Jumana S Al Hashal

Jay is a Software Engineer with Übermind, Inc., based out of Seattle. She has been writing software for digital media production, manipulation, management, sharing, and distribution for the Mac, the Web, and the iPhone. She graduated Cum Laude from Macalester College triple majoring in Mathematics, Computer Science, and Studio Art. When not writing code or scaling ropes, Jay is involved in the local non-profit and arts community. Her photography has been included in the Schamp Seattle Guide and the Washington State Tourism web sites. Her artwork has been shown at the Minneapolis International Airport; the Minneapolis Institute of Art; The Phipps Center in Hudson, WI; Center for Independent Artists in Saint Paul, MN; and Stevens Square Center for the Arts in Minneapolis, MN. Her last short animated film "Memories in Exile" was shown with support from the literary magazine, Mizna, backed by the Jerome Foundation. Cohort 8.

Tina L Arciaga

Tina has been a technical writer at Microsoft for the past seven years, currently responsible for authoring and editing online help and training. She’s concerned with how to create a sense of community for people working around the world, automating documentation workflow, and managing internal team web sites. She has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington. Cohort 8

Roni J Ayalla

Roni Ayalla graduated from The Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University in 2008, where she was named Outstanding Senior in Integrated Marketing Communications. During her undergraduate years, she acquired two and half years of professional experience in the communication industry, including positions as copywriting intern at Kansas's largest advertising agency and interactive marketing assistant at Wichita State. The summer before entering the MCDM program, Roni taught Web design to at-risk high school students. Cohort 8

Ashley E Ball

Ashley Ball is a channel manager at MSN, where she is working to launch the food site Delish.com, a partnership between MSN and Hearst, in fall 2008. Before coming to MSN, Ashley produced multimedia content for the George Lucas Educational Foundation. Her work there included multiple studies of exemplary public education, including the award-winning interactive case study “Systemwide Change: Union City, NJ." Ashley graduated from Middlebury College with Honors in English Literature. While she remains interested in the storytelling capabilities of the internet, she is eager to further explore the business and policy angles of online content through the MCDM program. Ashley lives in Seattle with her husband, Elliot. They enjoy hiking, skiing, and relaxing with their dog, Uli, and cat, Fredo. Cohort 8

Tharaa A Bayazid

Tharaa comes from Saudi Arabia, where she earned her B.A. in English Literature and Linguistics at King Abdul-Aziz University, with honors. Awarded a full scholarship by her government, she wants to contribute to spreading new values and perspectives to the Arab world, particularly the changing movement in the Middle East regarding women¡¦s rights. She aims to learn through her master¡¦s to deliver culturally effective messages through digital media. Cohort 7.

Michael F Bean

Michael Bean graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005, with an honors degree in American History.  His enrollment at UW continues a long legacy of his family coming to Seattle for graduate school. He has been writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers in his spare time for Sports Blog Nation, the world's largest independent network of sports blogs, for over three years. As his community of readers and contributors grew from nothing into one of the largest NFL team-specific web sites on the 'net, with members hailing from 6 continents and all 50 states, Michael became interested in digital media's power to connect people all across the globe. He hopes to learn what tools facilitate the creation of successful and participatory online communities, as well as how those tools/features will continue to evolve as digital media becomes increasingly interactive.  Michael's writing has also been featured in numerous online and print publications, most recently in The Eyes of Texas 2008: An Annual Guide To Texas Football.  He has been writing historical pieces for the publication for the past two years. For the past 5 months, he has been doing contract web development for WildFire Productions, a full service media company based out of Austin, Texas. Cohort 8

Amy J Beauford

Amy Beauford has worked in Digital Media for the last ten years, with her roots in television production. While receiving her BA in Broadcast Journalism at New Mexico State University, Amy worked in live radio and news. She has also worked on several documentaries and talk shows, as well as "Bill Nye the Science Guy" in Seattle. Currently Amy works for Microsoft developing codecs and encoding applications, specifically those associated with next generation DVD standards. Her current interests and expertise include evolution of optical media to digital download and the cohesive interactive experience in multiple media environments. Cohort 7.

Carie H Burgess

Carie Burgess is a technical writer at Microsoft and develops end user documentation for the PerformancePoint Server product. Prior to becoming a writer, she worked as a senior financial analyst, departmental controller, process reengineering and legislative consultant, business and sales analyst, and served in the U.S. Navy during Operation Desert Storm. Carie is interested in researching the application of digital media in online user assistance systems and in studying the business of digital media. Carie volunteers with several animal welfare nonprofits, focusing on technology and strategic management projects and animal rights legislation. Carie has a BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Political Science from California State University-Hayward and an MBA from Arizona State University. Carie hopes to someday transition from vegetarian to vegan, pursue a Ph.D., and write a novel that will be discussed in college literature courses after she is dead. Cohort 7.

Jody Chatalas

Having managed print publications for 20 years, Jody is currently managing editor of arts programs for Encore Media, which publishes arts programs in Seattle and San Francisco; he coordinates all facets of creating over 200 publications a year. Prior to that he was involved in running many publications, including the Goodwill Games Daily Program, newsletters for companies and organizations, and several baseball magazines. He¡¦s looking forward to the digital media program as an opportunity to bridge his gap from ink to the Internet. Chief among his interests: how established publications are adjusting to the digital era, including identifying its revenue models; political organizing among the netroots; and citizen media, including the increased focus on local issues that most affect our way of life. He grew up in Seattle, and received his BA in journalism from Ohio Wesleyan University. Cohort 7.

