2023 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, 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.
Distinquished Faculty
Professor Paul S. Weiss, DIGIVATIONS BOARD MEMBER AND GUEST FACULTY. 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.
Larry Tuch, DIGIVATIONS BOARD OF ADVISORS & Faculty, is a writer and creative consultant working in the fields of place making, theme parks, cultural heritage and museums. He has written for primetime television series produced by Universal Studios for NBC, worked as a freelance writer and consultant for Walt Disney Imagineering, and was the head writer for Paramount Pictures’ StoryDrive™ Engine Project, an experimental project focused on interactive storytelling. PLACE MAKING AND THEMED ATTRACTIONSIn the fields of place making and themed entertainment, Larry’s work focuses on shaping the concepts and narratives that inform the design, branding, and master planning of visitor destinations. These projects have included resorts, theme parks and attractions slated for locations in North and South America, Asia, and the Middle East. He has also designed and facilitated workshops on story-driven design for Walt Disney Imagineering and Netherlands-based Jora Vision BV, one of Europe’s foremost designers of museum exhibits and theme park attractions.
MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE Larry’s museum projects include exhibit concept development for The Franklin Institute Science Museum and narrative design for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. His cultural heritage projects include visitor experience design for the Tatev medieval monastery in Armenia and scripts for prototype virtual reality tours of China’s Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
INTERACTIVE AND IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS Some of Larry’s most cutting-edge work has been in the field of interactive entertainment and immersive environments. In addition to his work as head writer and co-designer for Paramount Pictures’ StoryDrive™ Engine Project, he has scripted virtual reality projects for Walt Disney Imagineering and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. He also served as the technical editor for The Immersive Worlds Handbook by Scott A. Lukas (Focal Press/Taylor & Francis Group). Larry’s interactive and virtual reality projects have been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune and Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment written by Carolyn Miller (CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group).
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACADEMIALarry is a past vice president and member of the International Board of Directors of the Themed Entertainment Association and a longstanding member of the Writers Guild of America, west. He has served on industry advisory committees for the University of California and taught graduate and undergraduate courses as a visiting assistant professor and lecturer at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.
MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE Larry’s museum projects include exhibit concept development for The Franklin Institute Science Museum and narrative design for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. His cultural heritage projects include visitor experience design for the Tatev medieval monastery in Armenia and scripts for prototype virtual reality tours of China’s Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
INTERACTIVE AND IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS Some of Larry’s most cutting-edge work has been in the field of interactive entertainment and immersive environments. In addition to his work as head writer and co-designer for Paramount Pictures’ StoryDrive™ Engine Project, he has scripted virtual reality projects for Walt Disney Imagineering and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. He also served as the technical editor for The Immersive Worlds Handbook by Scott A. Lukas (Focal Press/Taylor & Francis Group). Larry’s interactive and virtual reality projects have been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune and Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment written by Carolyn Miller (CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group).
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND ACADEMIALarry is a past vice president and member of the International Board of Directors of the Themed Entertainment Association and a longstanding member of the Writers Guild of America, west. He has served on industry advisory committees for the University of California and taught graduate and undergraduate courses as a visiting assistant professor and lecturer at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television.
Faculty-in-Residence
Jesus Miguel Lopez , Improving cancer screening through optical biosensors (a fifth-year doctoral student in the lab of Professor Qiuming Yu in the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE), Cornell University). Baltazar has always had a penchant for mathematics and chemistry and possessed a drive to tackle complex questions. An early experience competing in the National Chemistry Olympiad in high school for his hometown Ciudad Guzmán team in the Mexican state of Jalisco solidified his passion for science. It also confirmed for Lopez Baltazar his goal of pursuing a doctorate. Now at Cornell, Lopez Baltazar hopes to solve a highly impactful multidisciplinary problem: a fast, accurate, and noninvasive means of testing for certain cancers. “I am developing the surface chemistry for a type of biosensor that would allow for early-stage cancer screening via the detection of membrane proteins found in vesicles that all cancer cells release,” Lopez Baltazar said.
