serves as Principal for Florida Virtual School, an online K-12 institution, where she specializes in curating onlines curriculum. Origin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rollins College, a Master of Science degree in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University, and a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the American College of Education.
Oscar Peterson is a Los Angeles-based digital strategist and talent manager. Oscar founded Unforgettable Media in 2011 while still a student at Full Sail University, overseeing revenue in excess of $2M. Oscar joined AEG in September 2015 and is currently the Tour Marketing Director. Oscar graduated from Full Sail University in September 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Business. Oscar is the current Director of Tour Marketing at Live Nation Entertainment, in which he oversees such notable clients as The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Kanye West, Lizzo, Matt Rife, Maroon 5, Don Toliver, Melanie Martinez, Brent Faiyaz, Oliver Tree, $uicideboy$, Florence And The Machine, Illenium, Afterlife, Sebastian Maniscalco, Maverick City Music, Afro Nation Festival and many more. In addition to serving on the Program Advisory Committee at Full Sail University, Oscar is a frequent guest lecturer at the University of Central Florida.
Pat Purcell teaches with the Valencia College English Department and additionally has taught in the English for Academic Purposes program at Seminole State College. Pat served as treasurer for the Central Florida TESOL organization for three years and helped organize professional TESOL conferences serving the Central Florida community.
Patrick Barnes has over 11 years of industry experience as a software engineer working at technology companies in the aerospace and technology consulting industries. Patrick's extensive experience as a professional software engineer makes him an indispensable resource in advising the Computer Science programs at Full Sail University. He currently works for ASRC Federal as a Expert Program Planner and Scheduler and previously worked as a Senior Systems Engineer for MTI Solutions. Patrick earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Game Development from Full Sail University in 2007.
Paul Licata, Ph.D, is a distinguished scholar with a rich background in humanities and English composition and literature. Dr. Licata has expertise spanning multimedia and Holocaust literature, as well as research strategies and documentation styles. He earned the prestigious title of VCC Presidential Scholar and held the esteemed Abe and Tess Wise Endowed Chair for Studies in the SHOAH in both 2000 and 2001. His dedication to Holocaust instruction is evident through his Certificate of Holocaust Instruction from Florida State University. Dr. Licata’s contribution to the Florida Gordon Rule Course was created and had accepted as Florida's first college-level Multimedia Literature course. The course was included in Florida college-course numbering system as Lit 2174. Additionally, Dr. Licata's exceptional academic journey is highlighted by his multiple appearances in Who's Who in American Colleges in 1998, 2000, and 2002. His commitment to education is further underscored by receiving Valencia's Student's Choice Award in 2002 and 2003.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Princell Hair is the former VP of Production for NBC Sports Boston and is currently working the President of Allen Media Group. He has been in the industry for 30 years, working as an executive for most of that time. His daughter graduated from Full Sail University, so he knows how the University operates and has numerous connections throughout the industry that will benefit our Sportscasting graduates.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Rafols Morales is the Chief Technical Officer of the Candela Creative Group with over 14 years of industry experience in developing virtual communities and applications. The Candela Creative Group specializes in illustration, design, web development, 3D Renders and motion graphics.
Ravi Chandramouli is a co-founder at Smart Panda Labs and the Director of Solutions Engineering. He oversees web development and engineering, providing technical leadership to all aspects of the business, including Analytics, Testing & Optimization, SEO, CRM, and creative processes. Prior to founding Smart Panda Labs, Ravi held positions in both the public and private sectors in web development.
Reed Bergman has been an industry agent for 25+ years, representing Dan Patrick, Rich Eisen, Jesse Palmer, and many others. He has numerous relationships with industry executives, affording him insight into what networks needs are from personnel at all levels. Reed has developed valuable relationships and generated revenue for world-class athletes, franchises, and brands including Mercedes Benz, Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola. Prior to Reed founding Playbook Inc., he was a partner with baseball super agent Scott Boras, marketing their clients both on and off the field. Reed is also the President and Managing Partner of Vayner Talent, teaming up with social media giant Gary Vaynerchuk.
Ricardo Ariza is a highly accomplished artist with over 20 years of experience in the games and visual effects industry. Throughout his career, he has held various roles, including lead character artist, art director, and lead/senior artist.His two-decade career in games includes positions at Naughty Dog and Treyarch, as well as his current role at Valve. Ricardo has played an integral role in developing several award-winning games, such as Spiderman 3, Uncharted Drakes Fortune, Uncharted 2 Among Thieves, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Portal 2, Half Life Alyx, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Counter Strike 2. He is also dedicated to sharing his knowledge and experience with students and others in the industry. He has been a mentor to students for many years and has been part of the Full Sail Computer Animation Professional Advisory Committee and the Game Art Professional Advisory Committee since its inception. Ricardo has also spoken at the Game Developers Conference, taught at the Gnomon School for Visual Effects, and given presentations at Full Sail and various universities and colleges in the US and abroad. Ricardo's educational background includes a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and a Bachelor of Art History from the University of Miami. He has worked in various areas of the computer graphics industry, including TV animation, commercials, feature animation, feature film visual effects, and virtual production. With his extensive experience and expertise as an art director, lead character artist, lead/senior artist, Ricardo Ariza is a veteran of the gaming industry and a respected figure in the field of games and visual effects.
Rick Paiva has a 39-year career that includes 14 years working as a local TV Director in Milwaukee, Columbus, and Tampa. The last 24 years were spent at ESPN, initially as a Director, then into Senior Management, eventually landing him in Creative Services. Creative Services provides elements for all of the ESPN events, shows, and networks. These elements include animation packages, insert graphics, music, sound design, studio graphic applications, high-end editing, and studio sets and environments. Rick's knowledge base and experience includes all aspects of television production (both studio and remote) and all areas of creative applications for television. Now Rick does freelance media and television consulting.
At age 13, Ridvan Aliu independently learned computer programming. He graduated high school at the age of 16 and studied Multimedia Design and Software Engineering in college. Ridvan went on to serve at Fortune 500 companies—Microsoft, Amazon, Disney and Real Networks—as program manager, senior software engineer, and solution architect. He also founded a software consulting firm, Real Visualz, and became a direct vendor with Microsoft and Amazon. While technology itself has been a constant in Ridvan's life, his true passion is to apply it to the field of education. In 2012, he created EDUonGo as a means to help anyone create their own online course—no programming knowledge required. As CEO, Ridvan is helping host more than 1,000 online academies around the world in his cloud-based management system. He constructs and designs curriculum for classes on an online platform and online LMS. Apart from creating new tools and features with the EDUonGo team, Ridvan has taught courses in computer science, mobile technology, and web development at Bellevue College. Ridvan holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Colorado Technical University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Multimedia Design from International Academy of Design and Technology.
