Office and People Directory

John Rasmussen

Biography

John Rasmussen is an Associate Professor for Visual and Performing Arts: Film & Photographic Arts in the Division of Communication & Creative Media. He is a filmmaker working in narrative, documentary, and experimental forms. His work ranges from project documentation for organizations such as Oxfam, The United Nation to grassroots local narrative filmmaking in the U.S. Haiti, and Italy. Rasmussen’s work has been exhibited in festivals in Mexico, Haiti, France, Canada, China, and the United States.

Professional & Scholastic Affiliations

University Film and Video Association

Curriculum Vitae

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Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• La Chien by Jean Renoir
• My Last Sigh by Luis Buñuel

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Eric Sample

Biography

Eric Sample teaches Fundamentals of Music, Film Scoring, and Synthesis & Sound Design. He also facilitates the recording studio at Champlain College.

He is thrilled to have just completed a worldwide sabbatical, researching the music of the African diaspora and traveling to Cuba, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Gambia, and Senegal. He received his initial music training on the island of Jamaica, starting at the Jamaica School of Music before studying privately in Kingston with the amazing Michael Dyke (a lifelong mentor). After leaving Jamaica, Sample moved to the bright lights of New York City, and freelanced at 100+ different advertising agencies over a five-year period, getting a fascinating look at the New York media and marketing landscape.

A relentless lifelong learner, Sample has attended the following schools: the Jamaica School of Music, the Brooklyn Conservatory, the School of Visual Arts, UC Berkeley, the Berklee College of Music online, and the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Sample also loves architecture and design, having designed the layout of the Champlain Music Studio and his parents’ cottage. He is looking forward to his next project (with his mentor) entitled “Rock Hall Trilogy,” a cross cultural musical extravaganza featuring Love, Sex, Death and the Devil—all set in the teeming vibrant wondrous land of Jamaica.

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Paul Schnabel

Biography

Paul Schnabel is an actor/director based in Vermont. In his long career, he has performed in leading theaters throughout the US and Europe and appeared in many feature films and shorts. More recently, he has shifted focus from performance to teaching. His work with Courageous Stage in Middlebury has taken him statewide as a teaching artist in schools at all levels. He has been at Champlain College since 2019 teaching directing and acting. He particularly enjoys working in this department and considers it his mission to strengthen the directing and acting components.
He is a long-standing member of the internationally acclaimed Riot Group out of NYC and has toured extensively with them. As part of the Riot Group, he has garnered many awards over the years, including twice for Best Ensemble from the Stage in London, and 5 Fringe First Awards from the Scotsman in Edinburgh including a First of the Firsts Award. He was a finalist for an Irene Ryan Excellence in Acting Award, and awarded Best Actor in the Vermont Stage and Screen awards.
He is co-founder and past president of Off Center for the Dramatic Arts, an incubator performance venue in the New North End of Burlington.
He has been a member of SAG AFTRA for over 25 years.

Distinctions & Awards

Irene Ryan Excellence in Acting Award, finalist
Vermont Stage and Screen Awards Best Actor, winner
Scotsmen Fringe Firsts Awards x4
First of the Firsts Award
The Stage London Best Ensemble x2
Herald Angel Awards x2

Curriculum Vitae

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Favorite Quote

“The stars are matter. We are matter. But it doesn’t matter.”

—Don VanVliet

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Michael Sealy

Biography

Mike is the Creative Director of his own graphic design business in Burlington, Vermont. Following the completion of his Studio Art degree at the University of Vermont, Mike has been working in the local design community. Working in small design companies as well as medium sized agencies, he has more than 25 years of experience fulfilling clients’ needs. Mike is a versatile art director and graphic designer, making sure every detail is scrutinized from project conception through completion, constantly striving to deliver better solutions for his clients.

Mike loves the creative energy inherent in education; he enjoys staying involved, having taught graphic design and web design as an adjunct professor since 2014.

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Kristen Shull

Biography

Kristen Shull received her MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies, class of 2020. Her comics are featured bi-monthly in the state-wide free newspaper Seven Days. Her self-published books include three volumes of diary comics, three issues of a fantasy comic anthology, and several comic zines. She’s been teaching at Champlain College since Spring 2022.

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Barrie Silver

Biography

Barrie is an innovative, mission-driven marketing and communications professional who is passionate about social justice and social change and has been helping organizations share their stories for more than two decades.

Having spent the majority of her career working in the nonprofit sector (for large organizations like Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and hyperlocal ones like CCTV Center for Media & Democracy) she says she “specializes in performing miracles on shoestring budgets.” She is also a consummate volunteer and has been on the board of Slow Food Vermont since 2015.

A lifelong learner, Barrie likes to collect and archive information, craves to know more, and is energized by other people, new ideas, and, of course, her students.

Curriculum Vitae

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Favorite Quote

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”

-Hillel

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Dana Steinhoff

Biography

Dana Steinhoff is Program Director of Game Business and Publishing, and Game Production Management in the Game Studio at Champlain College. She holds an MFA in Emergent Media from Champlain. Her specialization is in teaching interdisciplinary teams to create interactive digital products while learning about leadership, interactive design, team dynamics, and agile project management methodology.

