2022 Faculty & Staff
Founders, Anne Deane Berman, PhD & Dr. Steven Lee Berman
Since 1998, DIGIVATIONS INSTITUTE Founders have invested their decades of experience acquired in Academia (UCLA, UBC), Government, Creative Arts, and Technology Industries, in establishing and positively enabling an international community of thousands of youth, educators and professionals to exponentially advance the fabric of society paralleling the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
The Founders of DIGIVATIONS Education Ventures (Canada) DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE (US Federal 501(C)3) and DIGIVATIONS XGENS (Model UN) are Anne Deane Berman, Ph.D. and Dr. Steven Lee Berman. Both were former professors at UCSB and UCLA, respectively. They represented the entire University of California establishing one of the most successful industry-university matching grants programs in digital technologies and content (Advanced Computing- SETI@home, AI, Precision Agriculture, Drug Discovery, Energy, Intelligent Infrastructure, Remote Medicine, 21st Century Entertainment, among others) generating over $300 million in revenue for the State of California from the late 90’s through the mid-2000’s. Dr. Anne Deane Berman is also an internationally performed composer and a former faculty member at UCSB, Iowa State University and University of British Columbia.
Heavily influenced by the United States and U.S.S.R. Space Race, Dr. Steven Lee Berman has served as a materials and computation engineer writing computer programs to analyze some of the first moon rock samples, and he also contributed to the research and design for some of the most advanced engineering and bioengineering applications including the Space Shuttle's heat shield. For the past 30 years, he has actively served as an Intellectual Property, Entertainment, Corporate and Non-Profit Attorney in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. He continues to be involved in numerous educational, technology and interactive media content start-ups and established the first formal enterprise to connect Silicon Valley technologists and creatives with the then more established entertainment corporate and talent communities in Hollywood (see Wired Magazine Article). He also co-designed the curriculum for the first Digital Media Masters Degree program in Canada at the Great Northern Way Consortium Campus in British Columbia, Canada (ECU, UBC, BCIT and SFU).
Dr. Steve has also established economic partnerships and designed innovation pipeline programs for cities, governments, states, universities, and countries including founding the California-Canada Strategic Innovation Partnership which focused on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Nanotechnology, as well as Advanced Transportation and Energy.
Both Drs. Steve and Anne Berman established a NASA award winning STEM+ARTS+MOVEMENT 501(c)(3) educational non-profit in the United States, DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE, and Innovation & Literary Camps featuring the world’s first and only overnight Camp Half-Blood (for which Jacob Berman was the creative force and a Founder); Harry Potter Campincluding Harry Potter Sustainable Universe focused on teaching students and adults about the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how to implement creative works and innovations supporting them, and Camp Fandom. To date, Drs. Berman through DIGIVATIONS have taught over 5,000 students, ages 5-25.
DIGIVATIONS also established and operates its educational programs in BC, Canada through an entity known as DIGIVATIONS EDUCATION VENTURES. The collective programs also focus on professional development having taught 2,000 educators and community innovation entities.
Through our organizations, many high school and college students have received substantial benefits ranging from service credit hours and other awards, positions in our organizations and other professional enterprises, and university scholarships based on their work in our programs.
Drs. Bermans’ current focus is on further developing its high school, Running Start, university and young professionals Model UN non-profit initiatives, DIGIVATIONS XGENS, and its academic and industry programs focused on the application and implementation of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Heavily influenced by the United States and U.S.S.R. Space Race, Dr. Steven Lee Berman has served as a materials and computation engineer writing computer programs to analyze some of the first moon rock samples, and he also contributed to the research and design for some of the most advanced engineering and bioengineering applications including the Space Shuttle's heat shield. For the past 30 years, he has actively served as an Intellectual Property, Entertainment, Corporate and Non-Profit Attorney in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. He continues to be involved in numerous educational, technology and interactive media content start-ups and established the first formal enterprise to connect Silicon Valley technologists and creatives with the then more established entertainment corporate and talent communities in Hollywood (see Wired Magazine Article). He also co-designed the curriculum for the first Digital Media Masters Degree program in Canada at the Great Northern Way Consortium Campus in British Columbia, Canada (ECU, UBC, BCIT and SFU).
Dr. Steve has also established economic partnerships and designed innovation pipeline programs for cities, governments, states, universities, and countries including founding the California-Canada Strategic Innovation Partnership which focused on Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Nanotechnology, as well as Advanced Transportation and Energy.