Rob Bekuhrs graduated in 1983 from California Institute of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Character Animation and has worked in hand-drawn, cg, stop motion and interactive venues in the U.S., U.K. and Canada. He's been a developer, artist, animator, director, and supervisor on shorts, feature films, television, ride films, and games. Rob has designed, modeled, rigged, animated, developed code and pipelines, and directed for Disney Feature Animation, Laika Entertainment, Double Negative Visual Effects, among other studios. Starting Disney's Florida studio as their sole computer animation artist, Rob worked over 15 years on projects from Beauty and the Beast to Brother Bear, developing and supervising crews on shorts and features. He helped create Disney's first cg boot camp and trained the studio's entire 2D crew in 3D animation before it shut down in 2004. He's worked at Laika developing pipeline and creating face libraries and visual effects for Coraline and ParaNorman, created and edited motion capture data for John Carter of Mars at Double Negative, and currently works as animation director at SuperGenius Studio, in varietal development of console, mobile, gaming, and AR/VR projects.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Music & Recording
Rob is a distinguished figure in digital innovation, celebrated keynote speaker, and authority on emerging technologies. With over 15 years of leadership in digital transformation, Rob has steered Fortune 100 companies and defense organizations through the tech revolution, focusing on areas like spatial computing, digital twins, generative AI, and machine learning. Rob’s dynamic presentations transcend traditional talks, turning complex tech trends into actionable business strategies. His unique ability to simplify sophisticated concepts into engaging narratives has not only made him a sought-after speaker but also a familiar face on the Today Show and a featured expert in Forbes. His engagements range from intimate B2B workshops to major defense briefings, captivating audiences with insights into the future of technology. A strategist and innovator, Rob’s contributions extend beyond the conference stage to his advisory roles with the Department of Defense, including the FBI and DHS CISA. His collaboration with intelligence communities and his forward-thinking on the metaverse underscore his influence as a leading voice in technology.
Robert Torres is CRO & Co-Owner at 302 Interactive. As Chief Relationship Officer of 302 Interactive, Bobby ensures the seamless execution of XR, AI, and immersive technology projects across the healthcare, education, and smart cities sectors. Possessing over a decade of professional experience in operational business strategy, Bobby excels in optimizing processes and driving growth in tech. Bobby has spoken at major events including OrlandoIX, the American Marketing Association (AMA), and Synapse FL, sharing insights on enhancing business efficiency and innovation. Outside of work, he passionately supports strategy video games such as Age of Empires.
Robyn Bykofsky is currently developing Distance programs for Meyer Sound and has taught Media Literacy in the Electronic Culture at San Francisco State University, an upper-level undergraduate course. She has worked with the Youth Coordinator and the Web Developer in designing a new website that hosts an informal online learning community for TILT students, instructors and community partners. Robyn coached three international cohorts of classroom teachers in the Teaching for Understanding pedagogical framework. This online innovative professional development program was developed at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Robyn has also worked as a sound designer, theatre instructor, and now for Meyer Sound - a leader in sound reinforcement systems for live productions. Robyn has a Masters Degree in Technology, Innovation and Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Rodrigo Lopresti is a professional film maker which includes acting, directing and producing. He has worked with designers, editors and animators. He is currently utilizing 3D Real Time tools such as Unreal Engine in the film making process. Rodrigo's film and TV experience includes the marketing of both large and small independent projects. He interacts with design students in production and post production of these projects. Rodrigo is now a filmaker with RandM Pink Films and was previously a film editor for 96th St. Productions. Before this, he was a Film Video Editor for Vinyl Foote Productions and a Media Manager for Lightbeam. All of these roles utilized production and marketing skills as well as design work in software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Logic Pro.
Ron Cook has extensive experience in both the business and education industries. He was the Program Director for Entertainment Business and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Graduate Programs at Full Sail University.He has designed individual course curriculum as well as entire degree programs. Besides Ron’s time in education he has been very involved in business entrepreneurship. He was the CEO of the Travel Media Group, a travel magazine publishing company. He was also the President of the Marriott Franchise Owners association and President of Boykin Hospitality. Ron was also the Owner/CEO of Cook interactive, an interactive media publishing company. Currently, he is the CEO of Distrx – a mobile marketing platform, app, and website designed for Main Street shopping and entertainment districts across the country. In these companies, Ron was in a position to hire and manage graphic designers, developers and animators. Ron has a Doctorate in Psychology from California Coast University.
GRAMMY® Award-winning music and entertainment veteran Ron Hill is currently the Senior Vice President A&R for RCA Inspiration. Prior to his role at RCA/Sony, Ron was President of Kirk Franklin’s Dallas/Fort Worth-area company, Fo Yo Soul Entertainment and Franklin’s manager for six years. His work has included A&R, music production, tour management, and other creative and business endeavors. Among Hill’s recent creative work and honors include co-creating the annual Gospel festival “Exodus Music & Arts Festival” with Franklin, which launched in 2018; acting as a Consulting Producer in 2019 for Season 9 of BET’s “Sunday Best”; winning two GRAMMY® Awards at the 2019 and 2017 shows as a producer on Tori Kelly’s Best Gospel Album-winner Hiding Place and Kirk Franklin’s Best Gospel Album-winner Losing My Religion; and garnering two nominations in 2019 from the Stellar Awards (Producer of the Year) and Dove Awards (as a producer, for Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year). Ron has executive-produced albums for Kirk Franklin, Tasha Page-Lockhart, The Walls Group, Mali Music, Koryn Hawthorne, Christon Gray, and Geoffrey Golden, and was the tour manager for Live Nation’s first Gospel tour “The King’s Men Tour” that featured Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, Marvin Sapp and Israel Houghton.
Rowan Anderson is an interactive software designer currently doing UI/UX design, as well as systems design for various private and commercial training simulators. To inform his design decisions and overcome challenges, Rowan leverages his experience as a user experience researcher, where he led and conducted over 30 research projects for companies such as: Wargaming, Psyonix, Boeing, THQ Nordiq, and SAIC. Rowan uses industry standard software for developing user experience prototypes as a main function of his job. In these prototypes, he applies user experience theory and concepts in order to fulfill his role as a designer.
Since graduating Full Sail University in October 2007, Russell Barton has been working at Electronic Arts – Tiburon. During his thirteen years at the company, Russell has not only worked on the industry renowned Madden franchise but has also completed models for NCAA, Head Coach, and EA Sports MMA. Some of Russell’s responsibilities in these games have been modeling, hi-res sculpts, overseeing outsourcers, and creating the facial rig for the Create A Fighter system in MMA titles.