Pei-chieh Chen

Pei-chieh’s major was sociology in National Cheng-Chi University in Taiwan. She is interested in media producing and worked at the student radio station for 3 years. After her graduation in 2004, she worked as a planner in a record company, published several albums, and worked as a producer for radio shows. Then she spent two and a half years running a new website, Cyworld, in Taiwan. Cyworld Taiwan is the branch of Cyworld Korea, which is the biggest SNS website in Korea. Desiring to achieve a new goal of life, she came to the UW to learn more about management and marketing in digital media. Because of her strong interests in music, she would like to work for a digital music business in the future. Cohort 8

Yu-Hsuan Chen

Yu-Hsuan received her B.S. degree in Graphic Communications and Technology from Shih Hsin University in Taiwan. In her senior year, she was commissioned as the Honorary Editor in-chief Administration of Seventh Editor committee of Journal of Shih Hsin Publishing. Upon graduation, she launched her career at the Printing Technology Research Institute in Taiwan where she served as a liaison to the printing industry. She collected and analyzed market data and helped companies upgrade their manufacturing techniques to world-class standards. In 2003, Yu-Hsuan was shifted to National Science and Technology program for telecommunications (NTP) which is conducted by National Science Council (NSC). Cohort 8

Kristina A Courtnage Bowman

Kristina works in the UW Department of Communication as a resource for faculty, students and staff. To help the department meet its pedagogical goals, she works with future communicators to help them acquire skills for a networked media culture. Kristina is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University. She became interested in digital media while working as a journalist in Bellingham, Wash. She enjoys storytelling using new media technologies and social media. Kristina grew up in Great Falls, Mont., and in her spare time she likes to read, hike and go rock climbing. She recently finished her first marathon in Seattle. Cohort 6.

Risa de Gorgue

Risa is an experienced marketing communications professional. She’s designed, repositioned, launched and promoted new products for Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific, Dixie and 3M. As a consultant to 3M, Risa had the opportunity to develop new color palettes for the Post it Note® product line.  Her work resulted in the most successful new color line for Post-it Notes® since the introduction of fluorescent colors in the early 90’s. Her work can be found wherever Post-it Notes® are sold. Risa’s B-to-B marketing accomplishments have been equally gratifying.  Printers nationwide use printing papers she’s developed and commercial restaurants stock Dixie products she’s named.  And how many people can say they’ve marketed the paper products found in public washrooms everywhere! :) Today Risa works for the University of Washington Educational Outreach and manages a 10 person marketing communications team. She received her undergraduate education at UC Berkeley and lives in Seattle with her husband and two children. Cohort 8

Renee Dupree

Renee Dupree has a huge imagination - and just in time for the digital revolution that is currently transforming the entertainment industry.  As an innate musician, Renee has been songwriting since age three and in recent years, has been teaching herself how to score, produce, and engineer music utilizing digital technologies.  But that's only the beginning.  Renee also has plans to learn digital filmmaking and multimedia design to create even more artistic offerings.  Renee Dupree has a huge imagination and strongly desires to build a thriving and innovative online presence to showcase it.  While she hones the creative aspects of her endeavors, she's also studying the business aspects of operating in a brave new digital world, which is why she is so excited to pursue a Master of Communication in Digital Media.  Renee earned a Bachelor of Science in Global Business / Marketing from Arizona State University. Cohort 8

Brook A Ellingwood

Brook Ellingwood has worked extensively in content creation, online technology, and development for organizations ranging from non-profit theaters, to startups, to The Walt Disney Internet Group and Microsoft. Broadly embracing the creative and technical, he has written entertainment features and reviews, designed data schemas and user interfaces, and worked as a sound engineer and film/videographer. While managing online production for Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI), the largest consumer co-op in the United States, he architected a new Web site publishing system and re-design. Brook has a BA from The Evergreen State College, where he studied performance and media communications. He is currently working as a contractor and consultant. He is excited about the MCDM program as an opportunity to meet others seeking a broad perspective on digital media, gain new insights into the impact of digital media around the globe, and use these insights to develop successful business strategies in media and commerce. Cohort 8

Chris Ellis

A graduate of Temple University, Philadelphia, with a BA in Advertising, Chris was a member of his Campaigns capstone class' winning team for their work on a mock account for Epiphone Guitars. Chris has worked for agencies including Altus, a strategic marketing agency in copywriting, editorial research, and accounting for two of their publications. Eager to expand his horizons, Chris has a passion for music and the new and exciting ways in which digital media shapes our lives every day. Cohort 7.

Sarah (Reinhold) Funk

Sarah Funk graduated cum laude from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Print Journalism. She worked at the Albuquerque Journal, the largest newspaper in New Mexico, for more than five years in various positions in the photography and design departments, including front page designer. In 2007, she was awarded second place in section front design by the New Mexico Associated Press Managing Editors. Sarah has published articles and photographs in the Albuquerque Journal, Daily Lobo, Weekly Alibi and the Spanish-language paper, Fronteras. Her goals in the program include understanding how digital storytelling can shape the future of journalism. Cohort 7.

Corey B Gil

As a Sales Planner for Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions, Corey manages the campaign setup and inventory reservations for MSN display advertising clients. Prior to joining Microsoft, Corey held an Account Management position at Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency where she worked on ad campaigns for American Express. Her interests for graduate work include exploring the many areas of digital communications and how the digital landscape is changing the way marketers and advertisers do business. Corey has a Bachelor of Business Administration from The George Washington University (Washington, DC), with concentrations in Marketing and Sport, Event and Hospitality Management. Cohort 7.

Adriana Maria Gil Miner

Adriana has been working in interactive marketing for the last 7 years, starting at Digitas, and then American Express. This Venezuelan native (half-Argentinean) has a habit of frequently moving across the country since she arrived to New York in 1999 right after graduating in Mass Communication from Universidad del Zulia. Her all-techie family, consisting of technology consultants, electronic engineers, and even a nuclear physicist, has given her the background to integrate technology in her career as a marketer/ communicator. Having worked in the business side of the digital communication field, she seeks to expand her creative abilities by getting closer to the production side, and further explore the realms of interactive design, content production, and distribution. Adriana is also passionate about dancing; she discovered her true love in New York --Tango-- though she cannot resist dancing a good Salsa! Cohort 7.