Both Drs. Steve and Anne Berman established a NASA award winning STEM+ARTS+MOVEMENT 501(c)(3) educational non-profit in the United States, DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE, and Innovation & Literary Camps featuring the world’s first and only overnight Camp Half-Blood (for which Jacob Berman was the creative force and a Founder); Harry Potter Campincluding Harry Potter Sustainable Universe focused on teaching students and adults about the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how to implement creative works and innovations supporting them, and Camp Fandom. To date, Drs. Berman through DIGIVATIONS have taught over 5,000 students, ages 5-25.
DIGIVATIONS also established and operates its educational programs in BC, Canada through an entity known as DIGIVATIONS EDUCATION VENTURES. The collective programs also focus on professional development having taught 2,000 educators and community innovation entities.
Through our organizations, many high school and college students have received substantial benefits ranging from service credit hours and other awards, positions in our organizations and other professional enterprises, and university scholarships based on their work in our programs.
Drs. Bermans’ current focus is on further developing its high school, Running Start, university and young professionals Model UN non-profit initiatives, DIGIVATIONS XGENS, and its academic and industry programs focused on the application and implementation of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Virginia Lester, Medical Director
Virginia Lester, RN, MSN, ARNP, (Point Roberts, WA: DIGIVATIONS Camp Demigod Medical Director and Nurse Practitioner (2013-present) INTERESTS IN MENTORSHIP, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MUSIC & MEDICINE) has more than 35 years experience as a Nurse Practitioner and director of clinics in both California and most recently developed and managed the Point Roberts Clinic. She developed and managed the Nurse Practitioner program at California State University Fresno. She was on several different national committees helping to develop the health care plan under the Clinton Administration, the precursor to Obama Care.
Professor Paul S. Weiss, University of California Presidential ChairDistinguished Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, BioengineeringDistinguished Professor of Materials Science & EngineeringCalifornia NanoSystems Institute, DIGIVATIONS Board Member. Paul S. Weiss graduated from MIT with S.B. and S.M. degrees in chemistry in 1980 and from the University of California at Berkeley with a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1986. He is a nanoscientist and holds a UC Presidential Chair and a distinguished professor of chemistry & biochemistry, bioengineering, and materials science & engineering at UCLA, where he was previously director of the California NanoSystems Institute. He also currently holds visiting appointments at Harvard’s Wyss Institute and several universities in Australia, China, and South Korea. He studies the ultimate limits of miniaturization, developing and applying new tools and methods for atomic-resolution and spectroscopic imaging and patterning of chemical functionality. He and his group apply these advances in other areas including neuroscience, microbiome studies, tissue engineering, and high-throughput gene editing. He led, coauthored, and published the technology roadmaps for the BRAIN Initiative and the U.S. Microbiome Initiative. He has won a number of awards in science, engineering, teaching, publishing, and communications. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Physical Society, the American Vacuum Society, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Materials Research Society, and an honorary fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society and the Chemical Research Society of India. He is the founding and current editor-in-chief of ACS Nano.
Jacob Alan Berman - Cornell University 2025. (Ithaca, NY: INTERESTS: BIOARCHEOLOGY, SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE, GLOBAL AFFAIRS, LEADERSHIP, HISTORY, INNOVATION/SCIENCE, AI, and COOKING) is the son of the founders of DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE and DIGIVATIONS XGENS. Much of the curriculum they developed over the last 10 years has been driven by his interests starting when he was seven years old, including science innovations, history, theater, creative writing, LEGO, Robotics, Minecraft, VR, Camp Half-Blood, Camp Fandom and Harry Potter Camps. Every summer, he has taken on increasing responsibilities beginning as a CIT in 2016-18, Counselor and Co-Chef in 2019 and in 2020, as a member of the Virtual Camp Demigod focussing on operations and teaching neuroscience. Last summer, he oversaw the staff as Assistant Director. In 2022, he plans to add to his teaching repertoire with topics he's been studying at Cornell, including, Ancient Roman Gardens, Music Theory and Composition, and 3D Modeling. Starting in 2017, his international experience as a Delegate to the Model UN in Geneva, Switzerland, as a Vice Chair at WIMUN New York 2019, and as a selected member of the Ad Hoc Crisis Committee where he represented the KGB at Yale University Model UN, is helping to shape DIGIVATIONS XGENS Model UN summer Academy and Conference as well as the XGENS Delegation. Jacob attended the Honors College at Central Washington University as a Running Start Home School High School Student with DIGIVATIONS XGENS. He graduated Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian. Jacob finished third place nationally in the 2019 Kenpo karate and is a snowshoe guide in Leavenworth, Washington. Jacob is an education and fish production intern for the United States Department of the Interior Leavenworth Fish Hatchery. He is active in his regional USY leadership group. He enjoys cooking, memes, computer games, D&D, traveling and immersing himself in historical and current events. He also has two Leonberger Service Dogs.
