DL1′s consultants are selected partly for their expertise in using the tools and technology here, but more for their leadership skills and their commitment to explore something of emerging interest to the community. Through their work and their work habits, they model—and modify—the “DL1 culture” each semester.
Alexandra Chen
Specialties: 3D, Graphics
I am a first year graduate student in architecture at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. I served for three years with the Peace Corps in Zambia working on community health education and appropriate technology design. I’m interested in 3-D modeling and rendering and am always looking to learn more.
Colin Fulton
Specialties: Audio, Graphics, Coding, Video, Web
Originally from Massachusetts, I came to University of Michigan to study art and design. I got a BFA in Interarts Performance from U of M’s School of Art & Design and the Theatre Department in 2012, focusing my studies on sound and new media in live performances. In addition to my work for the DMC I do freelance work as a new media artist, graphic designer, sound designer, composer, video editor, technical director, audio engineer, musician, etc.
Eric Myrick
Specialty: Video
I am an actor, singer, dancer! I am a BFA Theatre Performance: Acting major at U of M. I love music and applying music to things like movies and art. I started editing, splicing, and syncing when I was a little kid. I would make movies with my little brother and put them together with Adobe After Effects. A lot of the projects that come into GroundWorks and the Duderstadt Center are SOMEHOW linked to art or the arts (whether it be a presentation for a class, a poster, a short film, or a video diary). I have noticed, most people who come to GroundWorks to make their ART more ARTSY– to help make a bigger splash when they show it off! With my performance background, I try to bring to GroundWorks a lot of the little tricks and nuances that I have learned, hoping to give your projects the extra kick in the right direction of making a big impression on your intended audience.
Brian Ng
Specialties: Graphics, Audio, Coding
Hi! My name’s Brian and I’m a senior in the Chemical Engineering department and will be graduating in May 2013 (hopefully!). I love working at GroundWorks because I learn so much about programs that I’d never learn about in my engineering classes. Outside of GroundWorks I am involved with the Michigan Marching Band and Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan, I am obsessed with Michigan sports, and I love the Walking Dead. Feel free to come chat with me about any of these things and please don’t hesitate to ask for my help!
Elly Schmitt
Specialties: Video, Graphics, Web, Audio
I am an alumna of the University of Michigan School of Art & Design, and I have worked in various learning spaces in the Digital Media Commons since 2009. After working as a GroundWorks media consultant for nine months, I spent more than two years as a DMC audio technician. I transitioned into videotaping on-campus lectures and developing websites for the DMC in 2012. Outside of the DMC, I regularly build websites, edit videos, and record music for others. I also like to spend my free time writing and recording my own music, and I have been designing and developing websites since I was 11 years old.
Natalie Smith
Specialties: 3D, Graphics, Video
As an artist who tends to dabble in many different forms of media, I often find that I can bring most of them together through film. I like to mix it up, collaborate, and help other people accomplish goals that they have never tried before. It never hurts to try!
Sally Volkmann
Specialties: Graphics, Video
I am an artist, filmmaker, and photographer interested in documenting and telling stories. In GroundWorks I frequently use Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, Compressor, and iDVD for creating my documentary films. I’m always willing to help with your videos or act as a sounding board for ideas. One of the best things about GroundWorks is the diversity of users and projects that offer me a glimpse into many different interests. In my free time I enjoy riding my bike, going to the movies, and crock pot cooking.
Maura Youngman
Specialties: Web, Coding
As a MS candidate in the School of Information, I came to Ann Arbor after three years of running digital initiatives for the Pulitzer Center in Washington, DC. I graduated from Hamline University in 2009 with a degree in Communication Studies and International Journalism. In the past, I’ve worked as a columnist, reporter, and editor for Hamline University’s student weekly, The Oracle. I also devoted time to the Twin Cities Daily Planet, and Edinburgh-based Spain Magazine. In the past, I led investigative journalism reporting workshops for journalists in Haiti, produced long-form journalism books for the iPad, and recently fundraised 16k for a documentary film on DC punk rock youth activism. Interests include examining the intersection of technology and journalism, media access projects, internet censorship and data visualization.