Hello!

I have been teaching courses at UNM since 2007. Most of the classes I have taught have been various levels of Computer Animation including: 'Maya Foundations', 'Maya Production', 'Kids Animation Summer Camps', '2D & 3D Animation', 'MEL & Python Programming in Maya', 'Visual Effects', 'Animation Principles and Body Mechanics', Digital Game Design, and 'Animation Acting'. One of the more interesting facts is that I am a product of some of the very classes I now teach. More about that in a bit.

First I must say that I am extremely blessed to be married to the most brilliant, hard-working, patient and loving wife on the planet. No offense to those of you who are also married, or are working on it, but I win! ;) My wife and I have 12 beautiful children (Yup, that many). My oldest is now a grad student in history here at the University of New Mexico and the other will be joining UNM next year to be a part of this very program. OH YES, I'm geeking out on that! My wife and I are also former foster/adoptive parents which is by far one of the most challenging and rewarding things we have ever done. Hard work, big time, but worth it. We presently have 3 biological and 9 adopted kiddos in our home total. For us artists I'll do the math and that makes 12 total :) We never thought (ever) that we would do this let alone if it was even physically possible, But here we are. and we wouldn't change it for the world. Now let's back up a bit to the boy I was when I began my tenure as an undergrad at UNM.

Deep inside I had always wanted to work in film and animation but didn't see a way for that to happen here in New Mexico at the time and out of state wasn't an option. Because of my success and fascination with Physics in high school I chose what I thought was the practical major at the time. When I began my undergrad at UNM I was declared as a Mechanical Engineering major. In my first semester I was exposed to my first modeling class. This was a CAD modeling class in ProE. It was really fun, but it didn't really satisfy what I was hunting for. As often happens to freshmen I found myself lost on campus and wondered into a computer lab looking for a classroom. As I passed by a bank of SGI (This is dating me for sure) machines I noticed that the students who were fervently working were not hammering away on papers. They were creating 3D models in a fancy program I knew nothing about. My introverted self stepped aside and I ran up to the closest student and immediately inquired of the class they were in. She responded that he was in CS394. I think it was that afternoon I went to the engineering advisement and changed my major to Computer Science (CS) because I had to be in that class as soon as possible.

The funny thing was I really didn't understand what Computer Science really was all about. I knew it was computer engineering stuff, but they had a 3D animation class and I didn't care. I enrolled in CS394 the very next semester and enjoyed myself more than I thought was possible in any class. Ever! Unfortunately at that time it was the only thing about CS I was enjoying or really even understanding. To my benefit I found out that the class was cross-listed in both Art Studio and Media Arts and there was a 494 component as well. My findings not only confirmed that I would be taking the class at least 5 times as an undergrad (Which I did for credit), but that I could switch my major and get out from under the computer programming I really felt lost in. I switched to Art Studio and ultimately graduated with a BAFA in 2005. However, it was two key events that happened when I was a junior at UNM that would ultimately lay the foundation of my career in Computer Graphics.

I applied for and was chosen to work on a grant doing 3D renderings for a respiratory study for UNM-H Internal Medicine which provided the base portfolio for me to land an intern position for The Boeing Company. It was through the mentorship of Jim Van Allen (Now a lead Effects Technical Director at ILM) during my time at Boeing (over 6 years) that I really learned how to push myself and my skills in 3D. Ultimately my career at Boeing evolved into a full-time position and I actually came to a point where I actually began to teach myself computer programming in MEL (Maya Embedded Language) and began to really take a liking to the field I once felt completely lost in. I received my Masters in Broadcast Design and Motion Graphics from the Savannah College of Art and Design completely online while I was at Boeing as well. This degree was a great experience as it taught me a ton about design and conceptualization that I missed in my undergrad because of my obsession with Maya. The moral of that story is don't take anything for granted and get as much out of every class you can. It will be worth it 100 fold guaranteed.

Shortly after I was hired full-time at Boeing I returned to the CS/ARTS/MA Maya courses at UNM to see about recruiting an intern or two to work with me at Boeing on some big projects we had coming up. I was shocked by the fact that NO ONE responded to the call. NOT ONE! This was absolutely shocking to me and frankly still is. Needless to say I wanted that changed. Through an interesting turn of events the current instructor for the courses decided to move out of the state and left a vacancy behind. I was asked to fill that vacancy and gladly accepted. Thus I took over teaching the very classes that I took as an Undergrad. I really loved teaching and I loved being able to pour back into the very class that had played such a pivotal role in my future. Over the course of a few semesters I grew the classes to become a sort of mini animation/vfx program in itself (This was prior to IFDM or FDMA existing as a department) and had stretched the enrollment to fill 3 full classes instead of just 1.

I have been teaching at UNM ever since and the only difference is my classes moved into the very appropriate FDMA program (Now branded Film and Digital Arts) and I have taught a much wider array of subjects than just the courses I was teaching while in Computer Science. I absolutely love teaching and firmly believe that if you really REALLY want to learn something you have to teach it. Seriously! Having to be able to explain something in words and actions enough for others to understand will really force you to have to know every aspect and angle of a subject. I will likely be teaching in some capacity for the rest of my life for this fact alone.

Since my time at Boeing I have started and successfully run my own animation/vfx/web development company. I have worked as a grunt, a modeler, an animator, a pipeline TD, a rigging TD and through my company been a visual effects supervisor and producer on commercial, DVD and film visual effects and animation projects. I have been offered a position as a Pipeline/Rigging TD for Sony Imageworks and spent an ungodly amount of hours with my hands on a keyboard and face behind a computer screen. I have been blessed with many great work opportunities and am thankful for every bit I have been a part of. I now work for the Northrop Grumman Space Systems Sector as a Senior Technical Architect for Training Systems. I and my teams focus on immersive virtual reality training systems, augmented reality, training development, cloud-computing, adaptive learning and user experience oversight. Here I am as a software engineer with 2 art degrees. Crazy Right?!?! :) The funny thing is I see the tie in to what I am currently doing professionally to everything I have done thus far.

The reason I have written out these bits of my story is not to boast or provide a path for you to follow. I have written this in hopes that you see that there is ABSOLUTELY NO single path to success in this or any industry. Everything you do. Everything you learn. Everything you experience can fuel your drive to continue pushing for your goals as long as you keep aiming and keep pressing toward those goals. I have come from a position of running from engineering for art and CG to a position where I am applying my experience in art and CG as I run toward engineering. I have hit a lot of bumps and hard times along the way. That is what is called... life! Learn from your mistakes. Learn from your successes. Keep pressing to be the best you can at everything you do. If you don't have specific goals. Get some! If you don't know how. Ask someone!

These are bits from my story to this point.

What is your story to this point? What is your next chapter going to be about?