Kristin Carlson

Kristin is an Associate Professor in the Creative Technologies Program at Illinois State University, exploring the role that computation plays in embodied creative processes. She has a history of working in choreography, computational creativity, media performance, interactive art and design tools due to her background in movement, technical theater, interaction design and programming. Kristin is a researcher with the movingstories: Tools for Digital Movement, Meaning and Interaction research partnership exploring the cognition of movement experience and designing movement applications for creativity support tools. She was the Executive Producer for the 21st International Symposium for Electronic Art (ISEA2015) held in Vancouver, Canada and publishes in the fields of cognitive science, computational creativity, movement and computing and electronic art. She holds a BFA in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, an MSc and PhD from Simon Fraser University in Interactive Arts and Technology, studying with Dr. Thecla Schiphorst and Dr. Philippe Pasquier.

Annie Sungkajun

Annie Sungkajun is an artist and designer who works in interactive installation. Her work aims to evoke a sense of nostalgia in her viewers, as it does for herself. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Creative Technologies and Graphic Design at Illinois State University. She received her MFA in Visualization, from Texas A&M University. Through her installations, she explores concepts of home, memory and displacement.​ She has exhibited work in Braga, Portugal for ARTECH, Manizales, Colombia for the International Symposium on Electronic Art and in London, England for the Electronic Visualization and the Arts conference.

Lucy Gill

Lucy is a PhD Candidate at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research sits at the intersection of anthropological archaeology and historical ecology, employing community-based participatory research practices as the foundation for empirically rigorous data collection and theoretical formulation. She co-directs Darién Profundo, a collaborative project based in eastern Panama, which employs community mapping, paleoecology, and ethnography, in addition to archaeological field and laboratory methods, to document the deep local history of Darién Province. These investigations have implications for ecological conservation and Indigenous sovereignty within the area, and her work develops strategies for collaboration with various stakeholder communities, at all phases of the research process. She is also collaborating with the Confederated Villages of Lisjan, on whose ancestral lands UC Berkeley sits, to develop noninvasive archaeological methods that can document and protect sacred ancestral sites. She has previously worked in Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and elsewhere in the United States. In the classroom, Lucy works with middle and high school teachers and other university educators to improve multicultural heritage literacy in the United States.

Zahra (Firozeh) Irannezhad

Zahra Irannezhad is a professional director and editor who has worked in broadcasting organizations in Iran for 12 years. She is currently based in the USA, working on her second master’s degree in Creative Technologies from Illinois State University. She is excited about works that highly social and cultural issues, and how to emphasize social justice in her work.

Sam Bruner

Sam Bruner is a graduate student working on her master’s degree in Creative Technologies from Illinois State University. She is currently working on her thesis combining art, technology, and education. She is interested in exploring the educational experiences in interactive media, specifically when it comes to poetry and other literature. She Co-Founded and Designs the literary magazine Sonder Midwest. During her summers she teaches high schoolers about the literary magazine publication process and writing as a craft.

Ella Jahraus

Ella Jahraus is a graduate student in the Creative Technologies program at Illinois State University. She currently works as a graduate assistant at WEB and Interactive Communications, where she helps design websites for clients across campus. Her interests include interactive media, web design, and coding. She’s looking forward to creating more interactive works in the digital world, and hopes to bring more of her work to the physical world as well.

Catalina Hernandez-Ramos

Catalina is an undergraduate in the Creative Technologies program at Illinois State University. Along with her love for people, the indigenous culture, and her community, she enjoys playing numerous instruments such as piano, flute, clarinet, alto sax, and the baritone sax, which she played for ISU, University Band.

Brennon Best

Brennon is a Graduate student studying Game Design, XR, Music, and anything audio. His undergraduate degrees are Music Composition and Creative Technology. He is also a part of the Center of Mathematics, science, and technology.

Mason Bates

Mason Bates is a Creative Technologies graduate student studying game design and development at Illinois State University. His background in video games has been grown through the publication of many indie releases as well as joining Naughty Dog Studio as a game designer/scripter.

Amal Abdalla

Amal Abdalla is an Egyptian visual artist and designer. She earned bachelor's and master’s degrees both in Art Education from Minia University, Egypt. She earned another master’s degree in Creative Technology from Illinois State University, USA. She developed and presented a set of workshops bridging distinct cultures using calligraphy at different institutes, such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University. As an artist and educator, she uses an interdisciplinary approach that blends visual art and digital media with educational experiences.

Ola Oyedokun

Olaoluwa is a Product Designer who works on Human Computer Interaction. He earned is bachelors degree in Industrial Design from The Federal University of Technology, Akure and earned is Master’s degree in Creative Technology from Illinois State University, USA. His interest includes augmented reality, virtual reality and human computer interaction. He looks forward to creating digital products that will make live easier people.

Rochele Gloor

Rochele Gloor is a designer and a creative director of her business RGLOOR Lab. Her work has been focused on experimenting concepts for the future of sustainable fashion through collaborations, zero waste, and social inclusion, and with projects related to costume design, integrated arts, sound design, and audiovisual. She has received a BFA in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology, NY, with knitted textiles exchange program in Nottingham Trent University, UK, and is specialized in knitwear. She is currently working on her master’s degree in Creative Technologies at Illinois State University with a grant assistantship from the University Galleries. While at ISU, she is interested in delving in the world of mixed reality to promote sustainable human x nature x technology coexistence.

Teresa Estrada

Teresa Estrada is excited to be our VoiceOver specialist! She has previously worked on productions at ISU including The House of Bernarda Alba and Hit The Wall, and looks forward to graduating next spring!

Ethan Cossio