Saede Nyack is a motion and graphic design professional with expertise in strategic brand development, multimedia production, UI design and prototyping. He was awarded the 2024 AASHTO honor for designing a high impact campaign for Florida Department of Transportation. He was the Senior multimedia designer at Demand Science. Creative Manager and Lead UI Visual Designer at Andor Health and Multimedia Designer/Producer at RP Fundering.
Sal Marullo is an accomplished information technology manager with over 14 years of progressive experience. Technically proficient and an effective leader, he is able to successfully deliver superior IT infrastructure operations. Sal holds a strong record of success creating and leading technical teams, communicating with clients, and advising executive leadership in support of business goals. He also has a proven ability to leverage the aptitudes and skills of highly technical teams to deliver projects on time and on budget. Sal has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Business Administration from Rollins College.
Sam Zambito, originally from Canandaigua, NY, has lived and worked in central Florida since 1974. After undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, Sam played in various groups in the central Florida area, eventually becoming a bandleader at Walt Disney World for more than 20 years. During his time at Disney, Sam became one of the earliest players of the Electronic Valve Instrument(EVI), which led to many opportunities. A long association with the Japanese company, Akai, led to performances throughout the USA, Canada and Europe at trade shows, educational conferences, and college clinics. Sam has been Secretary/Treasurer of Local 389 since January 2003 and a member of the American Federation of Musicians since 1972.
Sana Alaya Seghair is an Assistant Professor at Rollins College and has taught at various institutions, including the University of Virginia, the University of Arts and Humanities Sciences in Kairouan, Tunisia, and the National Institute of Applied Science and Technology (INSAT), Tunisia. She has been teaching online for the past two years. As the current coordinator of the French and Arabic Programs and the Chair of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at Rollins College, Professor Seghair provides leadership and guidance to faculty members and is involved in designing and updating the academic programs, courses, and curriculum of the department. During the COVID pandemic, she had the opportunity to create new online language courses and implemented innovative strategies to ensure their engagement, effectiveness, and alignment with Rollins standards and objectives. Professor Seghair also oversees the department's assessment and accreditation processes and is actively involved in student advising and support. She obtained her PhD in French Literature and Language from the University of Virginia in 2020, where she taught for five years. She also holds an agrégation in French from the École Normale Supérieure of Tunis.
Santiago Duque, is the Director of Artist Strategy at HYBE Latin America, previously Exile Content Studio. He has worked with renowned international and local artists such as Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and Rosalia during his tenure as Senior Label Manager at Sony Music Entertainment. At Rimas Entertainment, Santiago helped drive the careers of rising stars Mora and Lyanno to new heights, including the Top 20 Global Chart with Mora’s hit “Volando (Remix).” Santiago holds a degree in Music with an emphasis on Production and Business Management from the Universidad de Los Andes. As part of the Exile team, he’s been staple on the creation of the music business unit (Record Label, Publisher and Management), as well as growing our music roster and develop opportunities between the Content Studio and the Music Department for 360 IP projects.
Sarah Giuliani has a Master's in Education from UF and a PhD from FSU in Language and Literacy. She is an Adjunct Instructor at Santa Fe College, was a Clinical Assistant Professor at the School of Special Education, was a Professional Development Coordinator at the University of Florida. She also has held Online Adjunct Instructor at State College of Florida, Adams State College, Sante Fe Community College, Meredith College, and the University of Florida. She currently teaches introductory education courses at Santa Fe College which help students learn General Education courses at the community college. Sarah Giuliani has also taught and crafted courses for an online medium, with specific regard to how the course content is being taught in an online medium. As a professor, she also helped craft courses for the online medium at the University of Florida.
Sarah's production company, Soliman Productions, is a boutique production agency and creative content house that curates compelling stories to build brand loyalty for organizations and events worldwide. Sarah is an award-winning event professional and content connoisseur, serving associations and businesses with informative video content marketing and turnkey hybrid event solutions. With over a decade of experience in production, Sarah brings her expertise into her company, covering the meetings industry at large. She has been recognized for her work in the industry by several organizations. In 2014, she won IAEE's Rookie of the Year Award. In 2018, Sarah was honored with the Rising Star Award for the second quarter of 2018 by the MPI Greater Orlando Chapter, and was also a finalist for the Emerging Leader Award by the Association For Women In Events. In 2019, Sarah was recognized as a Rising Star by Meetings and Conventions, an Industry Changemaker by MeetingsNet, and an Industry Trendsetter by Meetings Today. She is a recipient of the Smart Meetings 2019 Smart Women in Meetings Entrepreneur Award and a 2019 Connect Association 40 Under 40 honoree. Her passion for the industry is also reflected through important industry issues, including sexual harassment in meetings and events, and she works to educate on preventative measures meeting professionals can pro-actively implement into their contingency plans. Sarah hopes to continue inspiring and educating meeting professionals in all facets of their careers.
Sati Hartigan has been working in the gaming industry since 2008. Her experience includes being a Senior 3D Artist II at WMS Gaming, the Art Lead at DGN Games, the Principal 3D Artist at Mindcase Studios, the Art Supervisor and Art Manager at Scientific Games, and, most recently, the Art Outsource Manager at Blizzard Entertainment.
Scott is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the gaming and XR/AR/VR industries. With more than 5 years in leadership roles with over 20 games released to his name, Scott has successfully managed and mentored cross-disciplinary teams, bringing a wealth of knowledge in program management, creative production, and interactive technology. I’ve contributed to the success of prominent companies such as Warner Brothers, Activision, Dreamworks Interactive, Electronic Arts, Transfrvr, Magic Leap, Meta, and Disney, as well as high-profile games like Medal of Honor, God or War, and Civilization. His expertise extends to shaping game development and mixed reality projects, equipped to offer valuable insights into curriculum development, student mentoring, and the integration of cutting-edge technologies. His hands-on experience in product design, content creation, and immersive technology makes him a strong asset for educational programs aiming to prepare the next generation of talent in games and XR/AR/VR. Additionally, Scott is a member of the Independent Game Developers Association and Producers Guild of America (PGA).
Scott Denton is currently a Senior Asset Artist at Blur Studio. Hailing from Nashville, TN, he studied 3D animation at Full Sail University, graduating with an Associate of Science in Computer Animation. He has worked in this industry for 12 years and continues to learn from everyone he works with as well as developing skills to make himself more valuable to current and new clients alike.He enjoys working with new teams of creative people and having a fun time in the process. Scott's main focus is modeling.