Growing up in Guzmán with parents who were both teachers, Lopez Baltazar knew that he wanted to go to grad school and eventually become a professor. Once he took his first high school chemistry and physics classes his path started to become a little clearer. “I knew I wanted to pursue a career that combines math, chemistry, and physics,” explained Lopez Baltazar, “and chemical engineering was a great field for me to do just that.”
After high school Lopez Baltazar moved to the San Fernando Valley in California, where he enrolled in Los Angeles Mission College--a public community college. Before he could take the science, math, and engineering classes he was so eager to get to, he first had to improve his English language skills. “It was a gamble; moving to a new country was challenging,” Lopez Baltazar recalled. “At Mission, I was starting all over, learning English. It turned out to be such an enriching experience. I was in classes with people of all ages—some of them were much older than me and they had families. It gave me a whole new perspective.”
Lopez Baltazar studied at Mission for three years and then transferred to UCLA, where he majored in chemical engineering. During his years at UCLA he participated in three Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), spending one summer at Northwestern University, one at UC Davis, and one at Peking University. That particular summer at Peking University in Beijing, China was a pivotal moment for him. Studying nanoparticle synthesis “clicked” with Lopez Baltazar — sparking his commitment to focus on the field of self-assembly in grad school.
Cornell’s strength in the field made it an obvious school to apply to, and when Lopez Baltazar was accepted he says the depth and breadth of expertise in the Cornell faculty made it the right place to go. He worked for three years with Professors Chris Alabi and Tobias Hanrath, earning his Master of Science, and continued his journey in subsequent years towards his Ph.D. with Professor Qiuming Yu. “My preparation resulting from the mentorship, guidance, and support from my advisor Qiuming Yu has allowed me to coherently combine the expertise from my previous experiences and do what I am doing now- functionalizing surfaces with the right receptors to detect a target molecule or analyte,” Lopez Baltazar said.
For the table-top testing instrument he and Yu hope to create, the surface chemistry of the biosensor must be correct. A device used to test for the possible presence of cancer should not have a significant margin of error. The stakes are simply too high. Lopez Baltazar has been immersing himself in the literature and taking classes to get himself up to speed on the biological knowledge he needs to make these biosensors functional. He was recently awarded a fellowship from the National GEM Consortium sponsored by Cornell and MIT Lincoln Lab, where he spent the summer working on projects for the Department of Defense and greatly expanding his knowledge of biosensing and surface chemistry. Lopez Baltazar also earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) to support his first three years at Cornell.
In addition to his work on a non-invasive cancer screening device, Lopez Baltazar has also been very active in the Cornell Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association (CHEGSA). He has served as President and Vice-President for two years each and was awarded the Exemplary Service Award as well as the Graduate Student Excellence in Leadership Award from the Cornell Graduate School and Diversity Programs in Engineering (DPE), respectively. These awards were in acknowledgement of his successful efforts to make a positive impact on the Smith School by advocating for greater departmental transparency and inclusion of student voices.
Once Lopez Baltazar graduates, he hopes to build his own lab, mentoring and encouraging his students to be leading scientists and engineers. He intends to take everything he has learned at Cornell and apply it back to his true love—colloidal metal nanoparticles—to see how he might discover innovative ways to control their self-assembly. Just as importantly, as a first generation Mexican in engineering, he hopes that his story inspires younger students of similar backgrounds who have a passion for STEM to pursue graduate studies and a career in academia.
Growing up in Guzmán with parents who were both teachers, Lopez Baltazar knew that he wanted to go to grad school and eventually become a professor. Once he took his first high school chemistry and physics classes his path started to become a little clearer. “I knew I wanted to pursue a career that combines math, chemistry, and physics,” explained Lopez Baltazar, “and chemical engineering was a great field for me to do just that.”
After high school Lopez Baltazar moved to the San Fernando Valley in California, where he enrolled in Los Angeles Mission College--a public community college. Before he could take the science, math, and engineering classes he was so eager to get to, he first had to improve his English language skills. “It was a gamble; moving to a new country was challenging,” Lopez Baltazar recalled. “At Mission, I was starting all over, learning English. It turned out to be such an enriching experience. I was in classes with people of all ages—some of them were much older than me and they had families. It gave me a whole new perspective.”