Steinhoff co-founded and served as the Executive Director of Rad Magpie, a Vermont-based non-profit organization that is doing its part to dismantle the patriarchy and white supremacy in video games by radically empowering underrepresented voices through video game development. Previously, she managed the Exquisite Corpse Company, an avant-garde immersive theater company in NYC. She currently consults on app and video game development projects in the Burlington area, including at Champlain’s own Emergent Media Center.

Steinhoff enjoys renovating her Winooski home and acting, most recently with Vermont Stage. You may be able to catch her performing in her cover band Dana and the Dads (limited engagements).

Distinctions & Awards

Academic Innovation Award 2023, Champlain College: For work completed on Re/Imagining Science DEIBJ Committee

Publications & Abstracts

My reflection on the evolution of Rad Magpie, the nonprofit organization I cofounded to support marginalized video game developers.

Curriculum Vitae

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Favorite Quote

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

—Anaïs Nin

Recommended Reading

Want to get a heads up on how we build games at Champlain? Read Clinton Keith’s: “Agile Game Development: Build, Play, Repeat”

Jonathan Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion” is a must-read right now to better understand the massive political divide in this country.

Office Hours

Sign up for an appointment

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Tanya Lee Stone

Biography

Dr. Tanya Lee Stone started teaching at Champlain in 2008. As a professor, she encourages students to “prioritize process over product,” and “embrace the power of play” in their work. As a former editor and current author, Stone brings long-held connections in the publishing world into her classrooms, inviting authors, artists, editors, and agents to engage directly with students. She teaches Professional Pathways to Publishing, Intro to Writing and Publishing, Writing Children’s Literature, Middle-Grade and Young Adult Literature, and others.

Stone is the author of more than 100 books for children and young adults. She is best known for telling true stories of people who have been missing from our histories, with themes of empowering girls and women threaded throughout her body of work.

Her books have earned many awards, including an NAACP Image Award, Sibert Medal, Golden Kite, Boston Globe-Horn Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus, and NPR Best Books. Her YA novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, is an ALA Top 100 Banned Books of the Decade. Stone’s articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Horn Book, and Publishers Weekly. She often speaks on topics of writing, nonfiction, and censorship.

Some of Tanya Lee Stone’s Books

• Remembering Rosalind Franklin: The Discovery of the Double Helix Structure of DNA (Little Brown/Christy Ottaviano Books, 2024)
• Peace is a Chain Reaction: How World War II Japanese Balloon Bombs Brought People of Two Nations Together (Candlewick Press, 2022)
• Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented (Macmillan/Christy Ottaviano Books, 2018)
• Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time (Penguin Random House/Wendy Lamb Books 2017)
• The House that Jane Built: A Story about Jane Addams (Macmillan/Christy Ottaviano Books 2015)
• Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles (Candlewick, 2014)
• Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors?: The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell (Macmillan/Christy Ottaviano Books, 2013)
• Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream (Candlewick, 2010)
• The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll’s History and Her Impact on Us (Viking, 2010)
• Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote (Macmillan/Christy Ottaviano Books, 2008)
• Sandy’s Circus: A Story about Alexander Calder (Viking, 2008)
• A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl (Penguin Random House/Wendy Lamb Books, 2006)

Distinctions & Awards

NAACP Image Award, Robert F. Sibert Medal

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

• Gilbert, Elizabeth. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. Artists, writers, creative folks of any kind–have this book on hand. You won’t regret it. There is nothing earth-shattering in here but it is filled with beautiful reminders and nudges to honor your own process and get unstuck when you feel stuck.
• Bayles, David & Orland, Ted. Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. I have given this book to more people I can count. It’s one of those books you need on hand whenever you are experiencing imposter syndrome or feeling any pangs of “I’m not good enough” to create your art–whatever form it takes.
• Edited by Marcus, Leonard. Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.
  This book contains a collection of letters that the innovative and inimitable editor Ursula Nordstrom sent to artists and writers she worked with over many decades. This collection lets us in to the often unseen world of communication and process that happens in that ever-important relationship between editor and artist.

Curriculum Vitae

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Favorite Quote

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

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William Stratton

Biography

Bill has been teaching at Champlain for 5 years now, and enjoys the classes, students, and faculty he is lucky enough to interact with.

Publications & Abstracts

I have scores of poems published, and two books in print.

Recommended Reading, Listening & Viewing

I am perhaps biased, but I enjoy reading a lot of poetry, science fiction, fantasy, and CNF. It’s hard to recommend only one or two, but I’m happy to expound given more space and time.

I also quite like audio books, where the performers make a big difference. Ray Porter is a favorite, as is Steven Pacey.

I’m pickier with my movies and TV shows, but I recently re-watched Mr. Robot and enjoyed it even more on a second viewing.

Favorite Quote

“In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.”

