Elon Academy documentary shares stories of program success

“Elon Academy: Preparation, Opportunity, Success” includes interviews with scholars, parents, faculty members and more.

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An award-winning documentary about the Elon Academy debuted to the public for the first time Wednesday afternoon during public screenings inside the McEwen building.

“Elon Academy: Preparation, Opportunity, Success,” a 16-minute film that shares the history and purpose of the university’s college access and success program for Alamance County high school students, won an Award of Excellence from the Broadcast Education Association's Festival of Media Arts, an international peer-review competition for faculty creative works.

The video was written and produced by Vic Costello, Don Grady, and Staci Saltz in the School of Communications. The trio worked in cooperation with Deborah Long, director of the Elon Academy, and shot much of the footage during the program’s 2012 residential component on Elon’s campus.

The documentary features stories from students, parents, Elon Academy alumni, Elon University faculty members, civic leaders and those who conceptualized and built the program, including Long and Elon University President Leo M. Lambert.

The academy each year welcomes select high school students in Alamance County who are academically promising with a financial need and/or no family history of college. It includes three consecutive summer residential experiences prior to the sophomore, junior and senior years, as well as year-round Saturday programs for students and families.

“The biggest opportunity that Elon provides by far is simply the creation of the expectation of success,” Lambert says in the film. “They know when they’re invited to be in the program that this is a big mark of confidence in them. It’s an opportunity for them to realistically consider that ‘this could put me on the road to college.’”

The video will be used to tell the Elon Academy story and achievements to prospective scholars and their families. It will also be screened to Elon University students who apply to be mentors in the program, Long said, and a shorter version will be produced to show prospective benefactors about the academy's power to transform lives.

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by Eric Townsend, Staff Last Updated - 3/21/2013

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Fairfield University’s Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael elected member of Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) has elected Evangelos Hadjimichael, Ph.D., founding dean of Fairfield University’s School of Engineering, to membership in its select organization. A Woodbridge, Conn., resident, Dr. Hadjimichael is now professor of Physics and Engineering at Fairfield.

The Connecticut Academy is patterned after the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in Washington D.C. The major objective of the Connecticut Academy is to provide information and advice to the government, industry, and people of Connecticut, and to encourage the young in science, engineering, and technology. Membership in the Connecticut Academy is limited to just 400 persons.

"I am very pleased to have been elected to membership in CASE; I see this election not just as an honor, but primarily as an opportunity for me to serve further the interests of the State of Connecticut," Dr. Hadjimichael said.

Dr. Hadjimichael was instrumental in merging the Bridgeport Engineering Institute with Fairfield University, thus establishing the School of Engineering, for which he was the founding dean. During his 15-year tenure as dean he established academic alliances that continue to provide a seamless pathway for community college students into the School of Engineering, and he introduced numerous programmatic and curricular innovations, including an Assessment and Continuous Quality Improvement Process (AQUIP), which proved to be invaluable in the School gaining re-accreditation in 1999 and 2005 from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Further, he shepherded the establishment of a statewide nanotechnology minor linking the University with research institutions.

"Dr. Hadjimichael has been an invaluable member of the Fairfield University community for over 45 years," noted Jack Beal, Ph.D., dean of Fairfield's School of Engineering. "He has been an outstanding faculty member in the classroom and mentor to our students He has been an able and collegial administrator at the University. But most of all, he has been a valuable colleague and friend to all of us here at Fairfield and across the entire state of Connecticut. He is richly deserving of this honor."

After earning his doctorate in physics from the University of California at Berkeley, Dr. Hadjimichael did a three-year post-doctoral fellowship at Yale, and was subsequently appointed to the faculty at Fairfield. His research in nuclear and elementary particle physics was supported by NSF grants, without interruption, from 1972 to 1996. He served on the Advisory Council on Accreditation, Board of Higher Education, Connecticut, for six years, and was vice-chair and chair of the Council. In 2007-2008, he headed a 15-person inter-institutional group that developed an undergraduate curriculum in nanotechnology for statewide use. He was recently appointed to the Planning Commission for Higher Education, State of Connecticut.

The induction will take place in May at the Academy's annual dinner meeting.

Image: The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) has elected Evangelos Hadjimichael, Ph.D., founding dean of Fairfield University's School of Engineering, to membership in its select organization. Pictured third from right (front row), he stands here with colleagues.

Media Contact: Meg McCaffrey, (203) 254-4000, ext. 2726, mmccaffrey@fairfield.edu

Posted on March 07, 2013

Vol. 45, No. 214

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Academy Alum Finalist in International Design Competition

Academy Alum Finalist in International Design Competition Ion Popian, who received his Master of Architecture degree this year from Academy of Art University’s School of Architecture, is among the finalists of the Sukkahville 2012 design competition taking place in Toronto next week. Sponsored by the Kehilla Residential Programme, affordable housing advocates in the Toronto metro area, this annual competition challenges entrants to use the concept of temporary shelter to develop permanent solutions for affordable housing. Ion researched the history of the sukkah, a temporary shelter put up in anticipation of the ancient Jewish festival of Sukkot, and used his findings to create the Woven Sukkah. His approach and process for the weave of the sukkah also connects with the Sukkot values of uniting as community and family.