When he was nine, Jacob inspired the founding of the World's First Overnight Camp Half-Blood, motivated by Rick Riordan’s novel series Percy Jackson, and Jacob’s passion of Greek history, language, culture, innovations and mythology. This DIGIVATIONS’ Camp encompasses other literary themes with a significant STEM+ARTS+HUMANITIES+KINESTHETICS backdrop. This has provided Jacob with the opportunity to develop friendships from all around the world and gifted him the ability to empathize with other cultures. At age 14, he inspired the creation of the DIGIVATIONS XGENS Global College Preparatory, Model United Nations Academies, Delegation and Cascade Conferences (DXCIMUN), a non-profit North American affiliate of DIGIVATIONS.
When he was nine, Jacob inspired the founding of the World's First Overnight Camp Half-Blood, motivated by Rick Riordan’s novel series Percy Jackson, and Jacob’s passion of Greek history, language, culture, innovations and mythology. This DIGIVATIONS’ Camp encompasses other literary themes with a significant STEM+ARTS+HUMANITIES+KINESTHETICS backdrop. This has provided Jacob with the opportunity to develop friendships from all around the world and gifted him the ability to empathize with other cultures. At age 14, he inspired the creation of the DIGIVATIONS XGENS Global College Preparatory, Model United Nations Academies, Delegation and Cascade Conferences (DXCIMUN), a non-profit North American affiliate of DIGIVATIONS.
Alicia Matavosian, Guest Speaker (She/her) (Ithaca, NY) : PHD Student in Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University) Ever since I was little, I’ve been a dreamer. I would imagine what exists and what could exist with a little creativity. What if we had more efficient technology? What if machines could detect diseases on-the-spot? What if we didn’t need organ donors? All of these ‘what if’s and more can be achieved by those who dare to venture into uncharted territory and go beyond what is expected. I’ve always known that I would contribute to the medical field one day. After shadowing several doctors and veterinarians, I noticed that innovations in biomedical engineering could go a long way towards improving the recovery rate of patients. With this in mind, I enrolled at the University of Tennessee and majored in Biomedical Engineering with a minor and Materials Science Engineering. The most important thing I’ve learned as a student is that you never stop learning. There is always something new to see and experience. After realizing how little I know and how much there is to discover, I decided that I wished to further my education.
Edward Buendia (New Jersey: DRAWING, PAINTING, WEAPON DESIGN, INTERESTS IN SCIENCE, HISTORY, HUMAN RIGHTS, & ADVOCACY FOR CHILDREN) For a decade, Artist Edward Buendia has collaborated with Drs. Steve and Anne to visually express Dr. Steve's ideas which often juxtapose seemingly disparate concepts. The result is a repertoire of dozens of new works, from intimate drawings, to acrylic paintings and large murals, which help define many DIGIVATIONS Innovation Class topics, including Ancient Greek History to Commercial Space; Artificial Intelligence to Language, among many others.
DIGIVATIONS™ Camp Demigod Artist and Senior Faculty (2010-present), has created over a hundred images in collaboration with Co-Founders Steven Lee Berman and Anne Deane Berman, PhD. “His collaborative relationship with Dr. Steve is extraordinary. Eddie is able to interpret Steve’s complex concepts to create evocative images.” These images include illustrations for their “Rocketry Playbook”, “Sphere of Influence Game”, and murals, paintings and drawings created at Camp Demigod. He teaches drawing and painting and illustrates the camper’s characters and worlds.
DIGIVATIONS™ Camp Demigod Artist and Senior Faculty (2010-present), has created over a hundred images in collaboration with Co-Founders Steven Lee Berman and Anne Deane Berman, PhD. “His collaborative relationship with Dr. Steve is extraordinary. Eddie is able to interpret Steve’s complex concepts to create evocative images.” These images include illustrations for their “Rocketry Playbook”, “Sphere of Influence Game”, and murals, paintings and drawings created at Camp Demigod. He teaches drawing and painting and illustrates the camper’s characters and worlds.