Sean Ironman is a Postdoctoral Fellow of Writing at the U.S. Naval War College. He was a graduate instructor at the University of Missouri-Columbia for various writing and literature courses and was also a writing adjunct instructor at Moberly Area Community College, UCF, and Columbia College. As such, he has gained much experience in working with online learning platforms. He has won several awards for his pieces, including the Pushcart Prize and AWP Intro Journals Project Award in 2019. Sean has an MFA and PhD in Creative Nonfiction as well as Bachelor degrees in Digital Media and English.
Seth Hudson is an Assistant Professor of Game Writing in George Mason University’s Computer Game Design Program, situated in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Seth received his PhD in Education, with a specialization in Higher Education, from George Mason University in 2018. His primary research interests are game writing and narrative design, writing research, reflective practice and identity, pedagogical research, and the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. Seth has presented work at a number of national conferences, including the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the East Coast Game Conference, the American Society for International Law Annual Meeting, and Serious Play Conference. Seth's teaching has included Story Design for Computer Games, History of Video Game Design, Research Methods and Criticism, Character Development, English Composition, Principles of Inquiry and Research, and Introduction to Game Design. Seth also co-founded and served as faculty advisor/mentor for Mason's undergraduate Games-Engaged Analysis and Research Group (GEAR) from 2014-2018. Seth teaches campus and hybrid distance/campus courses for George Mason University using Blackboard. Seth uses this technology to teach his various classes to an extensive degree and understands through his experience as to how to best teach students through an online platform. He also has many publications about the theory and pedagogy of education through online, regular, and mixed-mode platforms as it relates to his courses. He has presented at the Serious Play Conference in 2018 at Manassas, VA on pedagogical practices as well as in the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco the same year.
Shanna Cote graduated with a Bachelor degree in Mobile Development from Full Sail University. She was an Advanced Achievers and within the top 5% of graduates from the Mobile Development degree. Before attending Full Sail University, Shanna had a company that provided services in design and technology. After graduating, she started a freelance mobile app development and design company. Currently, Shanna is the Art Director at Hillsdale College. Her specialties include UI design, web design, illustration, graphic design, and app design.
Shannon Clark boasts more than 25 years of event operations experience with Florida Citrus Sports, and as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Shannon manages the group’s public-facing efforts, including ticketing, event, venue and team operations, as well as customer relationship management. An Orlando native and graduate of Florida State University, Shannon is synonymous with the Florida Citrus Sports organization and maintains close relationships with the City of Orlando and Orange County, as well as local tourism partners. As Venues Manager for this event, Shannon will provide management and oversight in all aspects of venue operations and logistics and will serve as the lead contact on the FCS team. An Orlando Business Journal “C-Level” Award honoree, Shannon has also helped shepherd the organization through multiple rounds of stadium construction (2014 and 2021) while ensuring the organization’s world-class game days go off without a hitch each year. Through her extensive experience in the industry, Shannon has acquired specialty skills spanning scheduling, budgeting, event planning and other management tools, with her efforts leading to unprecedented success for Florida Citrus Sports.
Shaun McCabe is currently the Head of Technology at Insomniac Games. Shaun has over 15 years experience in the game industry in both programming and producing roles. This experience while at AAA games studios such as Interplay and Insomniac makes his input extremely useful.
Film & Television
Shayna Moon is an experienced producer in the game industry. She has worked for Sony Santa Monica Studios, among others, and now works for SANZARU. Shayna offers valuable insight into the game and game engine industries and is also an advocate for diversity in the game industry. Another point of prestige is that Shayna has delivered a talk on production at the Game Developers Conference, which has an incredibly competitive application process.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Shelly Wyatt has three degrees from Florida colleges and universities: New College of Florida [BA], Master of Liberal Studies [Rollins College], and a Ph.D. from UCF. She has worked at UCF and Rollins College as a library specialist (serials and acquisitions). After completing her master's degree (1995), she worked for two years as a project editor for the American Psychological Association book division in Washington, DC. In 2002, she took a full-time faculty position at DeVry University in the College of Liberal Arts. In 2016, she joined the instructional design team at UCF as an instructional designer, creating curriculum for both campus and online courses. She has been involved in study abroad (DeVry) and has served on dissertation committees; she also worked as an independent dissertation editor and coach. She taught gen ed courses for 20 years, and takes part in developing curriculum for undergrad degrees as part of her current job as an Instructional Designer at UCF. Finally, she is a published scholar in the field of instructional design and technology.
Sheri Graner Ray has more than twenty years of experience as a designer in the game industry. Sheri has worked for studios including Sierra, Sony, Schell Games, Electronic Arts (EA), and now, Dimensional Ink. Sheri is deeply knowledgeable in the areas of game theory, game design, and leadership. She is also a champion for diversity in the industry.
Shivani Meher is a highly experienced program management professional with expertise in strategic portfolio management and business transformation. With over 10 years of experience in industries such as consumer electronics, banking, telecommunication, and gaming, Shivani has successfully led extensive programs and implemented Program Management Offices (PMOs) within large organizations. As a change leader, Shivani has a proven track record of optimizing processes, reducing costs, and driving operational excellence. With a passion for inclusion and diversity, Shivani fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment. Shivani holds an MBA in Project Management and ERP Solutions from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Master (CSM), Scrum Product Owner (CSPO), SAFe® 5 Agilist, and Six Sigma Yellow Belt.
Sidney Williams is the author of 12 novels including Disciples of the Serpent, Dark Hours, and Midnight Eyes from Crossroad Press. His early publications from the Pinnacle Books imprint include When Darkness Falls, Blood Hunter, Gnelfs, Night Brothers and Azarius. Additionally, he wrote three young adult horror novels under the name Michael August for the Z-Fave imprint of the New York house Kensington Books. Sidney’s short work has also appeared in Cemetery Dance, Infernal Ink, Eulogy, Sanitarium and in diverse anthologies including Quoth the Raven, Under the Fang, Crafty Cat Crimes, Rose Among the Thorns, Hot Blood: Deadly After Dark, Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse, and Deranged. He wrote comic books scripts for Caliber Press, Campfire Comics, and Malibu Graphics. Sidney is currently crafting new titles for Silverline Comics and teaches creative writing classes online for Southern New Hampshire University’s Master of Fine Arts program. While teaching online, he designs coursework and curriculum for English classes online. He currently holds a Master's degree in English - Creative Writing. Sidney taught in Full Sail University's Creative Writing Bachelor degree program for seven years. During this time, he was able to witness first-hand how students benefited from these courses and was also an online/distance instructor. Sidney pioneered his previous employer's social media presence and coordinated web content and wrote advertising copy for 12 years. While at ETMC (now known as Ut Health East Texas), Sidney strongly directed design, enhancement and maintenance of the corporate website in conjunction with the development team and consultants. He was the social media coordinator with focus on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and emerging platforms. Sidney managed e-mail marketing campaigns, developed and edited podcasts and the company’s social media presence on Facebook and MySpace, facilitated online physician referrals, implemented marketing strategies with major product lines including ETMC Neurological Institute, ETMC Cardiovascular Institute, and ETMC KnowledgeFirst lecture series. Sidney also developed and produced effective marketing and informational documents including print advertisements, brochures, and press releases and coordinated media events to generate brand awareness.
