Program Director | Lead Faculty - Interactive Simulation & Game Technology

Education |

B.A. in Art: The School of Visual Arts at the University of North Texas
Concordia University of Texas
Masters in Educational Administration: Currently Completing
Certified by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification in Art Education

Jeremy Houston Roden is a traditional painter and sculptor by trade. He believes quality work begins with good design, concept art and story telling. He studied painting, sculpture and drawing while at The School of Visual Arts at the University of North Texas, where he and his fellow cohorts founded A.N.D. Computer Animation Society. As a freelance artist, Jeremy has worked in film and video production, game cinematics and 3D simulation. His credits include CG lighting and special FX on Paramount Pictures | Nickelodeon's Oscar Nominated film Jimmy Neutron as well as 3D layout for two television episodes.

Throughout his professional work in the CG industry, Jeremy volunteered his time to advocate computer graphics education in Texas high schools. Since 1998 he has been at the forefront of computer graphics education in Texas. Jeremy is a strong advocate for educational programs that are affordable, rigorous and relevant to the high demands of the computer graphics industry. He feels Richland College's Interactive Simulation & Game Technology program does just that and gives students an excellent start on their career.

"Software does not create good art & design. It is you. Challenge yourself by bringing good art, design and storytelling skills to the computer. For example, a carpenter can buy the most expensive tools, but never be truly "good" at what he or she does. A carpenter with the least expensive tools and good design skills can be brilliant." -Jeremy Roden

Faculty

Education |

University of Texas at Dallas
Bachelor of Science: Speech Pathology & Audiology
M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas of Dallas.

Dan Dao wrote his first program at the age of twelve in Basic. Over the years, changing from the procedural method to Object Oriented Programming, Dan now focuses on C++, Java, Unreal Scripts, Action Scripts and Python.

Graduating from Plano East Sr. High, Dan completed his undergraduate work in Speech Pathology & Audiology at the University of Texas at Dallas where he also earned his Masters in Computer Science.

Dan was software programmer for Nortel and Ericsson in the mid 90s. He later transitioned into higher education, first as Associate Dean of Information Technology from 2004 to 2006 at Richland College, and now serves as faculty for the Richland College Gaming Program.

As a graduate student, he wrote PC role playing games and networked his neighborhood for multi-player games. Professor Dao instructs students in object oriented programming and teaches level design using various game engines such as Unreal. Dan also continues his research and development usning XNA Game Studio Express and DirectX. Sometimes he can be seen base jumping in a lime green tuxedo from buildings in Downtown Dallas screaming "COMPUTER PROGRAMMING RULZ"

Lead Faculty for the Multimedia Center.

Education |
Bachelors of Fine Arts at Univerysity of North Texas
Masters of Fine Arts at University of Oklahoma

Carter has been teaching in Richland College's Multimedia Learning Center since it opened in 1996.

He has received numerous awards within DCCCD, including Richland College 2005 Associate Faculty of the Year for his work as a visiting scholar. He was selected as 2002 Leader of the Year in the DCCCD Leadership Program. Carter is director of the Richland Computer Arts Festival and chairs the DCCCD Multimedia Curriculum Committee.

In addition to his multimedia skills in animation, digital art and interactivity, Carter has exhibited art and videos in galleries and festivals for more than 20 years. His enthusiasm for art and multimedia are an encouragement to students to challenge themselves, explore new ideas and be productive in creating a successful, innovative and expressive portfolio.

Richland College employs adjunct faculty working in the industry so that the students can benefit from their professionalism, and thorough knowledge of their craft.

Administration and Support Staff

Executive Dean, School of Business and Information Technology, Richland College, Dallas County Community College District

Educational Background:
Iowa State University
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Iowa State University
Masters of Science from the University of Texas at Tyler, and completed additional graduate work in Mathematics from the University of Georgia.

Work Experience:
Mrs. Martha A. Hogan is currently Executive Dean, School of Business and Information Technology. Programs in the division include Accounting, Business Administration, Business Office Systems Support, Computer Information Technology, Computer Networking, Digital Forensics, Economics, Interactive Simultation and Game Design, International Business, Management, Multimedia, Real Estate, and Wireless Communications. The division also includes the support functions of Educational Computing, Administrative Technology Support, and Media Services. She has previous teaching experience in Mathematics at Tyler Junior College, Austin Community College and Collin County Community College. She was one of three members of the SACS Compliance Team to receive Richland College's Innovation of the Year award for 2003.

Professional affiliations:
The Texas Community College Teachers Association

Additional Roles:
Martha currently serves as a Grant Manager in partnership with the University of Tulsa for their NSF grant supporting the Cyber Security Educational Consortium. Previously she served on the National Board for Working Connections Faculty Development Institutes, was the on-site project manager for the Texas State Working Connections Faculty Development Institute, was a Co-PI for an ATE grant for the North Texas Regional Technology Consortium, and worked on Educator to Educator (E2E) for the grant. She was also a member of the "Vanguard Colleges" team, a co-chair of the District IT Strategic Planning Committee, and chair of the college IT Planning Team. She has also served on the SACS Compliance Support Team for accreditation renewal.

If you could hear Debbie's phone ring, you would immediately know she is a gamer. She has the Victory & Fight Songs from the Final Fantasy series. Besides Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, other game favorites include the Ratchet and Clank series, the first three Spyro the Dragon games, Balder's Gate, Ultima and other adventure games with sword-whacking and comic mischief. Don't expect her to use magic, though! She's a fighter, not a magic user.

She enjoys Japanese anime and manga, cartoons and comic books and goofy parody shows like Robot Chicken and South Park. She also enjoys drawing (both with traditional tools and a graphics tablet), writing, computer graphics, photography and other creative endeavors. Some of her original ink drawings have been included in a recently published Science Fiction novel and some of her fanfiction and fanart pieces have won contest prizes.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts and teaches a class about Japanese anime and manga art techniques each Spring. Her teaching philosophy is simple: "I believe in life-long learning, to explore new ideas and concepts and challenge oneself. You are never too old to learn something new.

Mighty Joe Vines as we frequently refer to him as, used to volunteer in the Richland College Planetarium and now makes sure our computer infrastructure for the gaming programming doesn't implode. He also works part-time as a Planetarium Lecturer at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science using what is currently one of the most technologically advanced Laser Planetarium systems in the world. He is also active in providing star parties to kids in the inner city.

Kyle entered the gaming program and quickly adapted to the rapid expansion of the Richland Game Design program. He recognized the needs of the faculty and students and approached us how he could help. He was soon hired as a student assistant in the introduction to game development class. Not long after, Kyle and his fellow cohorts founded the Game Design Industry Society whose purpose is to bring students together to discuss the ever evolving game industry. Discussions include portfolio development, current news, game titles, reviews, internships, employment, and guest visitors to Richland College. Kyle has represented himself well with many faculty and administration and is a key component to the logistics between students and faculty. Kyle also can be seen driving his Nascar on the weekends.