Lopez Baltazar studied at Mission for three years and then transferred to UCLA, where he majored in chemical engineering. During his years at UCLA he participated in three Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), spending one summer at Northwestern University, one at UC Davis, and one at Peking University. That particular summer at Peking University in Beijing, China was a pivotal moment for him. Studying nanoparticle synthesis “clicked” with Lopez Baltazar — sparking his commitment to focus on the field of self-assembly in grad school.
Cornell’s strength in the field made it an obvious school to apply to, and when Lopez Baltazar was accepted he says the depth and breadth of expertise in the Cornell faculty made it the right place to go. He worked for three years with Professors Chris Alabi and Tobias Hanrath, earning his Master of Science, and continued his journey in subsequent years towards his Ph.D. with Professor Qiuming Yu. “My preparation resulting from the mentorship, guidance, and support from my advisor Qiuming Yu has allowed me to coherently combine the expertise from my previous experiences and do what I am doing now- functionalizing surfaces with the right receptors to detect a target molecule or analyte,” Lopez Baltazar said.
For the table-top testing instrument he and Yu hope to create, the surface chemistry of the biosensor must be correct. A device used to test for the possible presence of cancer should not have a significant margin of error. The stakes are simply too high. Lopez Baltazar has been immersing himself in the literature and taking classes to get himself up to speed on the biological knowledge he needs to make these biosensors functional. He was recently awarded a fellowship from the National GEM Consortium sponsored by Cornell and MIT Lincoln Lab, where he spent the summer working on projects for the Department of Defense and greatly expanding his knowledge of biosensing and surface chemistry. Lopez Baltazar also earned a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) to support his first three years at Cornell.
In addition to his work on a non-invasive cancer screening device, Lopez Baltazar has also been very active in the Cornell Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association (CHEGSA). He has served as President and Vice-President for two years each and was awarded the Exemplary Service Award as well as the Graduate Student Excellence in Leadership Award from the Cornell Graduate School and Diversity Programs in Engineering (DPE), respectively. These awards were in acknowledgement of his successful efforts to make a positive impact on the Smith School by advocating for greater departmental transparency and inclusion of student voices.
Once Lopez Baltazar graduates, he hopes to build his own lab, mentoring and encouraging his students to be leading scientists and engineers. He intends to take everything he has learned at Cornell and apply it back to his true love—colloidal metal nanoparticles—to see how he might discover innovative ways to control their self-assembly. Just as importantly, as a first generation Mexican in engineering, he hopes that his story inspires younger students of similar backgrounds who have a passion for STEM to pursue graduate studies and a career in academia.
Michael Crowley, Stage Combat Instructor. Michael's work as a teacher, performer, and fight director has been seen at: Edmonds Community College; Seattle Pacific University; Act One Theater; True Edge Theater; Tacoma Musical Playhouse; Lakewood Institute of Theater; Briarwood Christian School; the Wing Luke Museum’s “So You Think You Know Bruce?” exhibit; and in the anthology film “Hobo With A Trashcan”.
A student of staged and practical violence for thirty years, Michael has studied with Society of American Fight Directors-certified instructors such as Geoff Alm and the late Bob Macdougall, longtime instructor at DIGIVATONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE.
Michael currently holds SAFD certifications in singlesword, smallsword and broadsword and trains with SAFD Fight Master Geoff Alm at Freehold Theater Lab in Seattle.
A student of staged and practical violence for thirty years, Michael has studied with Society of American Fight Directors-certified instructors such as Geoff Alm and the late Bob Macdougall, longtime instructor at DIGIVATONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE.
Michael currently holds SAFD certifications in singlesword, smallsword and broadsword and trains with SAFD Fight Master Geoff Alm at Freehold Theater Lab in Seattle.
Photo credit: Performer's Forge
|
|
He has held certifications in seven of the eight weapons disciplines (single sword, rapier & dagger, smallsword, broadsword, quarterstaff, sword and shield, and unarmed) that the SAFD offers as both an actor/combatant and a recommended/recognized actor combatant.