Silas Everett is an AI strategy consultant dedicated to transforming global non-profits through AI and data science solutions. His educational journey includes a Master’s degree in Data Science from UC Berkeley and dual Master’s degrees in International Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University. Over the past 18 years, he has amassed extensive experience in both the tech industry and international development. At the beginnign of his career, he served as a volunteer ESL teacher for the U.S. Peace Corps in Mongolia, as a volunteer Case Manager for a community mediation service in the City of Oakland, as a volunteer guide for refugees in San Francisco with Refugee Transitions, and as an intern in Catholic Relief Service’s International Fellows program. His tenure with The Asia Foundation included roles as Country Representative in Cambodia and Timor-Leste. Silas designed and managed multi-year programs addressing governance, law, civil society, and economic development. Notably, he developed a mass-market social media analytics tool and an SMS-based polling tool for real-time analysis of country trends. At Metrical, Inc., Silas worked as a data scientist, where he developed and improved predictive models, analyzed performance data, and collaborated with customer data teams to generate insightful reports. Founding Redvest Inc. was a significant milestone in his career, where he launched a workforce analytics startup that won the UC LAUNCH Demo Day Fall 2020 and received a grant from the National Science Foundation. His work at Redvest focused on building a technical core that integrated streaming data analytics and edge-to-cloud computing. Silas's specialization lies in complex analysis, statistical modeling, and seamlessly blending innovation with practical applications to enhance operational outcomes. Throughout his career, Silas has been recognized for his contributions through various awards and grants. He continues to empower organizations by leveraging AI to automate the transformation of information into actionable knowledge, significantly impacting global development and the non-profit sector.
Simon Hallam consults on mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. His experience and skill set fall right in line with the outcomes of the Simulation and Visualization degree program at Full Sail University. Former head of Mechatronics at Oculus VR, there, he worked to expand the envelope of human experience by creating the most advanced and affordable virtual reality technology on the planet.
Sloane Kelley is the Vice President of Social Media for 9Rooftops Marketing, leading efforts to help brands maximize social media partnerships with athletes and sports teams. Prior to joining 9Rooftops Marketing, she led the Content Team at PGA TOUR Digital, overseeing the global strategic approach to content across social media platforms, the website/app, and VR app, and lead the Content and Creative team at the U.S. Tennis Association. Sloane has a passion for emerging technologies and how they can help brands and publications tell engaging stories across all types of media. Sloane is a graduate of New York University with a Bachelor degree in Broadcast Journalism (Cum Laude).
Stacey Cook graduated from the University of Central FL in 1999 with a BA degree in Radio/TV Broadcasting. Working for the Walt Disney Company at the time in the media department, she left in 2003 to start her own business. She worked as a freelance Production Coordinator until 2007 when she brought on a team, equipment, and rented a space to open S Cook Productions LLC. S Cook currently has 96 employees ranging from full time to seasonal gig workers and contractors. S Cook Productions LLC. has done extensive work with the Department of Defense; the Florida Defense Contractors Association has recognized S Cook as helping to lead Florida to become the premier state where defense contractors conduct business, create jobs, and expand operations thanks to her numerous successful productions within the state.
Stephanie Linton earned her Bachelor’s degree in News Telecommunication from the University of Florida.Stephanie has worked as an assistant news director or news director for 14 years. She has spent the last two and half, in particular, as the News Director for WESH 2 CW18 in Orlando, Fl. Her other posts have included WPBF-TV 25, KGO-TV, WSOC-TV, WFOR-TV/WBFS-TV, WPBF-TV 25, and WUFT News. Amongst these positions, Stephanie has been an anchor/reporter/photographer, field produced for special events coverage, copyedited newscast scripts including reporter packages, executed research plans, assisted in hiring anchors and reporters, coordinated story coverage, overseen content and brand promise, and supervised her news teams—as well as several other duties. She has ample knowledge and input about how the industry operates and what employers are looking for in candidates. Additionally she is local to Orlando and is seeking involvement to foster opportunities for students to get real-world experience while still in school.
Stephanie Rote is a People Analytics COE Senior Manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) based in Tampa, FL. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, she took her first full-time job as the Program Coordinator for a small Nonprofit. After a few years coordinating events focused on strengthening the Tampa Bay community by helping youth, veterans, animals, and local grassroots organizations, Stephanie pivoted her career towards Human Resources. As an IT Recruiter, Stephanie specialized in identifying top talent to support needs throughout the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) for financial and healthcare clients such as PwC, Franklin Templeton, Kaiser Permanente, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. She found success predominantly staffing SQL Developers, Business Analysts and Project Managers and eventually recruited herself into PwC’s Talent Acquisition organization. Since joining PwC in 2014, Stephanie has continued to evolve her career throughout Human Capital and the full staff lifecycle. Moving on from Talent Acquisition into roles focused in Data & Analytics, Performance Management, Deployment and the Project Management of strategic initiatives for the People Operations team. Outside of work, Stephanie is a wife and proud mom of two hilarious boys and two spoiled dogs. She is slowly (both in time and space) working her way out of retirement from long distance running.
Art & Design
Steve Dupee is responsible for the management and growth of BeCore, a leading experiential marketing agency that has delivered authentic connections for brands and their targeted consumers for more than 20 years. Prior to joining BeCore, he spent over 15 years at GMR Marketing, a global sponsorship and experiential marketing agency driving client growth and new business across the sports and entertainment spectrum. In 2013, Steve was named one of Sports Business Journal's "Forty Under 40," as well as in 2012 by the Milwaukee Business Journal. Steve received a Bachelor degree in Journalism and Advertising from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Steven Geer graduated 1998 from Columbus College of Art and Design with a BFA in Illustration. He started with an internship at the Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios in 1997. He continued on at the Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios as a Breakdown Artist and worked on feature animated films including the Emperor’s New Groove, Lilo and Stitch, Brother Bear, Little Match Girl, Pocahontas and the Lion King. After the studio closed in 2004, he worked at Cecropia Inc. as a Background and Layout Director. He has been at Electronic Arts – Tiburon since 2007 as a Concept Artist, Senior Concept Artist and currently as a Visual Development Director. Steven also is a freelance Illustrator and Storyboard Artist for Universal Creative.