Garrett M Grieb

After studying abroad in London in 2006, Garrett became the first person in his family to graduate from a 4-year college, earning a bachelor's degree in political science and a minor in religious studies from Gonzaga University. Garrett's job experience has mostly been as a political operative for a wide political spectrum of lobbying and political action groups, often employing his writing, communication, and analytical skills (and at times even working pro-bono). Garrett was drawn to digital media both for its ascendancy as the next great propaganda/marketing/
consumer medium, but also the next journalistic medium that has displaced print journalism. From the standpoint of a fictional writer, Garrett is also intrigued by the idea of a more full-spectrum kind of story telling. Cohort 7.

Suna M. Gurol

Suna has worked as a web producer for the last eight years, three at Corbis Corporation and the last five at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where she is still employed. She works on web projects, small and large, including the redesign of the Hutchinson Center's public website and a Spanish-language public health website. She also project managed a multi-media piece that is part of a larger wall exhibit honoring cancer survivors and former patients. Suna received a BA in English with a minot in Women Studies from Oberlin College in 1989, where she also taught a class on horror movies. She received a Certificate in Photography from the University of Washington in 1998. Her main interest in this graduate program is to find ways to use digital communications in the non-profit world. Cohort 8

Katie Hall

As a Sports Product Specialist at MSN, Katie works with both MSN and FOXSports.com sales teams to promote online advertising packages.  Before taking on othis role in June of 2007, Katie managed online advertising campaigns at both MSN in Redmond and AOL in Chicago.  A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Katie graduated from the University of Michigan in 2000 with a degree in Spanish and Organizational studies. Cohort 7. 

Harry Hayward

Harry escaped from the rapidly commoditizing world of bank marketing in 1999 after successfully running a marketing and PR team covering five western states for a major national bank (think Key Arena).  He has been home in the Northwest, at the UW since then, engaged in a variety of marketing, special events and PR activities.  Most recently, Harry has gone digital as the Director of Electronic Media for the University, including forays into iTunes U and YouTube.  Video production and direction are two of his passions. He directs quarterly video messages for President Emmert called “Office Hours” and a series of internal communications vignettes encapsulating UW vision and values for Provost Wise called “Discovery.” Harry has recently discovered the power of the Flip camera in telling UW stories. He will be a presenter at the American Marketing Association Higher Ed conference in November on the topic, “Building your brand from within – the power of employee engagement.” Cohort 8

Raquel G Hirai

From violin classes in her childhood, Raquel Hirai jumped to a chemistry technical course in high school, worked in an oil company for about a year, and then finally decided to go to college and do what she really likes: Journalism. She studied for four years at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), in Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil and, at the same time worked for Zero Hora, the 5th most read newspaper in Brazil. Raquel also had a six-month job as a research assistant, working for a government agency and the University, exploring cultural Journalism. Her first experience abroad was in Seattle, two and a half years ago, when she participated in an English as a Second Language program at Kaplan Prep School. Even though the weather was terribly different - and much colder than in Brazil, Raquel’s heart was warmed by an American one, and she had no other choice than come back to Seattle. She felt more than lucky to have found an excellent graduate program at the University of Washington, which covers and explains all these rapid changes we are seeing in Digital Media. As a journalist professional, she believes it is a requirement to be aware of the new information technologies and to know how to apply these new formats in a business environment and, therefore, better communicate. Cohort 8

Jeff Hora

Jeff received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education (with an extra year’s worth of work in composition and theory) from Iowa State University in 1986.  While there he received several awards for composition and had some of his pieces performed on local public broadcasting radio programs. This educational experience took place in the middle of a career as a professional musician with the U.S. Navy Music Program, from which he retired in 1996. During his years with the Navy Bands and in college, his interest and experimentation with computers, electronic composition, process automation and programming led to his receiving a Navy Achievement Award for a program he wrote while running Operations for the Navy Band in Chicago (Great Lakes), IL. He also completed considerable post-graduate work in history, another passion of his. Upon retirement, he took “every possible Computer Information Systems course” he could from Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood, WA to further ramp-up his technical skills, which resulted a part-time teaching position with Edmonds while still a student and finally in a job for Microsoft in 1997 as a Technology Specialist.  Since then he has worked as a Consultant and is currently leading an international team of Product Planners for Microsoft Learning. Jeff sees the areas of study and consideration that MCDM presents as organic growth in his understanding of the business and social/technical world around his. He is deeply interested in the “humanness” aspect of the network information economy. Cohort 8

Jui-Lun Hsu

Jui-Lun Hsu comes from Taiwan. Motivated by a strong interest in writing, she worked as an editor for one of the largest print companies in Taiwan for almost 1.5 years after she earned her BA degree in Chinese Literature. In addition to editing news articles, she also helped lead brainstorming sessions with reporters twice a week, discussing upcoming events and the best ways to cover them. She was responsible for communicating with the design department to ensure that all publications appeared visually outstanding. During those intensive workdays, even though she found that working in the print industry remains frustrating at times, she does not think the industry has reached the end of its era. By integrating resources from print industry and digital media, she believes we can lead the print industry in to a new future. Thus, she’s looking forward to discovering ways to combine digital skills with my existing knowledge via MCDM program. Cohort 8

Yu-Lan Hu

Yu-Lan first worked as a business magazine editor after getting her BS degree in Journalism from Chinese Culture University in Taiwan. Since the Internet was booming in Asia, she moved to work as web editor SINA.com, a company offering services such as search engines, e-commerce, news and chat rooms. In addition to updating the page contents, she also helped to track the web site traffic, analyzed user background and their activities online, and helped to design online events. Analyzing online marketing trends is like having an adventure in a new world to her, and she aims in the program to develop a systematic approach to understanding digital media management. Cohort 7.

