Professor Garfield is collaborating with professors and students in the Center for Emerging Media Design & Development (EMDD) at Ball State University. The Professor Garfield project team from EMDD is reenvisioning the Professor Garfield content and organizational architecture to position the site as a leading voice in digital literacy education and provide support to K-3 teachers and students in their digital literacy efforts.
Dr. Jennifer Palilonis is a full professor in Ball State University’s Department of Journalism, and the director of the Center for Emerging Media Design & Development. She holds a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from the Indiana University School of Informatics & Computing. Prior to becoming the EMDD director, she was the coordinator for the nationally recognized journalism graphics sequence and director of the Ball State Digital Publishing Studio. Her fields of professional specialization are design thinking, human-computer interaction, cross-platform storytelling, visual journalism, page design, information graphics reporting, art direction, redesign, visual rhetoric, composition, electronic learning, collaborative learning, animation, digital publishing, research-informed design and development, human-computer interaction and interaction design. Professor Palilonis is the author of two textbooks: A Practical Guide to Graphics Reporting (Focal Press, 2006; 2016) and The Multimedia Journalist (Oxford University Press, 2012). She has developed three major interactive multimedia books, including Design Interactive, an e-text on basic design principles and Visualizing Electricity & Magnetism, an interactive set of visualizations used in 100-level electricity and magnetism courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Ryan Wiaranowski is a Design Thinking Practitioner and User Experience designer at Quest Diagnostics. In his position, he works on a collaborative team that executes design thinking strategies to create optimal user experiences. In 2016, he was the producer for the Professor Garfield project, for which he led an interdisciplinary team that created the framework for the digital literacy curriculum. His work on the project included initial ethnographic research on the state of education, brainstorming sessions with in-service and pre-service educators, and the creation of the first Professor Garfield prototype. In May of 2017, he received his master’s degree in Emerging Media Design & Development from Ball State University.
Darik Hall is a first-year Emerging Media Design & Development student at Ball State University. As a graduate assistant for the EMDD program, he contributes to the web development of the new Professor Garfield website, assists with the structural design of the site, and films material for instructional videos. In conjunction with Kyle Parker and his team, Darik serves as a technology advisor for the project. He also worked for Jim Davis at Paws, Inc. for five years before starting his own media company, Deftly Creative.
Tiffany Watt is a second-year Emerging Media Design & Development student at Ball State University. As a project producer, she collaborates with the developing technologies team, video director, and graduate assistants to write content for the new PGF website, designs the digital literacy exercises, lesson plans, and materials, and assists with the script writing of the instructional videos. She also manages the PGF news website blog, providing weekly updates of the project.
Any Ung is a first-year Telecommunications Digital Storytelling student at Ball State University. She develops and produces the PGF digital literacy instructional videos. While producing the videos, she defines the style, structure and content of each video, and is responsible for bringing the vision to life. Her role includes a variety of duties such as script writing and editing, shot composition, shot selection, briefing and managing the technical team, and video editing.
Kelly Hopkins is a freelance user experience/user interface designer who works with professionals to produce products that are usable and pleasurable for people. In addition, she also manages and designs for an up-and-coming music artist. Before she began freelancing, Kelly worked as the marketing and communications assistant for Ball State Online and Strategic Education. In 2016, she collaborated on the Professor Garfield project and assisted with the designs of the digital literacy exercises. In 2017, she received her master’s degree in Emerging Media Design & Development from Ball State University.
Jason Phillips is a native of Western Kentucky and, prior to coming to Ball State, lived primarily in the central Kentucky area. Jason is a second-year digital storytelling graduate student in the Telecommunications Department. Jason has previously worked in both broadcasting and higher education, and has worked on various projects related to digital culture and technology in education. The Professor Garfield project allowed Jason to combine a lot of his interests and experiences. Jason's current research interests include the relationship between traditional media and digital media, internet nostalgia, and the way technology is represented in popular culture. Jason has also written and directed multiple short films during his time at Ball State.
Mackenzie Kitchel is a medical device sales representative for Zimmer Biomet. In her position at Zimmer Biomet she works with surgeons and hospital sta! to get the best produces possible used in the operating room. She also has to handle contracts that will benefit her team, but also the hospital while competing against other companies. Before she worked for Zimmer Biomet she was the Liaison on the Professor Garfield project. The team conducted ethnographic research, brainstorming sessions with educators, and more that lead to the creation the first Professor Garfield prototype. In 2017, she received her master’s degree in Emerging Media Design & Development from Ball State University.
Tanner Little is a tech lover with a passion for digital marketing. He enjoys working with bits and bytes to accomplish big ideas – including web design, development, analytics, and usability. Colleagues and clients know him as a highly creative marketer with an appetite for UX. In 2016, he collaborated on the Professor Garfield project, providing creative input and technical assistance in design thinking exercises and prototyping. In 2017, he received his master’s in Emerging Media Design & Development at Ball State University. As a first-generation Emerging Media Design & Development graduate, he currently works as a digital marketing adviser.
Erika Espinoza is a first-year Emerging Media Design & Development student at Ball State University. As a graduate assistant for the EMDD program, she assists with design assets needed for the Professor Garfield website. This includes, but is not limited to, video graphics, page layout designs, and branding for all PGF materials. In 2018, she was part of a Pulitzer prize winning team at the Arizona Republic.