Faculty & Staff Profiles
Hanson Hosein, Director
Hanson is an award-winning digital filmmaker and television journalist. Throughout his career, he has sought out the technological changes that are now upending traditional media -- from being one of the first contributors to a nascent MSNBC.com, to pioneering digital content creation as a globe-trotting solo broadcaster.
He conceived and directed the film "Independent America: The Two-Lane Search for Mom & Pop" which has been seen around the world, thanks to his innovative grassroots marketing campaign. Self-produced and self-financed, the award-winning documentary has also been featured by Yahoo!, BusinessWeek, Variety, ABC News, National Public Radio, NHK Japan, SBS Australia and the Sundance Channel.
In the last few years, Hanson has shot and edited groundbreaking films for the American government in southern Africa, for TurnHere.com and Discovery Channel Mobile in Latin America, and for aid organizations such as PATH and Mercy Corps.
In 2004, he coordinated NBC Nightly News coverage of the U.S. handover of power to the new Iraqi government and was embedded with the First Cavalry Division. He also reported live from Baghdad for Canada's Global News National and CBC Newsworld.
In 2003, Hanson served as an NBC correspondent and solo journalist during the war in Iraq. Armed with a laptop, satellite phone and camcorder, he filed ongoing Persian Gulf coverage live from the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. He then covered the aftermath of the war from Beirut, Damascus, Amman and Jerusalem.
Hanson won an Emmy for his NBC Nightly News coverage "The Fall of Kosovo" as well as an Overseas Press Club Award. He was NBC News Middle East Producer and MSNBC.com correspondent, based in Tel Aviv from 1997 to 2001.
He has law degrees from McGill University and the University of Paris, as well as Masters in Journalism from Columbia University.
Kathy E. Gill, M.S., Senior Lecturer
An expert in the emerging social space known as the blogosophere, Gill's experience encompasses both business and academia, with a focus on information design and web site usability. She has been teaching digital media subjects at Seattle area colleges and universities since 1998, focusing on user experience and digital storytelling; she is also a universal access advocate.
She has consulted on web projects at Boeing, AT&T Wireless, Microsoft, and SAFECO. Prior to making the transition to digital media in 1994, she also worked in public affairs in the forest products and agricultural sectors in Washington, Oregon, and the Northeast.
She has a Master's degree in agricultural economics from Virginia Tech (1979) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Georgia (1977). She spends weekends teaching novices how to ride motorcycles.
Faculty website; Blog: WiredPen.
Corliss Harmer, M.A., Counseling Services Coordinator
Corliss earned her Masters in Multicultural Literature at Goddard College in Vermont. She went on to doctoral work in adult education at Columbia University. In addition to her work with the MCDM program, she teaches English composition at several colleges in the Seattle area.
Other Faculty
Other Communication Department faculty with research and teaching interests in digital media include Kirsten Foot, Phil Howard and Gina Neff.
The members of the faculty advisory committee include Tony Chan, Kathleen Fearnbanks and Doug Underwood.
In addition, the program has adjunct faculty with expertise in law, marketing and project management.