Baylor FDM professor honored for innovative teaching methods

A huge congratulations to Dr. Michael Korpi, who recently received the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers’ first-ever “Excellence in Education” award!

The long-time film and digital media professor is being honored for his innovative methods of teaching here at Baylor. Those methods include teaching about emerging film technologies and techniques — augmented reality, virtual reality, digital cinema, and drones — and creating multidisciplinary courses that encourage teamwork and cross-disciplinary training.

This award should come as no surprise to anyone who’s had the pleasure of taking one of Korpi’s courses. And after 34 years of teaching, he’s taught an awful lot of students, including big names such as Jeff Dunham, Derek Haas and Michael Brandt, and Joanna Gaines.

Korpi’s mentorship certainly doesn’t end after graduation; he’s known for keeping in touch with students making their way through “the biz.” More than 20 years ago, he developed an alumni e-mail list to keep students and alumni updated on New York and Los Angeles Bears, and regularly connects graduating Bears with more seasoned alumni.

Sic ’em, Dr. Korpi!

You might also like:

* Another Baylor alum’s short film earns Cannes screening (May 2016)

* Baylor Film and Digital Media now its own department, thanks to transformative gift (July 2015)

* Bears in Hollywood: What films and TV shows should be in a Bear’s media library? (Sept. 2013)

