Ball State's Center for Media Design Appoints Three ITV Vets as Fellows

Indiana-based Ball State University's Center for Media Design (CMD) has appointed three high-profile interactive TV industry veterans as Industry Research Fellows, tasked with leading the Center's research into how consumers are likely to respond to new television interface designs and services. The new fellows, who will have a one-year tenure, are Dale Herigstad, executive creative director of TV interface design company, Schematic (note: for more on Herigstad's and Schematic's work, see [itvt] Issue 5.53 Part 2); John Herne, head of studio and media consulting at ebusiness consultancy, Sonalysts, who was formerly director of new media at Discovery Networks; and John Canning, senior product manager and field producer for the Yahoo! Media Group, who was formerly a technical evangelist at Microsoft's eHome Division. As well as working with the CMD's research team on developing and testing new approaches to incorporating interactivity into advertising, news, weather and other TV content, the new research fellows will serve part-time as professionals-in-residence, holding lectures and making classroom presentations. "Each of our new research fellows brings unique skills and experience to assist in our research efforts," Mike Bloxham, the CMD's director of testing and development, said in a prepared statement. "Dale Herigstad brings a unique perspective with background in television graphic design and user interface design, while John Herne is a recognized leader in new media, having developed applications and business cases across a number of platforms. John Canning has a wide range of experience from worldwide communication and media issues, broadcast technologies and services, and field media production. Together they make up something of an interactive media dream team, and we are delighted to have them on board as research fellows. Our students and faculty will benefit and so will our research efforts."

The CMD has also implemented a faculty research program that allows Ball State professors to spend a semester exploring aspects of digital media and related technologies. According to the CMD, the program not only supports its mission of digital research and development, but encourages faculty in non-media fields to advance the understanding of digital media across disciplines. The CMD Faculty Research Fellow for the fall semester, 2005 is Michael Holmes, a communications studies professor and former interim dean at Ball State's College of Communication, Information and Media. He is a member of the Middletown Media Studies research team investigating media usage in Muncie and Indianapolis, Indiana.

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