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Patricia
Aufderheide
Director
Center director Patricia Aufderheide is University Professor in the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C. She is the co-author with Peter Jaszi of Reclaiming Fair Use: How to Put Balance Back in Copyright (University of Chicago Press, July 2011), and author of, among others, Documentary: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2007), The Daily Planet (University of Minnesota Press, 2000), and of Communications Policy in the Public Interest (Guilford Press, 1999). She heads the Fair Use and Free Speech research project at the Center, in conjunction with Prof. Peter Jaszi in American University's Washington College of Law. She has been a Fulbright and John Simon Guggenheim fellow and has served as a juror at the Sundance Film Festival among others. She has received numerous journalism and scholarly awards, including the Preservation and Scholarship award in 2006 from the International Documentary Association, a career achievement award in 2008 from the International Digital Media and Arts Association, and the Woman of Vision Award from Women in Film and Video (DC) in 2010. Aufderheide serves on the board of directors of Kartemquin Films, a leading independent social documentary production company, and and on the editorial boards of a variety of publications, including Communication Law and Policy and In These Times newspaper. She has served on the board of directors of the Independent Television Service, which produces innovative television programming for underserved audiences under the umbrella of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and on the film advisory board of the National Gallery of Art. She received her Ph.D. in history from the University of Minnesota.
Pat can be reached at: paufder (at) american.edu
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Angelica
Das
Associate Director
Angelica Das is the Associate Director at the Center for Social Media. Angelica comes to the Center with a background in nonprofit management and communication. She managed operations and established the Washington, D.C. office for the nonprofit Machik, which works to strengthen communities on the Tibetan plateau. As Program Officer for the National Geographic Society's Expedition Council, she managed applications, grant awards and media for premiere explorers and adventurers. She holds a Masters of Arts in International Media from American University, a joint degree of the School of Communication and the School of International Service, where she investigated the role of hyper-local media in information environments. She has served as a juror for the Media That Matters shorts festival and the Social Justice award at Filmfest DC. She was a participant in the 2011 BAVC Producers Institute and a mentor for the 2011 Silverdocs Transmedia Lab. A true global citizen, Angelica has roots in Poland and India and continues to explore the world through documentary filmmaking. Angelica holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Rochester and post-baccalaureate certificate in Polish language and culture.
Angelica can be reached at: das (at) american.edu
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Lauren
Donia
Project Coordinator
Lauren is a graduate student at American University. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and sociology at Syracuse University. Prior to coming to AU, Lauren worked in various capacities on a number political campaigns ranging from a gubernatorial primary race in Connecticut to a presidential primary race in Iowa. Before entering the political sphere, Lauren worked as a special ed paraprofessional in an elementary school and directed and choreographed plays and musicals for children and teen theater groups.
Lauren can be reached at: Ld6037a (at) american.edu
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Jessica
Clark
Senior Fellow
Jessica Clark is a Senior Fellow at American University's Center for Social Media, where she directed the Future of Public Media project from 2007-2011 and co-organized events such as the National Public Media Camp and the Beyond Broadcast conference. A 2011 Knight Media Fellow at the New America Foundation, she has worked on a series of research projects examining the shifting media ecology, including investigations of best practices in digital journalism for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, prospects for news within public broadcasting for Harvard’s Berkman Center, and online civic engagement for University of London’s Centre for the Study of Children, Youth and Media. The co-author of Beyond the Echo Chamber: Reshaping Politics Through Networked Progressive Media (The New Press, 2010), Clark is an internationally published reporter and analyst who has regularly contributed to such outlets as PBS MediaShift and In These Times. She earned her BA in English, and an interdisciplinary MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago.
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Bill
Siemering
Media Fellow
Media Fellow Bill Siemering (President of Developing Radio Partners) has been a leader in U.S. public radio management, local and national program
development, and fundraising for more than thirty years. His professional tenure includes
fourteen years of experience in international media development in Central and Eastern
Europe, Asia, and Africa.
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Deanna
Zandt
Research Fellow
Deanna Zandt Deanna is joining the CSM staff as a Research Fellow, examining new tools for public media impact assessment. She is a media technologist and the author of Share This! How You Will Change the World with Social Networking (forthcoming: Berrett-Koehler, June 2010). She is a consultant to key progressive media organizations including AlterNet and Jim Hightower's Hightower Lowdown. Zandt specializes in social media, and is a leading expert in women and technology. She works with groups to create and implement effective web strategies toward organizational goals of civic engagement and empowerment, and uses her background in linguistics, advertising, telecommunications and finance to complement her technical expertise. She has spoken at a number of conferences, including the National Conference on Media Reform, Bioneers, America's Future Now (formerly "Take Back America,") Women Action & The Media, and provides beginner and advanced workshops both online and in person.
