FACULTY BIOS
Olayele Adelakun, Information Systems
Judy Bundra, Music Education
Julie DeRoche, Music Performance
Richard Farkas, Political Science
Joseph Ferrari, Psychology
Lisa Gundry, Management
Matt Irvine, Digital Cinema
Andrea Lyon, Law
Amber Settle, Computer Science
Bibiana Suárez, Art/Art History
Matt Irvine, M.F.A.
Assistant Professor, Digital Cinema
College of Computing and Digital Media
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
What is the most rewarding aspect of teaching at DePaul?
Seeing students actually enjoy going to class and working on their projects. Nothing makes me happier than walking into a classroom during the last few weeks of the quarter and finding it packed with students. They are there because they want to be there. They actually like going to class. That’s my reward.
What do you like best about DePaul students?
DePaul students are enthusiastic about the area. They are smart and hard working. They also have very high morals and ethics. I also find them easy to relate to. Smart, dedicated, open and honest. Those are the words I’d use to describe DePaul students.
What do students like best about the courses you teach?
The opportunities to create their personal visions. My courses vary from screenwriting to directing for cinema. In each course students create final projects that allow them to express their views of the world. Whether it is a screenplay, movie, documentary or animation project. The experience of tapping into who they are creatively is priceless.
What has been your greatest success while teaching here?
The growth of the Digital Cinema program. We started with zero majors less than three years ago and now have well over 300 majors and 2500 enrollments a year. That is a testament to DePaul student’s hunger for media and media production. I’m just glad that I have the opportunity to fulfill that need. But we don’t intend to stop there. Our plan is to become the number one cinema/television/computer gaming program in the Midwest… then number one in the nation.
Are there any challenges you face teaching digital cinema courses here at DePaul?
We have fantastic word of mouth and our retention rate is among the highest in the university. Our main problem lies in being more visible to high school students and incoming freshman. Many students come to DePaul wanting to explore cinema/TV production but end up in the wrong major. After a year, sometimes less, the students find out that we exist and transfer over to the program. I’d like to be able to have students in our program right off the bat.
What makes DePaul different from other universities?
The relationship between the student and the instructor. This relationship is forged in the first week of classes. Since Digital Cinema advises students all year long, faculty members really get to know their students and vice-versa. Another difference is the fact we are in Chicago. DePaul is Chicago’s university. We have opportunities to partner with all of the major media organizations in the city. From motion pictures to advertising, from television to computer game companies. The Digital Cinema program at DePaul draws on the resources of the greatest city in the world.
What would you say to prospective students considering DePaul?
If a student is interested in spending their next four years in an environment that allows them the freedom to explore their interests and grow as human beings then DePaul is the place for them. Nowhere is there a better environment for college students to learn and grow than DePaul University.
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