—T.S. Eliot

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Joshua Stutts

Biography

Joshua Stutts graduated with his BFA from the Art Institute of Atlanta. After graduating he worked in Independent Game Dev Studios as a 3D Artist at various studios for 9 years. He received his MFA in Interactive Design and Game Development from SCAD with a focus on Photogrammetry. Joshua previously taught at the Art Institute of San Antonio for 6 years. Joshua also taught for 3 years and helped to develop the Game and Interactive Design program at Alfred College.

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Dillon Toole

Biography

Following his graduation from Champlain College in 2020, Dillon pursued a career in film equipment rental houses in both Los Angeles and New York City. After accumulating several years of experience, he returned to Burlington as the new Senior Coordinator for the Champlain College Equipment Rental House. Dillon is also an Adjunct Faculty member and freelance writer, director, and cinematographer.

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Scott Tuft

Biography

Scott Tuft is an award-winning writer, director and producer who has created television programming for HBO, PBS, Cartoon Network and Disney; sold and optioned feature screenplays; written graphic novels for DC Comics and Image; and created and produced a successful independent podcast.

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Nathan Walpole

Biography

Nate Walpole is an accomplished animator and Animation Professor at Champlain College, known for his extensive work on the Halo franchise. With over two decades of experience in the industry, Nate has established himself as a leading expert in the field of game animation, earning a reputation for his technical skill, gameplay movement ideation, and narrative vision.

Nate began his career studying classical (hand drawn) and computer animation at Sheridan College in his homeland, Canada. Early in Nate’s career, he entered game animation at Bungie, the renowned developer behind the Halo franchise. During his time at Bungie, Nate played a pivotal role in bringing the game’s characters and worlds to life, working on key titles like “Halo 3” and “Halo 2”. His work was widely praised for its gameplay and narrative attributes and its ability to capture the spirit and essence of the Halo universe.

Nate’s work on the Halo franchise continued when he joined 343 Industries. He worked on “Halo 4” and an unannounced title, helping to create unforgettable moments and experiences for players around the world.

Nate’s contributions to the Halo franchise have been widely recognized and celebrated. His work on the Halo series earned his work display in the Smithsonian. He has also been featured in numerous interviews and articles about game animation, sharing his insights and expertise with others in the field.

In addition to his work in the gaming industry, Nate is also a respected Animation Professor at Champlain College, where he teaches courses in game animation and technical illustration. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation of animators “” committed to helping his students develop the skills they need to succeed in the industry.

Nate’s dedication to his craft is evident in everything he does, whether it’s creating breathtaking animations for the latest AAA game or inspiring and guiding his students at Champlain College. His talent and expertise have made him a highly sought-after animator and educator, and he continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in game animation.

When he’s not working, Nate enjoys spending time with his kids and playing competitive video games and sport (hockey, Muay Thai, wrestling). He is also an avid bladesmith. Nate is studious on staying up to date on the latest developments in game animation and technology and illustrates comic book content when not animating.

Overall, Nate Walpole is a highly accomplished and respected video game animator and Animation Professor, with a wealth of experience and expertise in the field. His contributions to the Halo franchise have helped to shape the series into the cultural phenomenon it is today, and his dedication to educating the next generation of animators ensures that his mark will last for years to come.

SELECTED GAMEOGRAPHY
Elder Scrolls Online
Halo 4
Halo ODST
Halo 3
Halo 2
Monsters Inc
WCW Backstage Assault

Favorite Quote

“Animation is about creating the illusion of life. And you can’t create it if you don’t have one.”

—Brad Bird

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Peter Wehr

Biography

Peter Wehr has been an Adjunct and Instructor at Champlain College since 2011 teaching Game History and Game Production. Working mostly with first and second-year students, Wehr works very closely with student game production teams teaching them to function effectively to implement their game concepts.

Wehr has worked in academia and the entertainment industry for over four decades specializing in project management and developing infrastructure for new technologies for museums, games, film, television, CR-ROM, DVD, kiosks, and the web. Wehr has been fortunate to work with a variety of industry leaders such as the Smithsonian, HBO, PBS, the Rolling Stones, Sony, CBS, Pepsi, and Dilbert. While working in NYC in the independent television and film postproduction industry, Wehr created a reputation for taking on untraditional and unusual media projects. As one coworker pointed out to him “Whenever you are in a launch meeting, I know it is going to be an interesting ride.”

In his spare time, Wehr plays and coaches soccer, hikes, kayaks, Nordic skis, and snowboards, dabbles with Arduino and Raspberry Pi, reads history, and listens to a wide variety of music.

Curriculum Vitae

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Janet Weinstein

Biography

Janet Weinstein is an Adjunct Professor for Champlain College’s Broadcast Department. She comes with more than a decade’s worth of experiences working as a journalist for companies such as ABC News in Washington, DC and the Associated Press in London, UK. She is passionate about teaching students how to become stronger video producers, especially in an ever-evolving media landscape.

Curriculum Vitae

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