Nathan M Hull

Nathan is a native of Yakima, Washington. After serving as a legislative intern in the Washington State House of Representatives and receiving a B.A. in English from Central Washington University in 2001, Nathan moved to Boston and joined a small publishing company. He has served as senior editor for the past four years and currently oversees the production of three business journals for architects, engineers, and interior designers. Recently, Nathan picked up the graphic design bug, and in the past year he has designed more than a dozen resource guides for real estate agents in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver, Washington. His goal in the program includes understanding the principles behind effective design and a successful web presence. Cohort 7.

Keiichi Iwashita

Keiichi earned his BA in Literature from Kanto Gakuin University, Japan. He started his career as a journalist at the beginning of the Internet explosion. In 1997, when libraries were still the main sources of information, he joined a Japanese newspaper published in Los Angeles as a reporter. Back then, people were talking about the potential of the Internet but nobody could predict that it would becoming as massive as it has. In the era before the Internet, journalists were a catalyst of communication between authorities and people. Today, many experts from a variety of fields have their own blogs and share their highly technical knowledge. This trend is minimizing journalist's reasons for existing. Keiichi's goal is to explore this new form of journalism that has risen in the Internet era. Cohort 7.

Mary C. Janisch

Mary Janisch earned a BA in English at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her first job after college was writing obituaries and a recipe swap column for a newspaper on Chicago’s North Side. After working as an editor for World Book Encyclopedia, she jumped at the chance to help create Microsoft’s multimedia encyclopedia, Encarta Encyclopedia, in 1993. During her 12 years at Microsoft she held a variety of positions in the educational products group, from geography/history editor and then managing editor of Encarta to managing editor of Encarta Africana, a multimedia encyclopedia of black history and culture. Mary is interested in studying the economics of digital media and developing her multimedia storytelling skills. She lives in the Ravenna neighborhood with her husband and two young boys. Cohort 8

Brian C Johnson

Brian Johnson began his foray into the digital realm while sitting with his grandpa and learning the harsh reality that you can only carry 100 lbs. of meat back to your wagon. Perhaps this spurred him to take an interest in computers, technology, and digital media, but whatever it was, he has been interested in digital media his entire life. As a result of his love of films, he majored in Cinema Studies at the University of Washington and received this BA in 2005. An unexpected job opportunity led Brian to work at Glyph Language Services as a desktop publishing specialist and a project manager in 2006. While Brian was applying to the MCDM program, he started working at Konnects.com (a professional networking website), where he works in the marketing department and conducts business research. His job blends well with his interest in the business behind social media and its effects . A surprising fact about Brian is that he is an Eagle Scout. Brian currently resides in Tacoma, WA with this wife and cat. Cohort 8

Sarah (Frost) Lane

Sarah has spent the last three years in the Washington State Attorney General's Office (AGO) Public Affairs Unit where she is the internal communications manager and webmaster. She has received awards from the League of American Communication Professionals for the AGO's 2005 and 2006 annual reports, and an AGO Performance Management Excellence Award for 2006. Sarah hopes to learn how to help bring state government to the forefront of digital media to communicate more effectively and efficiently with our constituents. She received her bachelor's degree in Communication from University of Washington. Cohort 7.

Annie Lee

Annie is a proud undergraduate of Seattle University, where she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing after a small stint as a Digital Design major. Professionally, she practices her creativity in online advertising as a Technical Account Manager at Microsoft, where she is responsible for display ad account management while working with a variety of clients and rich media vendors. In addition to display advertising, she also holds expertise in search engine marketing as she has managed premium search accounts at Microsoft for three years. Annie hopes to stretch her Masters Degree in Digital Media and her entrepreneurial spirit into her other interests, which include product/project management, non-profits, global community service, fine & graphic arts, and music. Cohort 7.

Yun Li

Yun Li graduated from China Academy of Art, one of the two best art academies in china, with a bachelor degree of Art . From childhood, she has a passion for expressing by visual painting and story telling, and began to write fairy stories and illustrated them with cartoon drawing by herself. With this natural passion, Yun Li entered School of Media and Animation in China Academy of Art, studying Animation and later found interest in TV and film advertisement. Her graduation production is a short video story telling the living situation of urban young people, in which she shoulder the producer and art direct. Her current interest is mainly in exploring new media technology, express her idea by digital media instead of traditional one and make a combination with advertisement business. Cohort 8

John W Liston

John Wayne Liston served as a Marine in the first Gulf War before earning his B.S. in Visual Communications at Ohio University. He has garnered numerous awards for his still photography across the country in Montana, Texas, South Carolina, Ohio and Washington. His photo was chosen as the hard cover of the New York Times best-seller ¡§America 24/7¡¨ The same photo was also featured as the cover of the gold country cd ¡§RIDE" by the band, Trick Pony. He most recently was the photography and multimedia editor for a newspaper in Texas, where his staff completed a tremendous year in 2006 with dozens of awards culminating in not one, but two photojournalist of the year awards for the state of Texas, and a National finalist award for innovation in web multimedia. With newspapers struggling with their transition to the web, Liston decided to go grad school to help him understand all things web related, and return to his industry with ideas and leadership to help plot the course for the future of the business. Cohort 7.

Yen-Ching Liu

Yen-Ching earned her BA degree in Communication Arts from Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan. Her work promoting the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee triggered her interest in marketing digital products, an interest that developed in her subsequent work in a large book sales. After obtaining her master's, her aspiration is to bring widen the road for Taiwanese film and television directors internationally, using professional research techniques to create effective marketing strategies through digital media. Cohort 7.