To further his understanding of how a sword is used in |
earnest, Michael also studied sport fencing for two years (foil and epee) at Salle Auriol Seattle and was privileged, for 18 years, to have been a student of the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle (the late Bruce Lee's school of martial art) under the instruction of Sigung Taky Kimura and his son Sifu Andrew Kimura. As a senior student, Michael assisted in leading and conducting classes and with workshops, demonstrations and seminars.
Michael's most recent video appearance will be as a principal fighter in the locally-produced Amazon Prime series “The Scottish Play,” where he played a medieval soldier in battles choreographed by renowned stunt coordinator Dan Speaker (Hook, The Evil Dead, Hidalgo, Master & Commander). Michael can also be seen in the action comedy “Hard Out” and choreographed a saber vs. baseball bat fight in the Seattle 48 Hour Film Challenge winner “Tess Tetley, Girl Brand Manager.”
Michael was most recently seen on stage in 2018 as Cardinal Richelieu in Greenstage’s production of “The Three Musketeers”, where he also served as the production’s fight captain as well as being a utility fighter.
Michael Crowley is a native of Missoula, Montana, and has called the Seattle area home since 1988.
Michael's most recent video appearance will be as a principal fighter in the locally-produced Amazon Prime series “The Scottish Play,” where he played a medieval soldier in battles choreographed by renowned stunt coordinator Dan Speaker (Hook, The Evil Dead, Hidalgo, Master & Commander). Michael can also be seen in the action comedy “Hard Out” and choreographed a saber vs. baseball bat fight in the Seattle 48 Hour Film Challenge winner “Tess Tetley, Girl Brand Manager.”
Michael was most recently seen on stage in 2018 as Cardinal Richelieu in Greenstage’s production of “The Three Musketeers”, where he also served as the production’s fight captain as well as being a utility fighter.
Michael Crowley is a native of Missoula, Montana, and has called the Seattle area home since 1988.
Junior Faculty-in-Residence
Associate Camp Demigod Director, Board Member of DIGIVATIONS XGENS & Faculty Jacob Alan Berman - Cornell University 2025. (Ithaca, NY: INTERESTS: Bioarchaeology, Plant Science, Mycology, Environmental Art, is the son of the founders of DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE and DIGIVATIONS XGENS. Much of the curriculum they developed over the last 13 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 for ten years, Jacob 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 2023, he plans to add to his teaching repertoire with topics he's been studying at Cornell, including, Ancient Roman Gardens, Bioarcheology, Plant Science, Mycology and Environmental Art.
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. In January 2023, he returned to Yale as a Faculty Advisor to the XGENS Delegation to YMUN. 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 enjoys cooking, farming, 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. He is currently an intern at the Cornell Art Museum. As of 2023, Jacob was selected to be one of eighty NEXUS Scholars at Cornell University where he will be researching French complicity during the Holocaust.
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. In January 2023, he returned to Yale as a Faculty Advisor to the XGENS Delegation to YMUN. 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 enjoys cooking, farming, 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. He is currently an intern at the Cornell Art Museum. As of 2023, Jacob was selected to be one of eighty NEXUS Scholars at Cornell University where he will be researching French complicity during the Holocaust.
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 eleven 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 10th summer at Camp Demigod as an advisor and SKYPE guest scholar.
Cameron Thiesing (Kentucky, Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering Class of 2026) is excited to be joining DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE as a first year Counselor/Young Scholar. Having always been an analytical and creative thinker, she is very passionate about finding the overlap between all of her interests, and has been lucky enough to find passions that have allowed her to do so. She is currently pursuing a computer engineering degree at Johns Hopkins, and has enjoyed learning about circuits, programming, physics, and how our increasingly digital world functions. Along with engineering, she enjoys using writing as a creative outlet, specfically playwriting. A 2022 winner of the #Enough competition, and a published playwright, she has had the honor of seeing 3 of her plays get produced. Her creative side grew largely as a child thanks to series such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and is still largely inspired by Greek mythology. She is also a member of the Johns Hopkins Varsity field hockey team and enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, singing along to musicals, and reading in her free time. This summer she looks forward to teaching kids programming skills and game design, leading discussions on emerging technology such as AI, exploring robotics, and leading athletic (and super fun) activities.