He is the Founder and Creator of the non-profit “Eyes of the Innocent” children’s art program. Since 1975, he has taught over 3,000 children and adults in fine arts. In addition to his expert teaching, he has a long history of establishing and collaborating on the development of socially valuable multi-disciplinary artistic initiatives. In the 1970s, he founded Artistas Del Barrio, a collective of muralists in Southern California whose murals have taken on historical significance and influenced generations of muralists. In the last two years, he painted four shrines at Our Lady of Guadalupe/St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Lindenwold, New Jersey. In winter 2018, At Our Lady of Soledad in Coachella, California he repaint murals he painted in 1977. In two years he has been commissioned to paint a shrine for Our Lady of Soledad in in Coachella.
Adam Boyd (Prince Edward Island, Canada): INTERESTED IN INNOVATION/ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AI, ANIMATION, VOICE-OVER ACTING & 3-D PRINTING) has been a DIGIVATOR since he was 8. This will be his 10th summer at Camp Demigod. In 2020, Adam was a member of the Virtual Camp Demigod staff appearing as "The All Consuming" character whose identity was not revealed until the last day of Harry Potter Camp when Dr. Steve explained why it was mission critical that all the wizards understood neuroscience and biology because the entire ZOOM experience took place inside The All Consuming's BRAIN - his connectome! Adam is a student at the SelfDesign Learning Community, a distance/distributed learning school located in Vancouver, BC. Adam is a born innovator, he creates new inventions for 3D printing. He is a voice actor for games and animations. He also has an extensive nurf gun collection which he amplifies with devices he designs and makes using his 3D printer.
Charis Martin (Cyprus and Scotland: 2015-2021 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON CENTER FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN STUDIES DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD YOUNG SCHOLAR IN ANCIENT GREEK & ROMAN CULTURES & MYTHOLOGY, CREATIVE WRITING & INNOVATION) graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2018 with a Masters Degree in Ancient History, focussing on the Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations. She credits growing up on the island of Cyprus, steeped in Greek culture and mythology, with nurturing her love for the ancient world and the tales that formed and inspired it. She has spent seven years working with children from the ages of three to fifteen and loves the opportunity to share her knowledge with them and see them develop interests of their own. Her own interests include writing original stories and fan fiction, reading, sailing, scuba-diving, archery and acting. She also speaks Greek and often attempts cooking traditional Greek foods. She shares her love for mythology with demigods through questions, writing, workshops, innovation classes and roleplaying. This will be her 9th summer at Camp Demigod as an advisor and SKYPE guest scholar.
Meghan "Alex" Park, Marketing Coordinator (She/They), (Bellingham, WA) Western Washington University, BS - Behavioral Neuroscience and BA - English: Creative Writing, Minor in Honors and Psychology. Interests include: Behavioral Neuroscience, Biotechnology, Core Mindfulness, Mental Health Awareness, Worldbuilding and Fiction Writing. Currently attending Western Washington University, Alex plans to study Behavioral Neuroscience and Creative Writing. Along with attending school, they work with a local elementary school as an after-school Program Assistant. In 2020 they were able to work with the camp and are extremely excited to be returning to help out.While Alex has a broad variety of interests and hobbies, they are excited to intertwine each unique passion together. These include but are not limited to, STEM subjects (Neuroscience, Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, etc.), writing fiction, reading, core mindfulness practice, and education. Alex is especially excited to use these passions and interests to impact others in a positive, meaningful way. While the world is very uncertain and scary, they believe that communication, connection, and understanding with the self and others is the key to an even better future
2021 Summer Staff
Emily Grunert Western Washington University 2025 has been a camper at Camp Demigod since her love of Percy Jackson led her to the discovery of the camp the first year it was established. The summer of 2017 was her first year as staff. In 2020, Emily was a member of the Virtual Camp Demigod staff focussing on music and biology lessons (DNA). "I've had so many great experiences at camp and they're something I'll always carry close to my heart." She feels like Camp Demigod has had a big part in her life and helps her be more confident, open-minded, and independent. Emily graduated from Oroville High School as Valedictorian and has taken part in Girl Scouts, Future Business Leaders of America, Student Body, Band and Orchestra, among many other extracurriculars. She will be attending Western Washington University in the fall, participating in the Advancing Excellence and Equity in Science program studying Biology. Emily has received numerous awards this year, including: Valedictorian, Honor Roll, Scholar Athlete, WWU Admissions Merit Award, Steiner Foundation Scholarship, Schlief Memorial Scholarship, Molson Grange Scholarship, Aurora Lodge #201 Scholarship, Oroville Education Association and GSEWNI Cookie Program Scholarship. Emily is always looking for new experiences and loves learning new things. Some of her greatest joys include reading, science, music, helping younger campers, and making people smile. She hopes that she can make the Camp Demigod experience just as magical for the campers as it was when she first stepped onto camp grounds.