Ziwen Liu

Long aspiring to being an entrepreneur, Liu began as an undergraduate organizing 15 classmates to produce a DVD “Hail Under the Sunshine.” He took part in Harvard University’s summer program, “English for Global Business,” and has worked on web sites for a car-distributing company in southern China. He has a BA from Guangdon University of Technology. Cohort 8

Christine E Luther

A professional communications expert, Christy has a strong interest in corporate communications, marketing, public affairs, and business development. With a passion for learning and a penchant for communications, Christy brings nearly seven years of public relations experience to the UW MCDM program. She specializes in consumer (lifestyle, restaurant, retail, technology, travel) and non-profit public relations strategies. Prior to working in the field of public relations, she spent time with the World Affairs Council Seattle and the Washington State Department of Trade and Economic Development. Christy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 2001 and a Certificate in Editing in 2006 from the University of Washington. She is committed to community service and has held volunteer positions including: editor for Discover Your Northwest via Taproot Foundation, board member for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network, and big sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She teaches skiing as a PSIA certified ski instructor, and recently made her first attempt to summit Mt. Rainier. Christy enjoys participating in community events and has completed the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic and two triathlons. In her spare time, she enjoys world travel and recently returned from China. Cohort 8.

Dirk Peter A Luyckx

Peter is a Web Producer and Editor at MSN Health & Fitness at Microsoft. In this role, he daily creates credible and timely health content while looking for innovative ways to engage users with interactive tools and rich multimedia content. His passion for digital media stems from a long-standing interest in communication. Hailing from Belgium, he obtained a B.A. in linguistics and literature at the historic University of Leuven (hometown of Stella Artois) before immersing himself into visual media for a year at a film school in Brussels. In recent years, his passion for film led him to organize environmental documentary film festivals in small towns in the Northeast and Washington. Peter’s offline media experience includes launching an environmental newsletter (The Frugal Environmentalist), which was nominated for an Utne Reader independent press award, and hosting a radio program (Community Radio News) on a community radio station in Brattleboro, VT. Offline, he enjoys going for long hikes in the Cascades and Olympics, and playing the accordion. Cohort 8.

Kirk A Mastin

A visual storyteller for the last six years, Kirk has worked for the New York Times, Aurora Photos, the Associated Press and other photo distribution networks, as well as creating a thriving photojournalistic wedding photography business in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. In 2006 Kirk attended the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop in Liberty, NY, where he worked on photo and multimedia projects alongside editors from National Geographic, the Washington Post and the New York Times. Currently Kirk is working on two HD documentaries, one based upon Mountaineering, the other based on Northwest Hip Hop. Feeling the fast pace of change in the modern photojournalist's world, Kirk has enrolled in the Digital Media program at UW to build upon his current storytelling skill sets, with a focus on creating new Internet distribution methods for online photo/film storytelling. Previous to photography and film, Kirk spent several years as an environmental consultant in Boulder Colorado as well as a year in South Africa doing economic development projects. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Cohort 7.

Daniel Monaghan

Dan Monaghan has been an independent filmmaker for over 20 years, writing and directing hundreds of commercial and industrial programs, in film, video and HD formats, for a spectrum of industries, Fortune 100 clients, and internationally recognized nonprofit organizations. His work has consistently earned professional recognition, including multiple Tellys, and, recently, 'Best of Show' in the 2007 Create Magazine Awards. Dan's career has taken him to the jungles of Indonesia, the streets of Seoul, the bird markets of Hong Kong...and, more often than not, to a very broad cross-section of the finest corporate office parks of North America. His interest in better grasping the professional opportunities the near future holds for visual storytellers, combined with his fervent desire to someday visit no more corporate office parks forever, inspired his application to the MCDM program. Dan earned a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Washington. Cohort 8

Sebastian F Moraga

Sebastian is a reporter based out of Cashmere, WA, in North Central Washington. He is a graduate of Washington State University. His work has been awarded by among others, the Society of Professional Journalists, Habitat for Humanity and the Washington Newspapers' Publishers Association. A native of Chile, Sebastian has been in the States for 15 years. He decided to apply for the MCDM program after seeing more and more job postings for reporters require a knowledge of digital media. He lives in Cashmere with his wife of one year, and shares her attention with and four indoor cats and eight outdoor ones. Cohort 8

Paolo M Mottola

Paolo Mottola is a senior account executive at Weber Shandwick, handling media and analyst relations for Microsoft businesses. Prior to this position, he was an editor at PRWeb, an online newswire that pioneered social media news releases and SEO techniques. Paolo earned his B.A. in journalism from Western Washington University in 2005 and was an honorary journalism department scholar. He was also Editor In Chief of the university's lifestyles publication, Klipsun Magazine, which won a national SPJ award. His graduate studies are focused on how digital media impacts public relations and provides a platform for new public influencers and advocates to emerge. Cohort 8

Marc Pease

Marc’s 25-year career in government television has earned him numerous national and regional awards for production, direction, and writing, including the Telly Award 2006 short informational video and the Emerald City Award 2002 for Music Video. .  Marc looks forward to using digital and new-media technologies and strategies to enhance the public dialogue with government decision-makers.  When he’s not skiing or playing softball, he enjoys playing his blues harmonica, sometimes on a street corner on his way to a Mariners game. Marc, a Seattle native, earned his BA in Communication at the University of Washington. Cohort 8

Rebekah J Peterson

Since graduating cum laude from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a degree in English literature and writing, Rebekah Peterson has worked as a content creator. Her career began as a reporter for a city newspaper. She transitioned from information gathering and writing to editing at the Afton Historical Society Press. She then moved back to content creation as a business writer for a Minneapolis-based mergers and acquisitions firm. Rebekah works at the University of Washington at DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) coordinating the creation and delivery of print and digital content. Her current focus is creating compelling material that is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. As content has moved from print to the web, different methods are needed for making it accessible and usable while still maintaining aesthetics. Rebekah would like to take the opportunity of the MCDM program to delve into this topic further and work towards finding the balance between the three. Cohort 8

Ian Porter

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in English from The Ohio State University in December 2007, Ian fortuitously gained employment as a news reporter for a weekly newspaper company in Columbus, Ohio. Having not taken any journalism classes in college and never having been involved in a publication period, Ian had to learn quickly on the job. Among the many things he learned was one very important realization, he really enjoyed working as a reporter. The second important realization he had was that the business of publishing newspapers was going the way of the Dodo. After marveling at NYTimes.com's multimedia news presentations and other digital platforms used for news storytelling, Ian decided to apply to the MCDM program. Ian hopes to maintain a balance between studying real world, practical applications of digital media and studying how digital media is transforming society at large, particularly in the news media business. Cohort 8

