Full Sail University

Announcing the 12th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Class

Full Sail’s Hall of Fame ceremony is an annual event where we recognize a select group of graduates who have shown unique focus and dedication to their professional careers, and serve as continuing inspiration to our student body.

Announcing the 12th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Class - Hero image

Full Sail University is proud to announce the 12th Annual Full Sail University Hall of Fame induction class comprised of six graduates recognized for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, technology, media, and the arts. The induction of this new class of honorees will occur during Full Sail’s 12th Annual Hall of Fame Week, scheduled to be held March 6–11, 2022.

Full Sail’s Hall of Fame is a weeklong series of hybrid events featuring virtual & campus-wide offerings including:

  • Guest lectures, panels, workshops, and hands-on technology demonstrations from leading industry influencers, experts, and companies.
  • Career networking events focused on employment and mentoring for students and graduates.
  • Technology Expo showcasing the latest in tech trends and interactive experiences.
  • Live musical performances featuring a variety of artists and genres.
  • Interactive Creative Challenges for students and alumni.
  • Gaming tournaments, film screenings and more.

In addition, several events will be available to the public via online streaming, including the induction ceremony to celebrate and recognize the following class of inductees:

Grid image of six people. Clockwise from top left: Stephanie Dawson, Bobby Jones, Narie Kay, Tom Todia, Justin Rathbun, Phil Pallen

Stephanie Dawson

  • Title: Producer, WNET Group, PBS Great Performances
  • Stephanie Dawson is a producer, line producer, and production manager for narrative, unscripted, and branded content. She is currently a Producer for the PBS Series Great Performances with WNET Group.
  • Her feature film credits include Down with the King which premiered at Cannes and won the Grand Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival in 2021, Maya & Her Lover which is currently on the festival circuit, Derek Delgaudio’s In & Of Itself (Hulu), Holiday Rush (Netflix), Blood Bound, Kelly & Cal and Beneath.
  • In the commercial and branded content space, she has previously worked for Vayner Media, Inception Creative, Embassy Row, and Golden Arm, creating individual and serial content for brands to advance their vision and values.
  • She has also worked for scripted series including The Americans, and Mercy as well as unscripted series including American Doers, House Hunters International, The Amazing Race, and America’s Got Talent.
  • Stephanie is a founding member of Women Independent Producers, a networking group for New York Producers, and serves as the Producer’s Guild of America (East) Green Committee Co-Chair.
  • 2006 Graduate (Film)

Bobby Jones

  • Title: Founder & CEO of Purple, Rock, Scissors (PRPL)
  • Bobby Jones is the Founder and CEO of PRPL, a globally recognized strategic creative agency, partnering with culture-shifting brands across wildly different industries including Facebook, Cartoon Network, Disney, Lego, Universal NBC, Hard Rock, Siemens, NASA, and others.
  • An advocate for innovation and an influential leader, Bobby pioneers PRPL’s ever-growing team of strategists, creatives, and engineers to deliver best-in-class innovative experiences for clients.
  • Bobby’s work has been recognized by the creative industry globally, and has received numerous awards including the ADDYs, Webbys, W3, Pixel, and more.
  • 1997 Graduate (Digital Media)

Narie Kay

  • Title: Senior Producer at Zynga
  • Narie Kay began her career as an Intern at ZeeGee Games before moving on to work at BioWare and Edge of Reality working in QA on AAA titles like Loadout, Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
  • Narie returned to ZeeGee as a business development manager, which gave her a taste of the startup life. From there, after helping to sell a company, she went on to become a producer in indie games for Wicked Fun, in casino gaming for Scientific Games, and now mobile mogul for Zynga.
  • Additionally, Narie connects with active students to mentor in the program, particularly women, and has helped her mentees gain a foothold in the industry.
  • 2011 Graduate (Game Design)

Phil Pallen

  • Title: Brand Strategist & Keynote Speaker on Personal Branding
  • Phil Pallen began his branding business immediately after graduating from Full Sail’s Entertainment Business Master's program.
  • Since then, Phil has evolved into a leading branding expert with international media appearances on CNN, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, the Daily Mail, and many others. He has delivered keynotes on five different continents, and his non-conventional approach to personal branding and digital marketing has amassed a global audience.
  • Phil has helped hundreds of clients position, build, and promote their brands, including a Shark on Shark Tank, former White House staff, multinational companies, keynote speakers, and entrepreneurs.
  • 2011 Graduate (Entertainment Business)

Justin Rathbun CAS

  • Title: A1 and Production Sound Engineer / Broadway Production of Hamilton
  • Justin Rathbun CAS has been the FOH engineer for the eleven-time Tony Award-Winning Broadway musical Hamilton since it’s stage inception in 2013; before it landed on Broadway. Justin has also worked with Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, on the four-time Tony Award-Winning musical In the Heights where he served as the A1.
  • His additional Broadway credits include Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo.
  • He recently was inducted into the Cinema Audio Society after winning an “Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing” award for his work on the Hamilton theatrical release. He was nominated for an Emmy for the same project.
  • Before his days on Broadway, Justin spent five years as a lead audio technician with Holland America Line cruises.
  • 2000 Graduate (Show Production)

Tom Todia

  • Title: Audio Director at Electronic Arts & Co-Founder at Engine Audio
  • Tom Todia is a sound designer, field recordist, audio engineer, and game audio director at Electronic Arts Tiburon in Orlando.
  • In 2008, Tom co‐founded Engine Audio, a game audio contracting group that offers services for all forms of interactive media, with a concentration on sound design and technical implementation for video games, virtual reality, and 360 productions.
  • In the recording studio, Tom has experience in both major label and independent markets. His interactive credits include: Maneater, Depth, NBA Live, NBA Live Mobile, Madden NFL, Tiger Woods Golf, NCAA Football, EA College Football, DeepSEE VR:Orca 360, and more.
  • 1997 & 2012 Graduate (Recording Arts)

Since 2009, Full Sail University has celebrated the now time-honored tradition that is the Full Sail University Hall of Fame. Its purpose is to acknowledge those graduates who have made outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, technology, media, and the arts throughout the university’s over 40-year history.

This honor serves as a tribute to the creative inspiration, technical brilliance, and determination of each inductee, their unyielding dedication to more than a decade of excellence in their professional career, and their heartfelt commitment to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Full Sail University.

Beginning in early November 2021, virtual panels and presentations dubbed “Hall of Fame Sessions” will be made available publicly via Full Sail’s YouTube. Additional information regarding events and special guests will be announced closer to Hall of Fame Week. Please visit the official Full Sail Website and Hall of Fame on Full Sail One (Note: Must have a Full Sail One login to view) for more details, and follow @FullSail to join the #FullSailHOF conversation on Twitter.