Steven Heller has been producing commercials and music videos for over 20 years for clients in the U.S. and abroad, having worked as a freelancer in almost every department prior to his ascension. He started his career with Panavision and then opened his own lighting company, Attitude Specialty Lighting, providing large scale proprietary lighting for feature films, TV series, and live sporting events. Steven's clients include Lord of the Rings, Fast and Furious, and Black Panther, along with several Super Bowls, NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournaments and Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Steven Hussey is a full-time Instructor of the Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics & Video Effects in the Applied Technologies Division at Coastal Alabama CC and holds a Master of Science in Applied Visualization and a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Mississippi State University. Additionally, Steven has served as a Professor in Media Arts & Animation, Game Art Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics at the Art Institute of Houston, the Project Manager of 3-Dimensional modeling/animation at Glavan Imageworks, and is the owner of Design Viz Group, LLC. Steven creates curriculum for both campus and online courses.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Terrance Donnelly is a servant-leader who is fluent in the entire SDLC, including code quality practices, Agile, Scrum, Kanban and Traction (EOS). He specializes in empowering cross-functional engineering teams to work smarter through a servant-leadership based approach, fostering a culture of growth and scaling a leadership mindset. He also has extensive experiencing building rockstar teams from the ground up.
Terri Chappel is a highly experience television anchor, Broadcast journalist and media consultant. She is an Emmy award winning television journalist with over 10 years of experience as the primary Dallas news anchor/reporter at KDAF T.V. She has extensive national and international experience reporting for the Travel Channel and network affiliates from Russia, Panama, Cuba, Montreal, Great Britain, Mexico, Columbia and Costa Rica. Currently she is the News Director for Nexstar Media. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Colorado Mesa University.
Terrika Foster-Brasby began her career in 2012, sports writing for La Dulce Locura online magazine. After several months, Terrika took an opportunity to host a Friday night sports talk show on the Sportzfam Radio Network, The Gridiron Gurl in February 2013. She later added contributing to Yahoo! Sports before taking a position with ESPN Radio in December 2014. Terrika spent 7 years as a podcast producer, working with some of the most well-known personalities in sports including, Jemele Hill, Mina Kimes, Adam Schefter, and more. in 2020, she became a regular panelist on the digital debate show Here For It and in 2022, was an on-site content creator during the inaugural Athletes Unlimited basketball season. Terrika made history, as part of the first All [Black] Women broadcast team for the legendary CIAA Basketball tournament. She is also the sideline reporter for the Connecticut Sun, as well as for ESPN's WNBA coverage.Terrika has appeared on MSNBC, NBC Sports, Peacock, NPR, FOX Soul, Fox Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNNews, NESN and CBS Sports.. She's partnered with Twitter Sports, Gatorade, the WNBA among others.
Timothy Brock taught the online version of the Advanced and Capstone Graduate course at Franklin University for over five years. He specialized in teaching principles and application of evidence-based performance improvement tools and methods for the Instructional Design and Performance Technology master's of Science degree program. He currently serves on the faculty of the United Nations System Staff College at Turin, Italy, training program and project managers around the globe how to integrate the ROI Methodology into their Results-Based Management strategies. As the Director of Consulting Services, Timothy helps organizations implement the ROI Methodology in over 60 countries at more than 5,000 organizations, inclding the United Nations and World Bank.
Todd Van Hoosear is a 25-year technology public relations veteran currently serving as a Senior Lecturer in the College of Communication at Boston University. Prior to this role, he was Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. where he provided marketing support to Chamber staff and members, promoted Chamber membership to regional businesses, and marketed the Gainesville region to national and international businesses and site selectors. Prior to his time at the Chamber, Todd ran marketing for the University of Florida's technology incubator, now known as The Hub. Before moving to Florida in 2016, Todd served in senior positions at several technology public relations agencies in the Boston area, including Eric Mower + Associates, Fresh Ground (a company he founded and sold to HB Agency), Topaz Partners, and Weber Shandwick. In addition to Boston University and the University of Florida, Todd has taught marketing, public relations, and social media for Harvard University and Manhattanville College. At the University of Florida, Todd developed online curriculum and taught his students exclusively virtually. He also taught his students at Boston University remotely during the pandemic. Todd was a founding member of the Social Media Club and active in numerous regional public relations professional organizations, including PRSA and the Publicity Club of New England, where he also served in several leadership roles. Todd holds both a Bachelor and Master degree in Communication from Michigan State University, where he also got his technology training working and teaching at the Computer Lab before he moved to Boston.
Tom Dyll has worked for Adventist Health Services for 21 years in various positions such as Senior Network Engineer, Data Security Architect and Manager, and most recently as both Director of Enterprise Data Security Architect and Standards and Director of Information Security Governance and Risk Management. Previously, Tom worked for Matria Healthcare as a Network Engineer as well as Wachovia Bank as a MIS Engineer. Tom received his Bachelors in Economics from Florida State University.
Tom Goedde is a sports and gaming executive specializing in product and brand marketing, with deep supporting experience in business development and licensing. Tom's teams have won dozens of marketing awards including PromaxBDA Sports Marketing Awards and Clios. He's built a reputation as an exemplary partner to development teams and a leader who highly values data but appropriately draws from a strong understanding of fundamentals from console, mobile, tabletop, Web3 and real money gaming. Tom was the Vice President, Global Product, Brand and Athlete Marketing at EA SPORTS for 12 years. Prior to this, he was the Marketing Director at Wizards of the Coast for 2 years, and he began his career at Humongous Entertainment as the Marketing Manager for children's software titles. He currently works as the President and Chief Marketing Officer for SimWin Sports.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Music & Recording
Tom Todia is currently the Principal Sound Designer at Ghostpunch Games. His industry accomplishments are as follows: - 19+ year Game Audio industry veteran - Game credits include: Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods Golf, Depth, Maneater, Google Blocks - Awards include: Play by Play Awards 2016 – Excellence in Audio; Unity Awards 2017 – Best Non Game App “Google Blocks.”
Program Advisory Committee Member
Film & Television
Tre Nagella is a three-time Grammy award-winning studio engineer, record mixer, and music producer. An all-around music production and studio pro, he has logged time with a wide variety of multi-platinum artists, including Lady Gaga, Kirk Franklin, Blake Shelton, Snoop Dogg, Ed Sheeran, Pat Green, and Travis Scott to name just a few. He has written, produced, and played on literally hundreds of pieces of commercial music for clients such as Apple, Ford Motor Company, Dairy Queen, and Smirnoff Vodka. He serves on the board of the Texas Chapter of The Recording Academy (Grammy's) as a Governor, donating his time and energy to help progress the state of the music industry in Texas and across the country.