Vaun S Raymond

Vaun Raymond has been fusing his love of history with his excitement about audio-visual media since he was teenager in the 1970s, when multi-media meant Kodak slides cued to reel-to-reel audiotape.  After earning a B.A. in 18th Century Studies from Vassar College and studying film and television production at New York University, Vaun established a one-man video production company specializing in corporate programs, historical documentaries and biographies.  In 1993 Vaun moved from his native Massachusetts to Seattle.  In 2000 his documentary “Wawona: Last of the Great Northwest Schooners” won an Emerald City Award from the International Television Association.  After three years of teaching digital filmmaking to high school students, Vaun’s goal at UW is to explore the rapidly expanding role of video in both traditional and web-based education.     Cohort 6.

Ross A. Reynolds

Ross Reynolds hosts The Conversation, an award winning daily news-talk program on Seattle’s National Public Radio Station KUOW-FM. Previously he was KUOW’s Program Director and before that, the news director. He hosted the regional newsmagazine Northwest Journal for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. Ross also hosted and produced a weekly public television interview program Upon Reflection which aired on KCTS Public Television in Seattle. In 1991 Ross went a journalism exchange to Tonga in Oceania where he interviewed the King. In May 2003 he was a Jefferson Fellow from the East/West Center traveling to Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. His pre-KUOW career included seven years as News Director at community radio station KBOO in Portland, five years as News and Public Affairs Director at WCUW in Worcester, Massachusetts, two years as music editor of Worcester Magazine. Ross has a cameo role in the documentary film Manufacturing Consent, an intellectual biography of Noam Chomsky. Cohort 8

Rita Rogers

View Rita Rogers's profile

Rita Rogers grew up on a "low-tech" houseboat in Portland, Oregon and graduated in 2006 from Kalamazoo College with a B.A. in Art & Art History with a concentration in Women's Studies. During her undergraduate time she studied abroad in Rome, and traveled throughout Japan, France, and Germany. For the past two years she has been living in Chicago working numerous jobs including interning at Ogilvy & Mather, selling truffles and making lattes, helping visitors navigate the Art Institute and volunteering with WTTW 11, a PBS affiliate. She is thrilled to be back in the Pacific Northwest and entering a program which will allow her to embrace her love of media in the digital realm.
Cohort 8

Rubi Romero

Rubi worked in the non-profit field for over 10 years. First she worked for the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle Washington.  During her job in the consulate, Rubi opened the Mexican Cultural Center of the State of Washington (first in the northwest).   Then she worked for a Latino non-profit organization as a Domestic Violence Program Director.  During her position as a Program Director, Rubi saw the great need of the Latino community in the State of Washington.  As a Result, Rubi became an advocate and a leader for the Latino living in this state.  She added multiple programs in King County including a 23 unit apartment building shelter for Latino victims of domestic violence and opened three offices in Eastern Washington.  Rubi’s work in the area of violence against women was well recognized not only at a local level, but national and international.  As a result she was invited to participate as an expert by the Latino radio, television and international organizations in Colombia, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico.  Thanks to all her efforts, the Domestic Violence Program she managed was among the five recipients of Arte Sana’s 2006 National Latina Victim Advocate Award.  Rubi also served as a commissioner for the Seattle Women’s Commission from 2004-2006 and served as a board member for the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Partners of America.  In November of 2006, Rubi left the non-profit field to finalize her first play “Human Borders” which was produced in February 2007, by the Stage One Theater with excellent reviews from the Seattle Weekly.   After this production, Rubi became a full time student and obtained a BA in Communication from the University of Washington in June 2008. Rubi is a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda and the Golden Key. Cohort 8

Carlos Javier Sanchez

Carlos Javier Sanchez is an award-winning photojournalist who balances his artistic vision with a solid knowledge of the craft. Carlos has been called by his clients an expert at one of the most challenging areas of photography, manipulating light. He consistently finds creative and appropriate visuals to complement his clients' editorial and marketing needs. Born and raised in Carolina, Puerto Rico, Carlos graduated from the Evergreen State College, where photographers-in-training must master the technical nuances of photography before exploring the creative aspects of an image. He studied documentary film concentrating on portraiture and photojournalism. He has traveled extensively photographing over 36 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico. Carlos moved back to the Pacific Northwest and put his technical and artistic skills to work on projects for the Evergreen State College as their staff photographer and adjunct faculty.  Cohort 8

Jennifer M. Scott

Jennifer is a native of Washington State and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 2001. After working in city and university libraries for two years, she interned at KCTS on the local current affairs program "KCTS Connects." From there, she took a job as a production assistant at Screaming Flea productions, working on the short-lived History channel series "Tech Effect." Jennifer worked her way up to an editor position, and has edited such shows as HGTV's "Gardening By the Yard," MOJO's cult favorite "Three Sheets," and Food Network's "Have Fork, Will Travel." She also worked as an editor on the award-winning children's series "Braincandy: My Five Senses." In addition to her work as an editor, Jennifer is also an avid writer. Cohort 8

Aaron C Seeley

While earning a BA in Global Studies and a minor in History from the University of California Santa Barbara, Aaron Seeley dabbled in a variety of subjects such as political science, journalism, and film studies. After moving to San Diego, Aaron found an outlet for his rounded skill set working with the non-profit organization Alternate Focus. Founded by a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, and an atheist, Alternate Focus produces and broadcasts documentary videos that “tell the other side of the Middle East story.” Having developed skills in all aspects of video production, Aaron most recently served as Associate Producer on a nationally-aired program titled “The Rise and Fall of Blackwater in Potrero” that examined the civilians defense contracting company’s failed efforts to build a training camp in a small rural community east of San Diego.  Aaron entered the MCDM program in order to fully exploit evolving multimedia technologies, theories, and practices.  Aaron is also the proud big brother of three siblings ages 10, 11, and 15 adopted from China and Korea. Cohort 8

