Office and People Directory

Sheila Liming

Biography

Sheila Liming, PhD, came to Champlain in 2020 and settled into teaching an array of classes in writing and publishing. She is the author of three books: What a Library Means to a Woman (University of Minnesota Press, 2020), Office (Bloomsbury, 2020) and, most recently, Hanging Out (Melville House, 2023), and the editor of one, a new version of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence (W.W. Norton, 2022). Her writing has appeared widely in venues like The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, Lapham’s Quarterly, The Globe and Mail, LitHub, and elsewhere, while her work has been reviewed and featured in People magazine, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She received her PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and, in her spare time, she continues to play the Scottish bagpipes (just as she did as part of the Carnegie Mellon University pipe band).

Distinctions & Awards

Maryland Humanities — State-wide Common Read finalist (HANGING OUT / 2023)
Reader’s Digest Most Anticipated Book of 2023 (HANGING OUT / 2023)
LitHub Most Anticipated Book of 2023 (HANGING OUT / 2023)
Teaching Excellence Award (North Dakota University System / 2018)
Whiting Foundation — Fellowship Finalist (2018)

Publications & Abstracts

• Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time (2023)
• The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (2022)
• Office (2020)
• What a Library Means to a Woman (2020)

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• Modern Language Association (MLA)
• Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present (ASAP)
• Edith Wharton Society (EWS)
• Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Reading: I wrote my first book about the author Edith Wharton, who was a chronicler of Gilded Age privilege in America. People often ask me where to start with Wharton’s oeuvre and I like to recommend her short novel SUMMER (1917), which is page-turner dealing with rural politics, sex, gender, and class inequality.
• Reading: One of my specialties is gothic fiction and gothic storytelling. Some outstanding recent work in this genre comes from the Vermont writer Melanie Finn. Her novels THE HARE (2021) and THE UNDERNEATH (2018) blend a feminist perspective with classic features of the gothic genre.
• Reading: When you get serious about studying writing, you come into contact with other writers, and some of those connections turn out to be long-ranging. For instance, I went to college with the Asiya Wadud, a powerhouse poet whose collections SYNCOPE and CROSSLIGHT FOR YOUNGBIRD will challenge and provoke any aspiring writer.

Favorite Quote

“Sit as little as possible; give credence to no thought that is not born in the open air and accompanied by free movement in which the muscles do not also celebrate a feast.”

—Friedrich Nietzsche, ECCE HOMO

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Katie Loesel

Biography

Katie Loesel grew up on Lake Erie in Erie, Pennsylvania. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from The Cleveland Institute of Art in Cleveland, Ohio and a Certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. She is a snowboarder, sailor, crafter, gardener, environmentalist, cyclist, and lover of local food and drink. After living in Thailand and Boston, Katie moved to Vermont to focus on her art. She tends to make prints, drawings, installations, and sometimes books. She has participated in artist residency programs at Vermont Studio Center and Zea Mays Print Studio. Her work has been exhibited nationally, with frequent shows throughout Vermont. Katie is the recipient of a 2016 Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant. Katie has taught printmaking at Burlington City Arts and Champlain College.

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Joseph Manley

Biography

Joe Manley is an experienced developer, educator, game designer, and artist. After receiving an undergrad and graduate degree in ceramic sculpture from RISD and CU, Boulder respectively, Joe began making games and interactive media in Flash. This interest in making interactive experiences is what drew him to Champlain College. Since 2003, Joe has been an integral part of the Game Studio at Champlain College and taught some of the first game related classes at the school. Joe currently spends most of his making time in either Unity or Unreal but also steps back into the clay studio when given a chance.

