Hayward Bound!

I now have the pleasure to inform you that… I got accepted to the Multimedia Master’s program at Cal State East Bay (Hayward) for Fall 2006!  Yup, it is a GOOD week for Kenneth.  (Gosh, I don’t really have any CSUEB photos, but surely I can’t just NOT put up photos, can I?)

So what is this program about?  Let me see if any key phrases come to mind.  “We specialize in team-based development” that “focuses on the creative and technical aspects of new technology to create, control, deliver, and present meaningful content in a variety of interactive forms.”  Okay, thanks.

Here are some of the course offerings of the program, with “Multimedia” abbreviated as “MM”: Application of Learning Theories to MM Design, Business Basics in MM, MM Network and Hardware Development, Software Development, Animation, Digital Video and Audio, Effective MM Instruction, Interactive Design and Authoring.  They all sound GREAT!

It’s actually a bit scary that every class sounds like fun.  I feel hopeful that I will like going back to school, now that I’ve found something that’s right down my alley.  Some of you may not even know why I applied to this.  I’ve reprinted my cheesy statement of purpose below to give you an idea.

Multimedia and digital arts are at the very heart of my professional and personal interests. I want to pursue a Master’s degree in Multimedia at CSUEB because it will give me the space and drive to learn more about what I love, and to put what I learn into creative practice. After I received my degree in Computer Science at Stanford University, I have continued to work at Stanford as the manager of student consultants in a major computer center on campus. My proudest and most challenging achievements there revolve around the continuing development of the Multimedia Studio, the crowning jewel of our computer facilities. The experiences I have gathered here have prepared me well for the program at CSUEB.

The opportunity to keep up with the latest computer technologies and to find effective ways to communicate that knowledge to our interdisciplinary faculty, staff, and students is what I have enjoyed most about my work. I help students use the Studio daily, which requires me adapt my teaching and consulting style to cater to all types of technical backgrounds. I have also loved getting my feet wet alongside students, to use the Studio to enhance presentations, conceive new ideas, and to realize visions through digital mediums. To me, this is also what the program at CSUEB is all about.  When I first stumbled across the course description, I felt that it was just what I have been looking for: a perfect intersection of innovative technology, powerful creative arts, rewarding teamwork, and the pursuit of a passion.

My experience at Stanford has been an excellent preparation for the coursework I want to pursue. I have assisted hundreds of students and faculty in learning to use Apple iLife, Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Captivate, Audacity, and a host of other tools that are finding their way into more academic projects every day. And I make it my aim to learn something new everyday, often a better way to get my work done so I can play more. At CSUEB, I expect I would persevere in sharpening my abilities. My initial goals are to finally experiment with Macromedia Flash, Director, Apple Motion, and Pro Tools, and to start thinking about how to leverage them in the development of an innovative project.

I work closely with a staff of twenty student consultants who remind me of the value of collaboration.  Everyday we work as a team in order to overcome technological obstacles in the Studio and to create interactive means for raising the multimedia literacy of our community. At CSUEB, I seek to partner with teachers and fellow students in order to reach new and tremendous goals that I could not achieve on my own. I am impressed and excited to hear that there are faculty members at CSUEB who share my interests in digital imaging, wearable computing, instructional technology, and technology-influenced culture. I want to discover and dialog about project ideas waiting to be transformed into something original, relevant, and beautiful.

In the past three years, I have been on a search to find ways to take my interests and talents to the next level.  I want to continue to cultivate my computer science background, my multimedia skills and artistic talents, and my passion for brilliant expressions of ideas through effective human-computer interaction.  I believe the Multimedia program at CSUEB is exactly what I have been looking for.

In case you’re still curious about what I’ve worked on so far, you can try checking out the 84 MB (320×240) version of My Video Portfolio.  You’ll need at least QuickTime 6 to play it.