Mark K Shea

Mark graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 1978 at St. Paul, Minnesota with a B.A. in English. An interest in the law and social sciences led to his first career as a Parole Officer for the State of Washington. He was honored by the Governor of Washington as Parole Officer of the year in 1992. Then, as the Information Age dawned, Mark, like so many others bought his first computer, a Commodore 64. What really fired his imagination, however, was the 300 baud modem that came with it. The ability for personal computers to talk to each other was a compelling technology for him. In 1996, Mark completed a certification course at the University of Washington in Data Communications and this led to a career change in 1997. He transitioned to the computer industry, first working for Attachmate and most recently for Microsoft where he has worked for the past six years. Currently, he is a technical writer authoring content for the IT Professional audience on Technet. It is his passion for communicating by using computers and related technologies that has led him to the Digital Media program. He is looking forward to expanding his skills in and understanding of this field. Cohort 7.

Alvin R Singh

Alvin Singh began his interest in Digital Media when he started a student online bookstore that evolved from an independent publisher closing his business and providing Singh a start up inventory.  Receiving his BA in Political Science from Hampton University Singh has worked as a journalist and researcher for TransAfrica Forum on global issues that provided him an opportunity to travel to countries like Haiti, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.  A Disc Jockey by trade he has learned to adapt to the steady demand of multimedia presentations and even host his own podcast radio show.  When he is not practicing martial arts or playing tennis you can find Alvin learning his way around Seattle bike trails. An interesting fact about him is his relation to the “King of the 12-string guitar” Lead Belly and is currently working on a first full length documentary on his great uncle that will be released in 2009.  He lives with his wife in Freemont. Cohort 8

Jeremy Snook

As Director of GameHouse Partners for RealGames, the games division of RealNetworks, Jeremy Snook manages the content acquisition team responsible for publishing and distributing casual games through Real's worldwide games networks. GameHouse Partners releases over 300 games annually to 40 million users. Prior to joining Real, Jeremy was the marketing manager at Gas Powered Games, the award-winning developer of the "Supreme Commander" and "Dungeon Siege" game franchises. Before his engagement in marketing, he held various producer positions at Gas Powered Games, participated in a dot.com startup, and managed a regional sales force for a Fortune 200 company. Jeremy holds a B.A. from the University of Washington and is currently working towards his master's degree through the MCDM program. He lives in Seattle with his wife and dog, and enjoys motorcycling, hiking, and kayaking. Cohort 8.

Bonnie Southcott

Storytelling is the common denominator in Bonnie Southcott's career, which began in broadcast journalism and soon expanded to include freelance writing, Web site production and public speaking. After earning a B.A. in broadcasting from Western Washington University in Bellingham, where she now teaches news writing and public relations, Bonnie began a nine-year career as a radio talk-show host in both Bellingham and Seattle, Washington. During those years, she received top honors from the American Women in Radio and Television and from the National Communication Association. Her current focus as an interactive producer is to create compelling Web sites used to inspire hope and provide education to people living with life-threatening or life-altering conditions. Her goal at the UW is to explore how digital storytelling can enhance the effectiveness of Internet communication. Cohort 7.

Brian L Steel

Soon after earning his BA in Audio and Media Studies from The Evergreen State College, Brian was hired to develop an independent record label and recording studio, Buttermilk Studio/Records. There he engineered and mixed or produced 19 different albums for the label, as well as hundreds of records for diverse studio clientele. He has had the privilege of working with producers such as Eddie Kramer (Jimmy Hendrix), George Massenburg (Dixie Chicks) and Jack Endino (Nirvana). He continues to do post-production work on various Microsoft and Cingular Wireless spots. His objective for graduate study is to learn to create professional digital content and product and to distribute or stream content to small screen devices, as well as to understand copyright and intellectual property laws. Cohort 7.

Matthew J. Stringer

In 2004, Matthew Stringer earned a unique bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Southern California, where he combined research and hands-on experience in the fields of animation and creative writing to develop an undergraduate thesis on "Animated Interactive Narratives".  This self-designed degree program carried a emphasis in interactive media, including video games and web-based entertainment.  His undergraduate studies gave him the opportunity to examine pop-culture, sequential art, and fiction, among other media-related subjects.  He also acquired a minor in Cinema-Television through the USC School of Cinema-Television.  While in school Matthew took part in the first-ever Buena Vista Games "Think Tank" with the Walt Disney Company as a paid intern, focusing on concept development for platformers based on popular Disney intellectual properties.  After college Matthew found his first big job with LA-based GoldPocket Interactive as an Event Operator for one- and two-screen interactive television programming. To begin the MCDM program, Matthew will be leaving his current position in Los Angeles as a render coordinator at Academy Award-winning animation and special FX house Rhythm & Hues, where he worked on such films as "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” Matthew hopes to develop original means for generating collective interactive narratives and pioneering new media for the 21st century. Cohort 8.

Ivan Sydorenko

Ivan graduated from the National University of OA (Ukraine) in 2005 with a B.A. in Public Relations. His passion for Internet-mediated communications started during his early university years. Since that time all the school papers he wrote including his Bachelor's Thesis were researching different aspects of using the Internet as a communication tool. After moving to US, Ivan successfully completed a 1-year-long PR certification program (UW Extension) and started his career as Community Outreach Coordinator for the Olympia-based chapter of a nationwide non-profit organization. Currently employed as a Marketing Manager for Mr. Electric Seattle, Ivan also works as Independent Online Marketing Consultant. His objective for graduate study is to learn more about the usage of social computing in the field of marketing. Cohort 8

Amanda S Vashro

Amanda Vashro has extensive experience in video production and project leadership.  She graduated from Boise State University with her BA in Mass Communication/ Journalism with emphasis in video production.  There she co-created and became the executive producer of a weekly live-to-tape current events television show named  “The Other Angle” which is still produced and aired today.  Desiring to further her opportunities in management within the field of broadcast television she furthered her education by earning her MBA in Business Management from Northwest Nazarene University.   Amanda is a natural leader who is very outgoing and always ready to take the lead on any project to ensure timely and accurate execution.  She has had extensive training in team management, team building, and team training.  As a first year student, Amanda is very excited to be in the MCDM program and eagerly looks forward to the challenges ahead.