In January 2009, Deanna was chosen as a fellow for the Progressive Women's Voices program at the Women's Media Center. She also serves as a technology advisor to a number of organizations, including Feministing, The Girls & Boys Projects and Women Action & The Media.
In addition to her technology work, Deanna writes and illustrates graphic stories and comics, and volunteers with dog rescue organization Rat Terrier ResQ.
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Katie
Bieze
Graduate Fellow
Katie Bieze is a graduate fellow at American University's Center for Social Media and in the M.A. program in Film and Video at American University's School of Communication. She graduated from Duke University in 2009 with a B.A. in Literature and certificates in Documentary Studies and Film/Video/Digital (now called Arts of the Moving Image). After graduation, Katie worked in Los Angeles as a development intern for Di Bonaventura Pictures, Dark Horse Entertainment, and Color Force. Prior to coming to American, Katie worked as the assistant to the head of the literary department at Luber Roklin Entertainment.
Katie can be reached at kb7266a (at) american.edu
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Nick
Ray
Graduate Fellow
Nick is currently enrolled as an MFA graduate student at American University to pursue a career in both freelance media production and higher education, believing that the best way to learn (and teach) the dynamic world of media is to dive in. As an undergraduate at Shippensburg University, Nick travelled with students to Wallops Island in Virginia, Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. He interviewed participants and created short documentaries explaining the significance of the journey to his peers back home. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Frederick Community College in Maryland, teaching editing and effects, and will be one of SOC's adjunct faculty in the new Digital Media Skills graduate certificate program launching March 2012.
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Erin
Finicane
Graduate Fellow
Erin is a graduate student at American University pursuing and MFA in Film and Electronic Media. After having graduated from Yale University in 2008 with degrees in Anthropology and Film Studies, Erin set out for New York City where she interned for two production companies: Jigsaw Productions and Four Corners Media. At Jigsaw Productions, under filmmaker Alex Gibney, Erin had the opportunity to work on several feature documentary films including "Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer" and "Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place." And at Four Corners Media she was able to apply her academic background in Archaeology to her post production work on films relating to archaeological digs in Turkey and Iraq.
After freelancing for a time in Boston, MA - working for clients such as MIT - Erin finally decided to return to school for an MFA. At American University, Erin is continuing to develop her skills as a filmmaker. With a wide variety of interests, ranging from history to human rights and environmental issues, Erin hopes to use documentary and related media as a tool for education, engaging audiences in the stories behind the issues, and encouraging young minds to become writers of their own cultural narratives.
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Fatemeh
Shahkolahi
Graduate Fellow
Fatemeh is an M.A. candidate in the International Media program in the School of Communication at American University. She graduated with honors from Notre Dame of Maryland University with a B.A. in English and Communication.
Fatemeh can be reached at fs5658a (at) american.edu
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Echo
Xie
Graduate Fellow
Echo Xie joins the Center for Social Media as a graduate fellow. She is currently a graduate student in the International Media program at American University's School of Communication. Growing up in Beijing, Echo developed a deep interest in music, film and literature. In 2008, she graduated from University of International Business and Economics with a B.A. in business. Prior to coming to the US, Echo worked as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in media and entertainment industry for two years. Witnessing rapidly changing social structures and communication, she began exploring participatory and social change tools. In media, she believes, lies the key to a better world.
Echo can be reached at xx9761a (at) american.edu
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Laura
DeNardis
Policy Fellow
Laura DeNardis is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at American University. She is a globally recognized Internet governance scholar whose research addresses Internet policy and technical design issues related to communication rights and freedom of expression online. Before joining American University, she served as the Executive Director of the Yale Information Society Project. Her books include Opening Standards: The Global Politics of Interoperability (MIT Press 2011); Protocol Politics: The Globalization of Internet Governance (MIT Press 2009); Information Technology in Theory (Thompson 2007 with Pelin Aksoy); and a forthcoming Yale University Press book on Global Internet Governance. DeNardis earned a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from Virginia Tech, an MEng from Cornell University, an AB in Engineering Science from Dartmouth College, and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from Yale Law School.
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