Newsfeed September 28

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Academy Instructor Benefits Cancer Victim

When David Sacks, a 42-year-old Philadelphia-based photographer was diagnosed last October with stage four cancer in his liver, lungs, bones and lymph nodes, a group of his friends decided to organize an art-themed fundraiser to help with medical costs and other needs for David, his wife Angie and their four children. That decision came to fruition over the weekend as about 500 people showed up for an art show to support David, including still-life artist and School of Fine Art instructor at Academy of Art University, Elana Hagler. The Academy instructor donated fifty percent of her proceeds to David’s cause. “It can be hard to go from a place of being self-sufficient to being dependent on other people, but they've made that transition really easy and wonderful, it's an incredible gift of their time and energy that they made this all happen." Sacks said. "Angie and I are very grateful."

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Academy of Art University Launches Spanish Language Facebook Page

Academy of Art University announces the launch of a dedicated Spanish language Facebook page which can be found at www.facebook.com/AcademyOfArtUniversityEspanol. The Academy's global reputation is reflected in the diversity of its faculty, students and graduates. The Spanish language Facebook page is a resource that will allow both US Hispanic and International Spanish speakers and their families the opportunity to become informed about the work and career success of Hispanic students and alumni of the Academy. Events on and around campus geared toward Spanish speakers will be featured, as well as information about Academy of Art University's Degrees and Financial Aid. Come "Like" our page and become part of the Academy of Art Español Facebook community.

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From Childrenswear to Women’s Apparel, Academy Grad is Making a Name

Academy of Art University’s School of Fashion graduate, Ryan Roche, merges into the realm of women’s apparel with the support of many celebrity moms. Both Maggie Gyllenhaal and Milla Jovovich initially sought Ryan for childrenswear and ended up requesting designs for themselves. As a mother, Ryan saw a need for conscientiously made clothing for children, and now finds herself designing similar ready-to-wear pieces for women. Her first collection for Fall 2011 was purchased by Jovovich and picked up by Eva Gentry, Steven Alan, and Metier, among other stockists.

New York Magazine October 2

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Academy of Art University Celebrates Fashion’s Night Out

Celebrate Fashion’s Night Out on Thursday, September 6, with Neiman Marcus and 7x7 Magazine from 6 to 8pm by viewing collections from Academy of Art University School of Fashion designers on display at 150 Stockton Street, near Union Square. Now in its fourth year, Anna Wintour's late-night shopping extravaganza, Fashion’s Night Out, has spread all over the world. San Francisco retailers, from the smallest local boutiques to giant department stores, will offer up tons of late-night shopping, champagne sipping and fashion mingling. In the meantime, there are plenty of in-store shopping and sale events to get you ready for the big night of viewing Academy fashion designs.

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Academy Student Glances Abroad

Art lovers will be flocking to New York’s Bronxville Public Library to view Academy of Art University student Kathleen Zann Isacson’s exhibit of her most recent watercolor paintings, “Glances Abroad: Watercolor Impressions from World Travel”. The exhibit will be presented in the Little Gallery for the entire month of October. The public is invited to meet the artist and join an opening reception on October 6, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the library. “Wherever I travel I am drawn to the local population engaged in their everyday tasks," states the Academy student in a press release. "Sometimes I’m rewarded with a smile or catch the strain of fatigue and a story emerges and with the story comes an insight into a unique fragment of the human mosaic."

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Academy Illustrator Uses Her Art as an Academic Resource

Academy of Art University’s School of Illustration alumna Debbie Bakker has created a children’s book that teaches the fundamentals of flora, fauna and wildlife to kindergarten and first graders. This book, whose title has yet to be released, will be published as an app through iTunes in Spring of 2013. Also a former teacher, Debbie has included several interactive educational components: nonfiction information about the flora and fauna in each of the twelve habitats in the story, educational games, and a wonderful animal song. “It is me being both a teacher and an artist,” said Debbie.

The Academy alumna got started as a wildlife illustrator by signing up for a replacement course in wildlife illustration. “I was fortunate to take Terryl Whitlach's Wildlife Illustration course. This was a last minute substitute class, and I absolutely fell in love with wildlife and nature illustration,” said Debbie.

In 2009, during her wildlife illustration class, she was commissioned to complete a mural for West Valley College's brand new biology building. Debbie worked closely with biology faculty members to draw over seventy-five different species of native California flora and fauna, painted as a transect of fourteen ecological zones from the ocean on the west to the Central Desert on the east.

“The mural is 45 feet long, over 200 square feet. I relied heavily on resources: the college scientists, my local art store for advice on acrylic products. I also invested heavily in resource books on wildlife/landscape painting/acrylics. My resource file of photos by the end was 8 inches thick. I painted the landforms first, and then added the plants, then the animals. I painted and sealed the whole mural myself. In all, the mural took 350 hours from start to finish,” said Debbie.