Michelle R Walls

A Project Coordinator at Microsoft, Michelle Walls is attending the MCDM program to further her education in anticipation of career advancement and a sense of personal accomplishment. In 2005 she enrolled in the Marketing Certification program at the UW and worked with a team to create a marketing plan for a social networking startup company in Redmond. She then continued at the UW to earn her BA in Communications this past winter. The curriculum in the MCDM program excites her passion for understanding cutting edge concepts and technology which are shaping our future and redefining how with socialize with others. Cohort 8

Sean Xin Wang

Sean earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Alberta. He worked on some of the earlier dotcom media sites, has since accumulated deep expertise in telecom, internet infrastructure and IP networking. Currently an enterprise architect at Safeco, he is familiar with the core enabling media technology such as Content Delivery Network, as well as underlying challenges. Born in Shanghai, Sean hopes to combine his unique perspectives, bridging capabilities with the technical community, with the insights and friendship gained from the program, to create new possibilities. Cohort 8

Yi-Jen (Caroline) Wang

“Caroline” graduated from National ChengChi University in Taiwan with a Bachelors Degree in Radio and Television and a Minor in TV Journalism. While in school, she was Director and Anchor in University News WebTV, producing a bi-weekly TV news program, interviewing and editing film on her own. She also worked three years in the Voice of National ChengChi University, the first Chinese radio station operated totally by students. There she produced and broadcast a 1-2 hour program every week and hosted outside broadcast programs. In 2006, her film, The Modern Tribe, ranked 4th in Lee Cheng Yu's News Prize 2006 for Television Feature News (This is the¡§Pulitzer Prize¡¨for Taiwanese students majoring in Journalism and Mass Communications.) In her master's program, she aims to learn more about media management and global perspectives of media. Cohort 7.

Maury F Webber

Maury is a native of Washington and has lived here for most of his life. To get a feel for life outside the bosom of the northwest, Maury moved to southeast Pennsylvania where he attended West Chester University . He joined the Forensics team, and won two State championships in 'Duo Interpretation'. While at WCU Maury discovered he had a keen interest in video production and eventually secured himself a full-time position with the university's television station. After graduating with a dual major in Communications and Philosophy, Maury moved back to Seattle and quickly found work at the Seattle Community Access Network. In addition to helping produce seven to ten live programs a week, he found the time to produce a short documentary on the Fremont Solstice Parade which won a "Best of the Northwest" video award in 2003. For the last five years Maury has worked for Central Washington University-Lynnwood Campus as Distance Education Technician helping students around the state learn via interactive television. Maury is excited to be a part of the MCDM program and is looking forward to pursuing his interest in solo journalism and travelogues. In the summer of 2006 Maury completed a long held goal of bicycling across the country. A complete blog and some short podcasts of the trip can be found online. Cohort 7.

Randa G Williams

Randa's bachelor's degree was in art and drama, graduating from the UW Drama School, with emphasis in design and management. At graduation, industry options were sparse, so she entered construction. A natural facilitator, she acted as liaison between architectural professionals and contractors, as well as some interior and exterior design work. In recent years through her latest business, Rand Consulting, she spent several years as a Project Manager with the Port of Seattle Aviation Division. There she teamed up to help plan and build projects on the Sea Tac Airport renovation. Desiring to broaden her knowledge she left work in search of a new direction. She has an interest in online educational systems and cross-cultural learning styles. To optimize knowledge gained in the MCDM program, she is additionally attending design courses at Lake Washington Technical College in Kirkland. Cohort 6. 

Cindy A Wong

Cindy Wong, a South Florida native, has worked in newspapers for over 10 years. A University of Miami journalism graduate, she worked at the Miami Herald as a graphic designer. Before that, she had reporting and design internships at the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Detroit Free Press. As an undergrad, she was a Knight Ridder scholar. In 2007, she was a convention speaker at the Asian American Journalists Association. She also served as Yelp.com's community manager in Miami. She enjoys blogging at her website, dearly devoted (http://dearlydevoted.blogspot.com). Due to her new media interests, she participated in a McClatchy Company initiative to explore online innovations, which led her to graduate school at UW.  Her digital interests lie in social networking, entrepreneurship, branding/marketing, and web applications.  Cohort 8

Chao-Wei Wu

Chao-Wei Wu has just discharged from the army. Back to his university times, his major was journalism in internet and multimedia. In the period of time, he worked as an intern reporter and editor in one broadcast company and two on-campus news agencies. He participated in several marketing and publishing competitions, earning certificates and awards. Cohort 8

Xiaoqi Ye

Ye Xiaoqi is currently employed by Microsoft as an International Project Manager for Microsoft Expression Studio, a designer studio that provides designers flexibility and freedom to design standard web sites, rich user experiences for desktop, and management of digital assets and content. Xiaoqi joined Microsoft China in 1997. Microsoft relocated her to Silicon Valley Campus, California in 2001 and relocated her to Redmond headquarters in 2002. She initiated the design and published standard HTML4.01 Test Suite for W3C organization in 2001. Xiaoqi’s experience in international software (Digital Media and web) development cross different platforms: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac, and web applications helps her understand her worldwide customers. She considers the right technology is just another tool helps people unleash their creativity, shorten their time in front of computer to fulfill the same task, provide convenience to people’s life, and encourage creativity. Xiaoqi was graduated in NanJing University of Chemical technology. Cohort 8.