CV

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Shannon Mitchell

Biography

Shannon is an Adjunct for the division of Communication and Creative Media, with a specialization in Game Production. Recognized by Bustle in “Women Redefining What It Means To Work In STEM” Shannon is co-owner, Vice President, and COO of GameTheory Co, a Vermont-based game studio whose passion is using gaming technology to inspire social change. Shannon’s work at GameTheory begin in 2016 with this mission, and to expand the creative application of games, technology, and design towards meaningful impacts. Through her time in the game industry she has served as project manager on dozens of successful projects across entertainment, mobile, edu-tech, and health spaces utilizing wearables, AR/VR and biometric feedback. Before working in her current positions, Shannon held several roles in entertainment-focused independent studios, where she collaborated on widely recognized and award-winning app titles.

At this point in her career, Shannon is focused on expanding the benefits of leading edge gaming technologies to provide accessible and sustainable benefits outside of traditional gaming spaces. The core of this expertise lies in her use of agile project management workflows to streamline development across a portfolio of acclaimed projects of ranging scale and scope. This background provides her with years of experience effectively managing technically advanced project teams through research projects requiring significant considerations for human protections, close collaboration with subject matter experts, and secure data management processes. In addition to her experience in Game Production and Entrepreneurship, she specializes as a UX designer and consulting working from a lens of respect-based design – a methodology that bridges elements of accessibility, user-first, and empathetic design principles into a centralized theory for product development. As a professional, Shannon has served as a local event organizer, IGDA mentor, and industry coach to support individuals starting out in her career to foster positive growth, creativity, and intersectional diversity within the games industry.

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Fiadhnait Moser-Hardy

Biography

Fiadhnait Moser-Hardy joined Champlain College as an adjunct professor in the CCM (Writing), SoSI (Elementary Education), and Core Divisions in 2022. She currently teaches Children’s Literature and the Expressive Arts, Creative Writing, Writing for the Workplace, Navigating Your Information Landscape, and Navigating Higher Education.

Moser received her M.F.A. in Writing with a specialization in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2021. She is especially known for exploring difficult themes through fabulism and fantasy within her children’s books. Her publications include two middle grade novels, The Flourishing of Floralie Laurel and The Serendipity of Flightless Things, as well as an article discussing disability in publishing in Publishers Weekly.

In addition, Moser has extensive experience as an interdisciplinary artist and teacher, having previously worked as an elementary art and dance teacher. She is especially passionate about broadening her college students’ perspectives with new and creative ways of learning through interdisciplinary artistic study.

Distinctions & Awards

Featured Author at Denver Children’s Festival of Stories 2019

Publications & Abstracts

• The Flourishing of Floralie Laurel
• The Serendipity of Flightless Things
• It’s Not All About the Pub Date

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
• I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith

Favorite Quote

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

—Pablo Picasso

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Brian Mulhall

Biography

Brian is the Operations Manager for WCAX-TV in Burlington Vermont. He has been teaching the Multi Camera Studio production class at Champlain College since 2016.

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Mira Niagolova

Biography

Mira Niagolova is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Since her first documentary Trafficking Cinderella (1999), she has been committed to telling stories of global concern, portrayed with sensitivity and compassion. Mira has received numerous fellowships and awards, including the Sundance Documentary Grant. Her films have been screened in more than 30 countries around the world.

She has also worked nationally and internationally as a producer, programmer, distribution and festival manager with nonprofit film organizations and industry institutions, including The National Film Board of Canada.

In 2017, Mira received a Fulbright Scholarship to film and teach at the National Theater and Film School Sofia, Bulgaria, her original hometown. In 2020 in recognition for her valuable experience as a documentary filmmaker and educator, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES) added Mira to its roster of Fulbright Specialists.

Mira is passionate about teaching filmmaking and making learning a meaningful endeavor. She believes in creating an environment for her students that is inspiring and challenging, encouraging them to generate new ideas and develop their own voices that can be heard and trusted.

