Baylor Film and Digital Media Professor Awarded Excellence in Education Medal From SMPTE
Media Contact: Terry Goodrich, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-3321
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by Cerenity Austin, student news writer, Baylor University Media and Public Relations
WACO, Texas (Sept. 22, 2020) — Baylor University’s Corey P. Carbonara, Ph.D., professor in the department of film and digital media, has been chosen to receive the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) 2020 Excellence in Education Medal.
Established in 2016 and sponsored by William C. Miller and Ellen Sontag-Miller, the Excellence in Education Medal honors professionals teaching innovative courses on visual technologies, such as motion pictures and television. Carbonara, who is an SMPTE Fellow, has dedicated more than 35 years to teaching complex media production and technical imaging and will be recognized virtually at the SMPTE 2020 Awards Gala on Nov. 11.
SMPTE is a professional association of technical educators, engineers and creators in the entertainment field. The association holds an annual awards ceremony to highlight the accomplishments of industry leaders and innovators.
“I am truly grateful, humbled and blessed by my selection to be the recipient of the 2020 Excellence in Education Medal Award from SMPTE,” Carbonara said. “This award has been given to some of the most extraordinary and talented teachers in the world, including my colleague within the film and digital media department here at Baylor, Michael Korpi.”
Michael Korpi, Ph.D., SMPTE Fellow and professor of film and digital media, said Carbonara is a master teacher and has created several courses, including Digital Media Technologies, Lighting & Cinematography and Digital Studio Production.
“Each course he teaches is a pedagogical masterpiece. Students look forward to his classes,” Korpi said. “He is always working with the latest technological innovations and in many cases, demonstrating or using development prototype equipment loaned from the industry. Students are involved every step of the way. In my estimation, it would take a team of professors to come close to matching him in the classroom.”
Carbonara brought his expertise to Baylor 37 years ago after working with various production companies, including ABC, Columbia Pictures/Editel Chicago and Sony Corp. In addition, Carbonara demonstrates his knowledge of film and digital media by serving on several engineering committees and conducting research with his colleagues on topics ranging from cybersickness and gender to the socioeconomic and sociocultural impact of media.
“Dr. Carbonara started Baylor's student chapter of SMPTE in the 1980s,” Korpi said. “It has been the largest student SMPTE chapter for many years, and over those years, has brought in an outstanding list of industry leaders as speakers.”
Carbonara’s passion for teaching complex media technologies has become a standard in the department of film and digital media.
“Ever since I came to Baylor, I could tell that Dr. Corey Carbonara was an educator I’d want to emulate,” said Chris Hansen, professor and chair of film and digital media. “I’ve known very few people as dedicated as he is to student learning, so much so that he’s typically the kind of professor who stays hours after class to work with students on complex technical and production issues related to our field.”
Carbonara credits his recognition by SMPTE to the support and dedication of the department of film and digital media, Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences and the University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research.
“To be recognized by SMPTE for this honor has also deeply affected me since I know how fortunate we are within the society to have such devoted and outstanding teachers and researchers who are members of our organization from many different institutions of higher learning,” Carbonara said. “These educators, who foster excellence in technology education every day, also inspire me as a professor by their dedication to their students, their craft and SMPTE.”
“I consider it a real indicator of what our program brings to the field that two of our longtime faculty members have been honored in this way,” Hansen said. “Dr. Carbonara is a generous colleague, educator and someone who truly cares about his students.”
For more information on the Excellence in Education Medal, SMPTE 2020 Awards Gala and a full list of honorees, visit the SMPTE 2020 Awards Gala website.
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