Shania Ann Sweet - Portland State University, Honors College 2023 (Portland, OR: INTERESTS: ART, POLITICAL SCIENCE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, COSPLAY, DANCE, AND FASHION) Graduated from Jefferson High School Middle College for Advanced Studies in 2021 and is attending Portland State University and its Honors College studying Political Science and Fine Art. She was the first camper to sign up for Digivations Camp Demigod in 2013 and now returns as a counselor and an art teacher. In 2021, she was awarded with a gold key and three silver keys for the regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In high school, she was a part of the mock trial team, was the co-captain of the soccer team, and was in her high school’s athletic leadership club. She also competitively paddles and in 2019 won 1st place in the 2nd women’s division dragon boat race at the Portland Rose Festival. Shania is a valedictorian and graduated with over 60 college credits. She currently works at Petite Provence, a Portland based French Restaurant, and she is a cosplay influencer on Tiktok. She enjoys art, cosplaying, dancing, sports, Pokémon, traveling with friends, and learning about cultures. Art has always been a part of Shania’s life. She is self taught but had major influence from artist Edward Buendia who also teaches at DIGIVATIONS Camp Demigod. She expresses her art in many different mediums such as: painting, drawing, sculpture, and makeup. One of her pieces was featured in an exhibit at the Portland Art Museum in 2018. The global pandemic in 2020 has forced her to expand her art as she has learned new techniques and methods which she is excited to share with campers.
ARI TURBINOR - Elon University 2025 (Calabasas, CA) Hi I’m Ari! I’m very excited for my second summer at Camp Demigod. In 2019, I was CIT at Camp Demigod with a focus on theater, film, and quests. I have loved Greek Mythology ever since I was very little and am a huge Percy Jackson fan. I have 3 younger siblings and have a lot of experience working with younger children. I have known the Berman family for 13 years and I’m very excited to spend my summer with them! I love acting, film and music. I play the Alto Sax and the guitar. I love Golf, Swimming, and Camp! I have spent 6 summers at a Jewish sleep away camp in Malibu, CA and 2 summers at a Performing Arts camp in upstate New York where I was in my last year as a camper and was about to head into a CIT program. I have performed in West Side Story, Auntie Mame, Urinetown, Puffs, She Kills Monsters, Working, Jekyll and Hyde and many more. I graduated from Calabasas High School and will be attending Elon University in the fall. At my high school, I was heavily involved in the theatre, film and music programs. I will be teaching campers acting, world-building and digital editing. I’m really excited to meet new people and work with some awesome campers!
2022 Counselors-in-Training
2021 Virtual Staff
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Shalyn Bowles - Cameron University 2021 & 2022 (Lawton, Oklahoma: PSYCHOLOGY, THEATER, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, LEADERSHIP & MENTORSHIP) Graduated from Cameron Univeristy with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and finishing their Theatre degree at Cameron University as well. In 2019, Shalyn was Assistant Director at Camp Demigod with a focus on quests and in 2020, they were a member of the Virtual Camp Demigod staff focussing on costumes and art. They work with Lawton Ballet Theatre as a stage manager and backstage hand as well as worked at the Cameron Univeristy Costume/Scene shop we’re they build costumes and sets for theatre productions. They are also an active actor at Cameron Univeristy and Blue moon theatre doing stage plays and musicals. They are also a part of the Vaska Shadowcast group where they do shadowcasts of different movies in clouding Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hocus Pocus. They are a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Eta Sigma honors fraternities, named “Who’s Who of Cameron Univeristy” and named one of the top 20 Students of the University. In Spiring 2020 they participated in the Disney College program where they worked at Disney in Attractions in Toy Story Land and Recreation Attractions at Typhoon Lagoon. Their further plans involve working as a Behavioral Health Case Manager then going into a Masters program for Drama Therapy. In 2021, Shalyn will be available for emotional support for staff and assist with quests remotely.
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Our 2022 Staff Recruitment Deadline is Open learn more
XGENS
DIGIVATIONS XGENS is the North American Recruitment Partner for World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) WIMUN GENEVA 2019 and NEW YORK 2020, and an International Delegation. DIGIVATIONS XGENS Global College Preparatory, Model UN Academies, and Cascadia Conferences (DXCIMUN) is a non-profit North American affiliate of NASA award winning DIGIVATIONS’ family of K-25 educational entities. XGENS.org offers global, multidisciplinary career, professional development and leadership programs in fields encompassing the creative arts, cultural heritage, diplomacy, technology policy and scientific exploration.