Distinctions & Awards

Numerous awards in filmmaking and at various festivals around the world. Most recent – Fulbright Scholarship Recipient in 2017 and 2022

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

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Kerry Noonan

Biography

Kerry Noonan holds a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Folklore & Mythology from UCLA, and her research focuses primarily on new religious movements, and women’s roles in various religions; she has published articles on Catholic Charismatic women, online religious communities, feminist witchcraft, Goddess spirituality, and New Age religious folk art, and is also a specialist in Celtic folklore, and Chinese vernacular religions. Kerry often incorporates these topics into her Core classes, and twice led a travel course about Harry Potter. She also co-teaches the FLM capstone. Kerry was a professional actor in theater, TV, & film in Los Angeles, appearing in Friday the 13th Part VI, The New Twilight Zone, China Beach, Knot’s Landing, Mr. Belvedere, Family Ties, and Taxi, plus on stage with the Los Angles Theater Center, South Coast Rep, Arizona Rep, the Grove Shakespeare Festival, and co-founded City Stage. She was part of the Irish traditional band The McGuffins. For Champlain Theatre, Kerry directed Rough Magic: A Shakespeare Compilation, Sweeney Todd, The Lion in Winter, and Blue Stockings, as well as appearing as Gertrude in Hamlet, and is now the adviser for The Champlayers. She has been a contestant on Jeopardy! and Win Ben Stein’s Money.

Distinctions & Awards

Champlain College Diversity Award: International 2013; Faculty Internationalization Initiative Grant (Champlain College) 2009

Publications & Abstracts

Publications & Abstracts

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

• American Folklore Society
• American Academy of Religion

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

One of my favorite books is The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin. I’m also a Tolkien nerd, and a Jane Austen fanatic. I could go on and on …
A movie that I love is Fanny & Alexander, directed by Ingmar Bergman.

Favorite Quote

“The idea is like grass. It craves light, likes crowds, thrives on crossbreeding, grows better for being stepped on.”

—Ursula LeGuin, The Dispossessed

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Keith Oppenheim

Biography

Keith Oppenheim is a former correspondent for CNN who has been teaching college since 2009, at Champlain since 2014. He is the program director for Broadcast Media Production and a content creator as well. His most recent documentary, Will It Live On; Growing Up in A Small-Town Jewish Community will air on public television stations and other venues.
At Champlain, Keith helps his students develop as non-fiction storytellers and producers. His students create award-winning documentaries, which have received recognition at the regional and national level. They shoot, write and edit content to succeed as journalists, social media managers and content creators for companies and non-profits. They develop show-creation skills, learning techniques in radio, podcasting and multi-camera studio production. (The college’s internet-radio station, sound studio and Sonic Arts programs enhance give students additional opportunities.) And they get internships and media employment during college, helping them bridge the gap to a marketplace seeking their talent.
Keith is also President of the Board of The Media Factory, a community media center that collaborates with Champlain College in broadcast courses and documentary production.

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Matthew Parillo

Biography

Matthew has been teaching in the Burlington area since 2010 and is currently an adjunct professor of film history and film studies at Champlain College. He has taught several courses at three different colleges including: Film History 1 & 2, Screenings, Censorship in American Cinema, The Hollywood Renaissance, Film Noir: America’s Dark Mirror, Italian Cinema, and The Cinematic Space Odyssey.

Matthew’s primary research interests are in Italian Neorealism and its influence on modern cinema, cinematic censorship and space travel cinema. As well as being an educator, Matthew is also a musician, DJ, golfer, and hockey player.

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JoAnn Patel

Biography

JoAnn Patel has a MFA in Computer Arts from Florida Atlantic University and a BFA in Environmental Design from Parsons School of Design. Her exploration with computers as a creative tool began with digital music creation and expanded to the visual arts. Her digital art career started with web design, then moved on to 3D art, compositing and game art.

JoAnn was 3D Art Director at D2 Creative/D2 Team-Sim where she worked on training simulations for Raytheon and the US Military as well as marketing videos for pharmaceutical clients and continuing medical education projects for doctors. While freelancing in New York City, she worked on projects for the History Channel, A&E, HBO, Discovery, MSNBC, BMW and Hasbro Toys.