Tremaine Williams began his career as an intern at the renowned studio Hidden Beach Recordings. It was during this time that he became a voting member of The Recording Academy and met producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. This led to a job as their in-house engineer/programmer and credits on projects by artists like Usher, Janet Jackson, 50 Cent, and Boyz II Men. Tremaine next took his talents on the road, joining Mariah Carey's tour crew as a stage manager, backline crew chief, and programmer. His influence continues into TV and movies as he helped create the theme song for the ABC show Mixed-ish and produced music for hit shows Keeping Up with the Kardashians, NBC's New Amsterdam (plus a commercial for the hit drama Empire), worked as a Pro Tools operator for live BET specials and various award shows, composed music for the movie The Last Fall, and designed sound for the acclaimed film 9 Rides. In 2017, he joined the massive "24K Magic World Tour" with Bruno Mars as a keyboard tech. He’s a former Governor for the Los Angeles chapter of the Recording Academy and is currently back with Mariah Carey for her Las Vegas residency.
Tricia Stokes is a leader in the virtual environment and virtual asset-building industry, with a proven, 20-year track record of creating award-winning and triple-A interactive experiences for PC, game consoles, and VR. She has contributed to dozens of published titles as an environment artist and in senior and lead roles at AAA studios including DICE, Activision - Treyarch, and Sony.
Troy Humphrey is a professional game programmer with over 15 years experience working on games at Turtle Rock Studios, Red 5 Studios, and High Moon Studios. He is currently the Principal Gameplay Programmer at Lightspeed L.A.
Troy Thomason is the Chief Information Officer at Rollins College. He joined the Information Technology department full-time in 2004, shortly after receiving his MA in Corporate Communications and Technology from Rollins. Troy is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). As the CIO, Troy provides leadership in advancing Rollins’ strategic goals and their intersection with technology. During his tenure, the IT department launched its first strategic plan and formed the College’s first IT governance structure in which every division of the College is represented in the department’s shared success. Troy also serves on several college committees focusing on topics like retention, graduation, data governance, and risk management. In tandem with his work at Rollins, Troy is a board member of the Higher Education Systems and Services (HESS) Consortium where he serves as a co-chair of the Ellucian Banner cohort. He also actively participates in several higher education IT organizations such as the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC) and EDUCAUSE.
Tyler Joynt has over 10 years of experience working in the design, television, and sports industries. Tyler has worked nearly every major sport in the U.S. and internationally including UFC, NFL, College Football, and soccer. Before starting his own studio, Tyler was the production animator for SMT in Jacksonville, Broadcast Producer/Lead Editor for Crimson Tide Production (University of Alabama), and a Media Production Specialists at the University of Central Florida. Tyler's company, Joynt Creative Studio, creates and designs original graphics for television, social media and live events.
As a Digital Marketing Manager, Vannesia oversees the implementation of Shondaland's social media strategy relative to branding and tone, and manages activities related to the development of social content for the assigned Shondaland branded handles totaling 1M+ audience reach. She collaborates with art and design team members to enhance content with relevant, engaging imagery and/or creative assets for podcasts, editorials, and consumer products verticals. She also develops engaging social content tactics that align with the various Shondaland audiences, including regularly writing, designing, and publishing content across appropriate social platforms. Vannesia is also the CEO and Lead Consultant of the MOXIE School House, an on-demand learning library and e-commerce merchandise store. In this role, manages social media platforms and develops engagement strategies for high level industry clientele including Sony Music Entertainment, Serita Jakes Home, Emmy Award winners, GRAMMY Award winners, SAAS companies, etc. She leads a team of 8-12 freelance designers, assistants, and finance operators. Vannesia is a professor at Middle State Tennessee University where she teaches Entrepreneurship in the Arts, a class designed and delivered with cross disciplinary instruction relative to Media, Entertainment, Business and Entrepreneurship to junior and senior music, art, and communication majors. Vannesia curated content and curriculum relevant to the Black culture and experience and created a classroom environment that fosters and promotes student success and real-world application. She implemented various instructional and eLearning techniques to develop critical thinking and analytical skills for students. Vannesia has a bachelor’s in Business Management and Administration from Bradley University and an MS in Management/Organizational Leadership from Middle State Tennessee University.
Victor Jimenez is Technical Leader at Northrop Grumman Corporation. Northrop Grumman is a simulation company that solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense, and cyberspace to meet the ever-evolving needs of its customers worldwide.
Viviana Muci is the Director of Global Media and Digital Strategy at Monster Energy, responsible for developing digital strategies and innovative marketing campaigns that effectively reinforce its unique branding and connect with consumers. Viviana has over 18 years of marketing experience, driving growth for strong international brands. Prior to her current role, Viviana oversaw the digital advertising, organic media, content marketing, PR and eCommerce teams at Bang Energy. She was also involved in all consumer facing elements related to the brand, including Product Marketing, Consumer Insights, Influencer Marketing, Partnerships, Retail Activation, Events, and Sustainability programs. She has played a critical role in the company, driving unprecedented results thanks to her creativity, performance - driven mindset and deep understanding of the ever-changing digital consumer and landscape. Moreover, her data-driven skills has supported the organization in implementing new technologies to track KPIs and assess effectiveness of all organic and paid media campaigns, driving incremental return on spend and business impact. Previous to Monster, Viviana’s professional experience has been truly international, leading large brand portfolios. She is the Former Head of Marketing at Mattel in Europe, responsible for the Girls brands portfolio including Barbie, Disney Princess, Monster High, Polly Pocket and Sophia the First. Along the way, she’s worked on other globally recognized brands as Senior Brand Manager for Europe including Hot Wheels, UNO, Pictionary and Scrabble. She was able to develop sales and marketing expertise at Adidas and Reebok. Based on their headquarters in Germany, she was responsible for developing and executing Account Marketing Plans for European accounts and was part of the team creating Adidas’ first global eCommerce.Passionate in teaching others, during her career she has acted as Associate Director at IE Business School, leading the Masters in Management Program, the school’s first masters degree aimed at young professionals. During that time she had the opportunity to develop the course curriculum together with the Vice Dean of Programs and the Academic Director, to teach Brand Marketing, to coach students and to serve as a jury for their Final Masters project. She also had the opportunity to take part of Unikemia, an eLearning organization offering courses and programs for corporations in Europe and Latin America. She served as a professor for their Digital Marketing and Digital Transformation eLearning course. Finally, in 2020 during COVID she worked with a partner in creating the first Digital Leader Program completely virtual aimed at high school and college students and funded by Spain’s Chamber of Commerce. They achieved +600 happy students. She holds a Master in Marketing Management from IE Business School and graduated Magna Cum Laude in Marketing and International Business at Florida International University.