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.
Guest Faculty
Charles L. Dages, II DIGIVATIONS BOARD OF ADVISORS & GUEST SPEAKER is the former chairman of the Board of Trustees for the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Dages' industry experience includes more than 35 years as an entertainment executive at Warner Bros. and CBS.
Dages joined Warner Bros. in 1994 as senior vice president of Technology. During his tenure at Warner Bros., he was responsible for implementing new innovative technologies to the production, post-production, and distribution of feature films, television, and interactive entertainment. He led the creation of a complete digital facility for The Ellen DeGeneres Show at the studio’s Burbank, California, lot. He also managed the launch of the Warner International Channel, Extra, as well as The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and designed and built the innovative WB TV Network digital infrastructure, which was later recognized with a technical Emmy.
Prior to joining Warner Bros., Dages worked at CBS in a number of positions including vice president of east coast operations, vice president of engineering, and vice president of development. Major projects under his purview included the Ed Sullivan Theater for Late Show with David Letterman; CBS Evening News studio; 60 Minutes post; CBS Broadcast Ops Center; and technical facilities for the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympic Games, among others.
Dages has served as a board member or chair for several companies and organizations including start-up Content Guard, a patent pool holder for protection of entertainment property; the Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation in Africa; DIGIVATIONS, summer camps dedicated to promoting STEM arts education; and is currently technology board advisor to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Dages joined Warner Bros. in 1994 as senior vice president of Technology. During his tenure at Warner Bros., he was responsible for implementing new innovative technologies to the production, post-production, and distribution of feature films, television, and interactive entertainment. He led the creation of a complete digital facility for The Ellen DeGeneres Show at the studio’s Burbank, California, lot. He also managed the launch of the Warner International Channel, Extra, as well as The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and designed and built the innovative WB TV Network digital infrastructure, which was later recognized with a technical Emmy.
Prior to joining Warner Bros., Dages worked at CBS in a number of positions including vice president of east coast operations, vice president of engineering, and vice president of development. Major projects under his purview included the Ed Sullivan Theater for Late Show with David Letterman; CBS Evening News studio; 60 Minutes post; CBS Broadcast Ops Center; and technical facilities for the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympic Games, among others.
Dages has served as a board member or chair for several companies and organizations including start-up Content Guard, a patent pool holder for protection of entertainment property; the Partnership for an HIV-Free Generation in Africa; DIGIVATIONS, summer camps dedicated to promoting STEM arts education; and is currently technology board advisor to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.
Michael Zyda, DIGIVATIONS BOARD OF ADVISORS & GUEST SPEAKER, is a Professor of Engineering Practice and was the Founding Director of USC's Computer Science Games Program in the USC Department of Computer Science. At USC, he founded the Computer Science Games Program and the year-long advanced game projects course that forms the core of USC Games and took that program from no program to the #1 Games program in the world. That program has been rated #1 by the Princeton Review for ten of the last eleven years. His alums have shipped games played by over 5 billion players, about $250B in revenue and $2.5B in payroll to those alums. Zyda is an ACM Fellow, IEEE Fellow, an IEEE Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award winner, a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA) and a National Associate of the National Academies. Zyda is a member of the Editorial Board & Games Column Editor, IEEE Computer magazine. Zyda is a Distinguished Collaborator for the Stanford Human Perception Laboratory affiliated with the Institute for Human-Centered AI.
From Fall 2000 to Fall 2004, he was the Founding Director of the MOVES (modeling, virtual environments, and simulation) Institute located at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, and a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at NPS as well. At NPS, Zyda’s NPSNET Research Group built the first networked virtual environment with fully instrumented body suits that played across the Internet. His work on the networking of virtual environments contributed to the development of the IEEE 1278.1 standard for distributed interactive simulation. He helped found the subspecialty in modeling and simulation for the United States Navy, the simulation operations functional area (57) for the US Army and the simulation operations area (MOS-9625) for the US Marine Corps. While at NPS, Zyda was Associate Editor and then Senior Editor for the MIT Press Journal Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments from 1993 - 2004. With Fred Brooks, Henry Fuchs and Mary Whitton, he co-founded the ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics in 1990.