JoAnn has taught at Pratt Institute, New York Institute of Technology, Florida Atlantic University, Digital Media Arts College, Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami International University of Art and Design Online. JoAnn’s animated short films “Reflections”, “Idea Hunting”, and “Casandra The Chameleon” have been shown at international film festivals and on the Tampa Educational Channel. “Casandra The Chameleon” won the grand prize at the Homestead Animated Film Festival in 2003.

JoAnn’s current creative focus is on hard surface modeling and texturing, procedural modeling, game environments and the use of game engines for filmmaking and visual effects.

Curriculum Vitae

READ MY CV

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Kyle Patterson

Biography

Kyle graduated from Champlain College in 2016 with a degree in Game Production Management and has worked at various game and tech companies such as Zynga, Warner Bros Games, Disney Interactive, Jam City, and Snapchat. He is a part time adjunct professor at Champlain focused on supporting the Game Studio.

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Agile Game Development with Scrum by Clinton Keith
• Horus Rising -1 – The Horus Heresy by Dan Abnett
• Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry by Jason Schreier

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Robin Perlah

Biography

Robin Perlah currently serves as Chair of the Creative Studio (home to Champlain’s creative art and design majors), Program Director for the graphic design (BFA) and interaction design (BS) majors, and is an Associate Professor in the Division of Communications and Creative Media at Champlain College.

In her time at Champlain, Perlah also served as the Academic Director for the Emergent Media Center, where she helped shape the creative vision for the campus-based interactive media studio. Additionally, Robin served as Assistant Dean for the CCM division, interim Program Director for creative media (BFA), and Program Director for the master’s programs in emergent media (MS and MFA). She has taught a wide range of courses in the areas of interaction design, photography, graphic design, and media theory, serving both undergraduate and graduate students. Currently, Robin teaches undergraduate courses in design history as well as photography, image-making, and visual design.

Perlah’s current art practice is based on a persistent interest in the photographic image, both still and moving, as it is transformed by digitality. Her work deals with the ambiguity of memory, the intersection between image capture (both analog and digital) and the methods of processing and presenting images, and how generative art and data mutations can reveal layers of complexity.

Before working at Champlain College, Robin was the co-chair of the Design & Creative Media program at the Center for Technology, Essex, and ran several community art programs to support young people through art-mentoring relationships and other activities. Prior to that, she had a long career as an art teacher and, professional photographer and photo editor, specializing in commercial, portrait, and event photography as well as fine-art printing.

Robin is a site evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), is part of the volunteer board for PechaKucha Night (PKN) Burlington, and recently rejoined the board of trustees for the Vermont Arts Council as board secretary after finishing her last term as Vice-Chair in 2019. Additionally, she serves as the co-director for the Technology & Design Institute at Governor’s Institutes of Vermont. Robin earned a master of fine arts in emergent media from Champlain College, a bachelor of science in art education from the University of Vermont, and studied commercial and fine art photography at the New England School of Photography.

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John Pile Jr

Biography

John Pile Jr is a Technical Director and Principal Engineering Manager at Schell Games. Previously a full-time professor for Champlain College, John now teaches as an adjunct faculty for the Game Studio.

John has a deep background in digital entertainment, video games, and interactive story-telling experiences for PCs, Mobile, Game Consoles, and specializes in MR / VR / XR. He is the author of “2D Graphics Programming for Games” and has presented at the Game Developer Conference on topics in computer graphics education.

Publications & Abstracts

2D Graphics Programming for Games

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Andersen Pinckney

Biography

Andersen is a Game Design graduate from Champlain College’s class of 2020. He has worked as an aerospace software engineer for Saber Astronautics, a project manager for the DoD, and in production for Rockstar Games. He has been an adjunct professor for Champlain College since Fall 2021.

Favorite Quote

“Shake and bake, baby!”

–Ricky Bobby

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