Walter Rusty Phillips' career started in 1999 with a research program in computer vision at UCF where he earned his computer science degree. Since then, he has worked in smaller groups and companies because of the sense of collaboration and ability to work on multiple technologies and broaden the scope of his personal learning. Walter has also since worked at four different companies in the Orlando area, doing work primarily in the programming languages of Perl, python, C#, Java, Ruby, Javascript, and other ones. This has also involved a strong element of DevOps work (due to being in small companies), which primarily involves Linux, AWS cloud technologies, Kubernetes, and Terraform. His currently works for Klarna.
Wendy Howard has earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education and a master’s degree in Corporate Communication and Technology from Rollins College as well as Doctorate of Education in Instructional Design and Technology from the University of Central Florida. As the program director of UCF’s Pegasus Innovation Lab (iLab), Wendy’s primary focus is to strategically align, promote, and provide project management support for initiatives that contribute to the lab’s mission: serve as an incubator for the next generation of digital learning by supporting faculty and staff in piloting, refining, and evaluating innovations that positively impact student success at scale. She did this, in part, through her position as Project manager and co-facilitator for the TOPkit Annual Workshop, which seeks to revamp professional development for online learning. With over twenty years of experience in both instructional design and teaching, her current research is focused on faculty development, collaborative online learning, and internationalizing the curriculum through technology. During her time working in the iLab, Wendy has been a 2017-18 Fulbright Hayes grant participant in Russia, the Co-Principal Investigator and Project Team Lead for $440,000 grant that was selected by the Florida Board of Governors to provide statewide faculty development for online learning (TOPkit.org), and the Co-Principal Investigator on $13,000 subgrant awarded by National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements (DETA) funded by the U.S. Department of Education to research Best Practices for Online STEM Courses. In addition to her fieldwork, Wendy has served on Full Sail’s Program Advisory Board for Business BS and Innovation & Entrepreneurship MS degree programs for over ten years.
Wes Locher's comic books have been published in the U.S.A., U.K., and Canada by Alterna Comics, Action Lab Entertainment, Titan Comics, Markosia Enterprises, Arcana Studios, and many others. His 2018 work of video games journalism, Braving Britannia: Tales of Live, Love, and Adventure in Ultima Online, was featured by Wired, VentureBeat, and Gamasutra. Wes currently serves as Senior Game Writer at Magic Tavern for the F2P match-3 mobile title Modern Community, which released on iOS and Android in March 2024; the game climbed to the App Store’s Top 10 free games the same week it debuted.
Will Tenney is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, music industry executive, entrepreneur, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the Founder & CEO of SunPop Music – an NYC-based record label and management consulting company. Here, he’s independently sold more than 300,000 records with artists like Sara Bareilles, Jake Miller, Lizzy McAlpine, Landon Cube, Shwayze, and more. He’s also received a Gold record for co-writing Amelie’s “That’s My Song” for WarnerMusic Spain. For six years, he was the Head of Streaming Strategy & Promotion at Crush Music where he oversaw campaigns for Lorde, Miley Cyrus, Sia, Panic! At the Disco, Lennon Stella, and Green Day, among other artists. In this role, Tenney managed relationships with DSPs, studied algorithms, and created streaming opportunities for his roster. Prior to this, he worked as an analyst at Goldman Sachs. Other highlights of his career include receiving an RIAA Platinum record for MAX’s #1 Hot AC hit, “Lights Down Low” (Sony/Red); a Gold record for Weezer’s cover of “Africa” by ToTo (Warner/Atlantic); a Gold record for Lykke Li’s “Sex Money, Feelings Die” (Sony/RCA); and a Multi-Platinum record for Panic! At the Disco’s “High Hopes” (Warner/Fueled By Ramen). As an artist himself, Tenney’s toured North America with artists like Lauv, Cash Cash, and Parachute and currently plays in a band – Exit, recently named a RockSound Magazine Breakout Artist. He was named a 2021 HITS Magazine “Noisemaker” and holds a degree in Music Industry & Business Administration from Northeastern University.
Willa Riggins has over 15 years of professional, hands-on experience across the application development, information security, and communications domains. She is experienced with the entire software development lifecycle from several viewpoints due to prior work as systems engineer, software engineer, security engineer and customer for several software, technical documentation, and communications projects. Willa presented at DEF CON, BSides Orlando, Florida Cyber Alliance’s CyberCamp and several Central Florida information security groups such as OWASP Orlando, DC407, HackUCF, and OrlandoDevs. She also served on the Call for Papers review board of Diana Initiative and BSides Orlando.Willa previously organized the local DEF CON group DC407, lead the Orlando TOOOL chapter, co-organized OWASP Orlando, and was president of the local hackerspace FamiLAB. Willa was previously with Veracode and DEF CON 24 Speaker – Esoteric Exfiltration.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Business
Willie Freeman has a bachelor’s degree in Fine and Studio Arts from the University of Central Florida and an Executive MBA degree from Florida Atlantic University. Before he entered the educational space, he was the Director of Interactive Media at Kenetic Vision where he developed interactive branding and marketing online. Now, Willie is a web designer and e-learning specialist and the Associate Executive Director of Online and Continuing Education at Florida Atlantic University. He has designed curriculum and programs that utilize online platforms and trained teachers at the collegiate level. He has spent 12 years at FAU and before that he spent 10 years teaching instruction technology at Florida Institute of Technology. In his time at FAU, he has overseen large-scale projects including online course development, faculty certification, statewide professional development, online enrollment management, marketing, and reporting as well as spearheaded the daily operations of the Center for eLearning (CeL), including faculty and student support initiatives. In addition to his work in the field, Willie has served on Full Sail’s Program Advisory Committee for the Visual Arts BS degree program for over ten years.
Program Advisory Committee Member
Media & Communications
Zach is a videographer and photographer who specializes in telling stories about nature and cultural heritage around the world. His work appears in giant screen films, various nature shows, including Emmy Award-winning Jonathan Bird’s Blue World and Youtube’s Brave Wilderness, as well as in exhibits at the Sea World Abu Dhabi Marine Park. He also directs and curates the digital collection at Contexticon Learning & Research, overseeing photo editing and graphic design focusing on 1st century Mediterranean art. He holds degrees from the College of the Atlantic and Maine Media College. Zach’s work has been published in print in National Geographic and New England Magazine. He has volunteered as a onboard reporter for the Rozalia Project and also as a photographer for the Boston Sea Rovers. His latest achievement is being named 2023 Videographer of the Year by the South Florida Underwater Photographers Society.
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