Subject Matter Experts

Ringling College’s faculty and staff are practicing artists, designers, leaders in industry, and educators on the cutting-edge of their fields. Here you will find distinguished experts on a disparate range of topics: from West African textiles to macroeconomics to the history Sarasota. Their expertise spans skilled knowledge, critical thinking, and the humanities.

The faculty and staff members listed below are available to meet with members of the media for interviews and to comment on trending issues regionally and internationally. To speak with anyone listed below, contact the Office of Marketing and Communications. Members of the team will assist in making the introduction and scheduling the interview.

Share Your Expertise

Faculty and staff who would like to be added to Ringling’s Subject Matter Expert listing should fill out the online form.

Jeff Bleitz
Department Head and Instructor, Graphic Design
Areas of expertise: Graphic design, typography, UI/UX design.

Rick Dakan
Instructor, Creative Writing
Areas of expertise: Game writing, design, and development, interactive experience design, genre writing, comics.

Katie Dobson Cundiff
Instructor, First Year Studio Program
Areas of expertise: Traditional drawing and painting of representational art using a variety of mediums, but with concentration on landscapes painted in oils.

Ed Gavin ’95
Instructor, Computer Animation
Areas of expertise: All aspects of the academic computer animation pipeline; modeling, texturing, animation and lighting. Softwares including Maya, ZBrush, Substance Painter and Nuke.

Dr. Genevieve Hill-Thomas
Instructor, Liberal Arts
Areas of expertise: African art; museums; African fashion; African textiles; West African development; Burkina Faso; non-profit development (particularly in West Africa); West African music videos.

Michael Hoffman
Instructor, Liberal Arts & Assistant Director, Academic Advising
Areas of expertise: International law, international human rights, political science (domestic and international), higher education administration, academic advising/student academic success.

Dr. Chrystine Keener
Instructor, Liberal Arts
Areas of expertise: Renaissance studies, Islamic art and culture, pedagogy.

Lauren M. Levine, MA, LMHC
Associate Director, Counseling Services
Areas of expertise: College student mental health, generational differences in development.

Dr. Mary Ann Markey
Instructor, Liberal Arts
Areas of expertise: Active killers, mass murders in schools, workplaces, public venues and church; intra-family homicide, violence, domestic violence, biophilia, astrophilia, Space Society, Cosma Culture.

Dr. Pat Mizak
Assistant Vice President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Higher education (general), accreditation, macroeconomics, international political economy.

Martín Murphy
Department Head & Instructor, Virtual Reality Development
Areas of expertise: Virtual Reality Development, CMF (Color, Design, Finish), real-time computer graphics.

Sarafina Murphy-Gibson
Academic Affairs Model Coordinator
Areas of expertise: Art models

Dr. Christoper Nank
Instructor, Liberal Arts
Areas of expertise: American literature (mostly after 1900), Florida literature and media, contemporary literature in general, eco-criticism, monster/apocalypse imagery.

E Ramey
Director, Recreation and Wellness
Areas of expertise: Health and wellness, esports.

Jeff Schwartz
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Areas of expertise: Curriculum, programing, INDEX, Illustration, painting, facilities, portfolios, community partnerships.

Sylvia Whitman
Instructor, Creative Writing
Areas of expertise: children’s literature

Dr. Christopher S. Wilson
Instructor, Liberal Arts
Areas of expertise: Sarasota School of Architecture, Sarasota history (in general), architectural history (in general), design history (including graphic design, fashion design, product design, etc), architecture in films, art history.

Schedule
8:30 am

Check-In, Scott Plaza

Complimentary morning refreshments available

8:30 am-12 pm

Activities Fair, Scott Plaza

8:30 am-2 pm

Residence Hall Tours (ongoing), Goldstein Residence Hall

9:30 am-10 am

Undeclared Student Session, Larry R. Thompson Academic Center Room 218

9:30 am-11:30 am

Academic Major Demonstrations / Open Houses, See map on opposite side for locations

10 am-1 pm

Make 'n' Take: Stamps & Sketchbooks, Basch Visual Arts Center

10 am-1:30 pm

Cunniffe Commons Tours (ongoing), Tour our brand new, state-of-the-art dining facility

10:45 am-11:30 pm

Film Post-Production Studio Tour, Corner of Cocoanut Ave. and 1334 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way

10:30 am-12 pm &

12:30 pm-1:30 pm

First Year Studio Program, Larry R. Thompson Academic Center Fifth Floor Hallway

11:30 am-12 pm

Student Panel, Diane Roskamp Exhibition Hall

12 pm

Lunch (Complimentary), Scott Plaza

12:30 pm-12:45 pm

Welcome and Q&A with Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President, Scott Plaza

1 pm-1:30 pm

Campus Tours (ongoing), Meet at Admissions, Ulla Searing Student Center Deck