David Wheeler, an accomplished creative director in all aspects of the digital media entertainment industry, will be joining Michigan State University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences as director of the college’s Media Sandbox. His appointment is effective Nov. 4.
An honors graduate of the London Film School, Wheeler has worked extensively in this rapidly evolving industry.
He launched into interactive digital media when he directed the pioneering full-motion-video CD-ROM, “11th Hour.” His interactive movie, “Tender Loving Care,” is a psychological thriller, which starred John Hurt, and pushed DVD technology to still unequaled heights.
Wheeler has served as the content director for some of the largest names in the video game industry, including game publisher Vivendi/Universal, and as senior creative director at Electronic Arts.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to share my knowledge and creative experience with students and push the boundaries to build a truly innovative learning environment,” Wheeler said. “The possibilities are endless when you combine the Media Sandbox faculty’s proven talent with that of the students’ extraordinary potential.”
As the Media Sandbox director, he will be responsible for leading what are both an integrated digital media arts curriculum and a community of students and faculty. Now in its third year, Media Sandbox enrollment has grown from 750 in its first year to more than 3,500 this semester.
“When we started the search for the Media Sandbox director, we knew we wanted a creative, out-of-the-box thinker who was clearly at the cutting edge of the digital media arts industry,” says Pamela Whitten, dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. “We had a brilliant array of candidates in the mix, but David Wheeler’s amazing level of creativity and experience made the strongest impression among our students and faculty.”
Media Sandbox students learn all aspects of digital media arts as their entrée to becoming global communicators. The need for graduates who are well-equipped to produce high-quality content for today’s media-rich environment continues to surge and is reflected in the high demand for Media Sandbox interns and CAS graduates by employers across the country.
To learn more about the Media Sandbox, visit http://mediasandbox.cas.msu.edu/.