MCCAMC NEW FACULTY
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Meet the New Faculty at MCCAMC

By Flor Striffolino

The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication would like to introduce five faculty members joining us starting Fall 2023. The Art & Design Department has appointed Dr. Anna Ryoo, whose teaching career spans an incredibly diverse array of educational settings, from kindergarten to post-secondary levels. The Department of Cinema & Television Arts has appointed two assistant professors, Guillermo R. Rodríguez, a multi-talented individual who wears the hats of both a narrative filmmaker and a film scholar, and Dr. Debarati Byabartta, a distinguished scholar and educator specializing in the realm of Film and Media Studies, with a focus on theories and criticism. The Department of Journalism has appointed Ruben Keoseyan, a seasoned newsroom journalist and leader with over three decades of expertise. The Department of Theatre appointed Lily Bartenstein as an assistant professor, whose remarkable creative force in live performance and Theatre has positioned her as a versatile designer specializing in scenic, video, and lighting elements. Our new faculty members’ collective expertise and dedication will contribute to the growth and success of our students as they pursue their academic and creative endeavors.

Anna Ryoo, Department of Art 

Joining us from Canada, Dr. Anna Ryoo’s research and teaching practices are informed by discourses in education, contemporary art, political theory, and continental philosophy. When asked what she looks forward to as a new faculty member, Dr. Ryoo expresses,” First and foremost, I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know fellow matadors at CSUN. I am thrilled to be given this opportunity to start a new chapter of my life as one of the new faculty members of Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication, and at the prospect of being able to engage in my artistic practice more actively, stimulated by creativity and bustling energy of those working and studying in the Department of Art and Design. As I try to familiarize myself with a new campus, new city, and new country, I look forward to encountering countless memorable moments and finding ways in which I may be able to contribute in some way. After receiving her B.F.A., Ryoo spent several years in Seoul and Taipei. It was then that she began to raise critical questions about what it means to educate and to be an educator, so upon returning to Vancouver, those lingering questions led her to her scholarly path.

Anna Ryoo

Dr. Anna Ryoo/image courtesy of Anna Ryoo

Ryoo acquired her Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies, Art Education, and M.A. in Curriculum Studies and Art Education, having previously received a B.Ed. in Art Education and a B.F.A. in Visual Art and Theory from the University of British Columbia.

Guillermo R. Rodriguez, Department of CTVA

Hailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, multi-talented filmmaker Dr. Guillermo R. Rodriguez is a writer, director, producer, and skilled editor who has worked on four feature films, a documentary series for The History Channel, and CBS, NBC, and DirecTV promos. Dr. Rodriguez shares, “As a first-generation college and post-baccalaureate Latino, I am so excited to mentor students from underrepresented backgrounds with aspirations to become filmmakers, pursue advanced degrees, and become storytellers and/or scholars with their own diverse perspectives so they can make a change in society. I also look forward to sharing my twenty years of experience in the film industry and my accomplishments as a researcher in media studies with the CSUN community, a place where I know I can thrive as a teacher, scholar, and filmmaker with the support and warmth of such highly accomplished and welcoming colleagues.”

As Assistant Professor of Narrative Filmmaking at Santa Clara University, Dr. Rodriguez created a course on Film Adaptation in collaboration with Emmy-winning actor/writer/director/producer Mark Duplass and Teaching Assistant Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he developed courses that use video games as a pedagogical tool as well as integrate film theory into the filmmaking process through a Latex Lens.

Guillermo R. Rodriguez

Dr. Guillermo R. Rodriguez/images courtesy of Guillermo R. Rodriguez

Dr. Rodriguez received his A.B. in Comparative Literature and Latin American Studies from Princeton University after receiving an M.F.A. in Cinema-Television Production and a Ph.D. in Comparative Media and Culture from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Debarati Byabartta, Department of CTVA

Originating from Kolkata, India, Dr. Debarati Byabartta’s academic journey crossed borders as she pursued her master’s degrees in India and Spain and her professional development in Brazil, which expanded her multicultural and multilingual horizons. As an international scholar, Dr. Byabartta is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Social Justice initiatives. When asked what she looks forward to as a new faculty member, Dr. Byabartta responded, “I am curious about interacting with the student community and exchanging knowledge and experience with them, especially in this new, post-pandemic era challenged by artificial intelligence. I am enthusiastically looking forward to learning from my colleagues about the nitty-gritty of the job and working with the team in close harmony. I also want to work on the university’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice initiatives and advance the vision and mission. Finally, I want to progress on my first book research and start preparing its manuscript.”  Dr. Byabartta is a dedicated academic, professional, and true World Cinema and Television enthusiast, especially regarding works from the Global South. Her passion for storytelling knows no boundaries and encompasses a wide range of cinematic expressions. Her enthusiasm for humor and comedy and her genuine love for teaching and research create a dynamic and engaging learning environment for her students.

Dr. Debarati Byabartta

Dr. Debarati Byabartta/image courtesy of Debarati Byabartta

Byabartta earned a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from Texas A&M University, specializing in Transnational Film, Media, and Critical Cultural Studies with a focus on Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Iberian Peninsula after receiving an M.A. in Spanish Literature from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, an M.A. in Spanish from Jawaharlal Nehru University, and a B.S. in Advertising, Sales Promotion & Sales Management from Gokhales Memorial Girls’ College-University of Calcutta.

Ruben Keoseyan, Department of Journalism

Based in Los Angeles, Keoseyan will teach a weekly interview-based program titled On Point, exposing students to the exciting world of multimedia formats and the various aspects of producing a “as live” broadcast show. When asked about what he most looks forward to as a new faculty member, Ruben Keoseyan said, ”The rapid developments the industry is facing in terms of content delivery platforms has affected the way in which news is being told. This challenge presents unique opportunities for effecting change, and this has been the basis of a course I taught at IE University in Madrid, Spain, and the way I have successfully run newsrooms. My teaching focus is to equip students with the ability to view news as journalists and become agnostic of platforms by learning the news cycle and flow and adjusting the content for delivering information. The idea is that they learn to work in a changing environment and develop convergence tools so they can become well versed in change and adaptability.” Some of CSUN’s own professors have evidenced Keoseyan’s teaching approach through the newly created Telemundo Academy.

Rueben Keoseyan

Ruben Keoseyan/image courtesy of Ruben Keoseyan

Keoseyan earned his M.S. in Development Management from The American University after earning his B.S. in Marketing & Finance from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico.

Lily Bartenstein, Department of Theatre

Established in Los Angeles, Bartenstein’s work has been seen at Playwrights Arena, Skylight Theatre, Native Voices at the Autry, Center Theatre Group, Long Beach Opera, and International City Theatre, among others. She has taught technical theatre and design at California State LA, Cal Poly Pomona, and California School of the Arts- San Gabriel Valley. As a new faculty member, Lily Bartenstein states, “I’m so delighted to join the theatre department at CSUN this fall. I’ve always enjoyed teaching in the CSU, so I’m most looking forward to meeting our students and engaging in the fun and creative work of learning and developing skills in both theoretical design and practical production execution. I also look forward to collaborating with the great faculty here and creating exciting work in our theatres in the future.” Lily’s core principles as an educator were formed at the University of Chicago, where she was a co-curricular University Theatre program student leader. As a teacher, she continues to promote opportunity, education, and artistic excellence in her students.

Bartenstein

Lily Bartenstein/image courtesy of Lily Bartenstein

Bartenstein received her M.F.A. in Scenic Design from the University of San Diego after acquiring her honorary B.A. in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Chicago.

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