Debbie’s illustrations have also just published in her first book Lighthouse Tales. It is a wonderful collection of spooky stories for young adult readers, written in verse and told by the author and storyteller Lance McVay. Debbie was discovered through a local conference for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). The illustrations are in pen and ink. There will be a “telling” of the stories by Lance and a signing on Tuesday, October 30 at Palo Alto Books Inc. just in time for Halloween.

This busy alumna credits the Academy for helping prepare her for life as an illustrator. She spent her time at Academy of Art University honing her drawing skills and cultivating the highest level of professionalism at all stages of her work. She was exposed to such a variety of styles, mediums and projects over the course of her program, that she felt confident in tackling all sorts of assignments as a professional illustrator. “And that is a really great thing as a freelance artist!” said Debbie.
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Academy Director Shares Insights at CBA Conference

Director of Academy of Art University’s School of Multimedia Communications, Jan Yanehiro, will be the keynote speaker at the Cherry Blossom Alumnae’s 5th Annual CBA Conference on Sunday, October 14, 2012, 12pm-3pm at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), 1840 Sutter Street in San Francisco in the Issei Memorial Hall. Yanehiro will share insights to this year’s theme “What Every Asian American Woman Should Know.” Her achievements include pioneering the magazine format on television as co-host of “Evening Magazine,” a nightly San Francisco program that ran for 15 years on KPIX TV-CBS5, and hosting 6 documentaries on the redress and relocation issues of Japanese Americans during World War II. She has also won multiple awards including an Emmy and the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award. Yanehiro will share her thoughts alongside other successful Asian American women. Asian

Week September 25

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Fashion Star to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Academy Grad Does It All

Academy of Art University’s School of Fashion graduate Kara Laricks, the winner of NBC reality show Fashion Star, is certainly a new face in the crowded sea of designers. Under the tutelage of design mentors Jessica Simpson, John Varvatos and Nicole Richie, Kara convinced the buyers’ judging panel from H&M, Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue that her creations were worthy of the $6m capsule collection award. The show was a hit: Nielsen TV Ratings Data reported 4.81 million viewers for the finale, and NBC has already renewed Fashion Star for a second season and begun casting. Kara explains that the difference between her previous shows at fashion week and this one was, “In the past, if my collection was not well received, I was under the protective wing of The Academy of Art University, NBC, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, H&M … this time, the pressure was all on me. However, there was never any question as to whether or not I would continue designing post Fashion Star and I knew “sticking my neck out there” would be worth the risk no matter what the response. Now that my first collection has been shown at New York fashion week and the reviews are rolling in, I feel exhilarated, proud and accomplished. Can’t wait for the next!”
New York Observer September 17

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Academy Animation & Visual Effects Students Bring “Beasts of the Southern Wild” to Life

Thirty-one Academy of Art students from the School of Animation & Visual Effects contributed to the visual effects of Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012), a film capturing the support and imagination of all, including Hollywood attention. The students worked through their holiday vacation to make sure the film would be ready in time for the Sundance Film Festival’s grand opening, where it won the Grand Jury Prize for Drama.
Animation & Visual Effects instructor Catherine Tate has contributed to the visual effects of more than thirty films.  For the School of Animation & Visual Effects, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the latest installment of an ongoing program involving students in real-world film productions. “We’ve worked on five feature films that have appeared in the Sundance Festival and are currently working on two more features selected for Sundance Labs,” Tate reports. “So they have a good chance of getting into the festival. We’ve contributed to many more features that have screened in festivals all over the world.”
Nathan Hackett, a 2010 BFA Academy grad is now a visual effects director at Westernized Productions in San Francisco, and states, “because I’d worked in Catherine’s class, and I’d actually gone through the process and worked with directors, they knew I could do this job.” Tate recognizes the great value for both students and independent films by coupling student work and industry needs.  “Independent films don’t have a fortune for visual effects, often nothing at all. So it’s a mutually beneficial relationship for us and the filmmakers. We’re actually championing independent film by helping these low-budget productions get made to a better level of execution than would otherwise be possible.”

 Photo Credit: Fox Searchlight

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Academy Races to Design with China Team

Students from the School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University have a once in a lifetime opportunity to design the vessel for the Chinese national team’s 2016 America’s Cup. The China Team, which raced in the 2012 America’s Cup in San Francisco, has challenged Academy of Art University students to design the next generation of vessel concepts that the team will consider for the 2016 America’s Cup. “With China Team competing in the America’s Cup World Series here in San Francisco last week, our students had a unique opportunity to witness in person what they have a chance to impact with their design in 2016,” said Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University. “This opportunity to design a world-class racing vessel for China Team is exactly the kind of experience we want our students to have before they graduate and we are grateful for this partnership with China Team.”
SFGate October 8

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