He was a member of the National Research Council Committee that put out the report “Virtual Reality - Scientific and Technological Challenges”. He chaired the NRC Committee that put out the study “Modeling and Simulation - Linking Entertainment and Defense”. That NRC report changed the entire Department of Defense towards the usage of games and entertainment technology for its future modeling and simulation systems. From that report, Zyda wrote the operating plan and research agenda that founded USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies.
For the National Research Council, he has served on committees for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Commission, the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, the Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications Board, the Naval Studies Board, the Air Force Studies Board, the Army Research Laboratory Technical Assessment Board, the Board on Higher Education and Workforce, the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, and the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources.
Zyda holds a lifetime appointment as a National Associate of the National Academies, an appointment made by the Council of the National Academy of Sciences in November 2003, awarded in recognition of “extraordinary service” to the National Academies. In August 2019, Zyda was appointed Distinguished Collaborator for the Stanford Human Perception Laboratory affiliated with the Institute for Human-Centered AI.
From Fall 2000 to Fall 2004, he was the Founding Director of the MOVES (modeling, virtual environments, and simulation) Institute located at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, and a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at NPS as well. At NPS, Zyda’s NPSNET Research Group built the first networked virtual environment with fully instrumented body suits that played across the Internet. His work on the networking of virtual environments contributed to the development of the IEEE 1278.1 standard for distributed interactive simulation. He helped found the subspecialty in modeling and simulation for the United States Navy, the simulation operations functional area (57) for the US Army and the simulation operations area (MOS-9625) for the US Marine Corps. While at NPS, Zyda was Associate Editor and then Senior Editor for the MIT Press Journal Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments from 1993 - 2004. With Fred Brooks, Henry Fuchs and Mary Whitton, he co-founded the ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics in 1990.
He was a member of the National Research Council Committee that put out the report “Virtual Reality - Scientific and Technological Challenges”. He chaired the NRC Committee that put out the study “Modeling and Simulation - Linking Entertainment and Defense”. That NRC report changed the entire Department of Defense towards the usage of games and entertainment technology for its future modeling and simulation systems. From that report, Zyda wrote the operating plan and research agenda that founded USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies.
For the National Research Council, he has served on committees for the Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education Commission, the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board, the Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications Board, the Naval Studies Board, the Air Force Studies Board, the Army Research Laboratory Technical Assessment Board, the Board on Higher Education and Workforce, the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, and the Board on Earth Sciences and Resources.
Zyda holds a lifetime appointment as a National Associate of the National Academies, an appointment made by the Council of the National Academy of Sciences in November 2003, awarded in recognition of “extraordinary service” to the National Academies. In August 2019, Zyda was appointed Distinguished Collaborator for the Stanford Human Perception Laboratory affiliated with the Institute for Human-Centered AI.
|
Curtis Roads is a composer, author and computer programmer. He composes electronic and electroacoustic music, specializing in granular and pulsar synthesis.
Roads studied composition at the California Institute of the Arts and the University of California San Diego. He is former chair and current vice chair of the Media Arts and Technology Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has previously taught at the University of Naples „Federico II“, Harvard University, Oberlin Conservatory, Les Ateliers UPIC (now CCMIX, Center for the Composition of Music Iannis Xenakis), and the University of Paris VIII. He co-founded the International Computer Music Association in 1980 and edited the Computer Music Journal from 1978–2000. He has created software including PulsarGenerator and the Creatovox, both with Alberto de Campo. Since 2004, he has been researching a new method of sound analysis called atomic decompositions, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The first movement of his composition Clang-Tint, „Purity“, uses intervals from the Bohlen–Pierce scale. |
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.
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.
2022 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.
ARI TURBINOR - Elon University 2025 (Calabasas, CA) Hi I’m Ari! I’m very excited for my second summer at Camp Demigod. In 2019 and 2021, 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!
Our 2023 Staff Recruitment Deadline is Open learn more
XGENS
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.