Hong Kong

• Brian Bittner
  Hong Kong
  

  • B.A., University of Hawaii at Hilo
  • M.A., University of Hawaii at Manoa

  
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  Born and raised in Hawaii, artist and English as a Second Language professor Brian Bittner brought his multicultural expertise and dynamic teaching style to Hong Kong more than 15 years ago. Bittner graduated from the University of Hawaii with a B.F.A. in printmaking and a Master of English as a Second Language. With work published on enriching the ESL classroom experience, Bittner has continuously worked to enrich his students' learning experience by keeping up with technology and cultural themes in Hong Kong. Bittner's engaging student-centered approach provides an atmosphere in his classes that prepares second language speakers for pursuing their individual creative career goals in an international setting.

  
  
  
  
• Derek Black
  Hong Kong
  B.A., Campbell University; M.F.A., Savannah College of Art and Design
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  Derek Black is a practicing typeface designer, typographer, graphic designer and calligrapher. After founding a small design studio serving a variety of clients from local artisans to corporations, he was invited to teach at Ivy Tech State College. Black came to Savannah as a recipient of a portfolio fellowship to pursue an M.F.A. in graphic design. His interests include typographic research and design and serigraphy.

  
  
  
  
• Rosemary Chai
  Hong Kong
  A.A., B.S., Brigham Young University Hawaii; M.A., University of Hawaii at Manoa; Ph.D., The University of New Mexico.
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  Dr. Rosemary Chai is a professor at SCAD Hong Kong and has lived and worked in various countries and states including Singapore, Malaysia, Hawaii, New York, New Mexico and Washington state. Prior to joining academia, she worked in various multinational corporations. Chai's research interests span cultural issues on the interstices of race, class, identity and sojourner experiences vis-a-vis communicative behavior and cultural influences that extend beyond western philosophies and communication paradigm. She obtained her Ph.D. and Master of Arts, both in the field of Intercultural Communication, from the University of New Mexico.

  
  
  
  
• Silvio Chan
  Hong Kong
  B.A., Hong Kong Polytechnic University; M.A., Royal College of Art.
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  Silvio Chan is a professor of Fashion at SCAD Hong Kong and an internationally recognized designer whose work has been featured in fashion week shows in Tokyo, Sydney and New York. His industry experience includes tenure as Executive Creative Director at Li-Ning, where he spearheaded the designing of uniforms for China's Olympic team. Prior to joining SCAD, Chan directed his own fashion workshop, which nurtured a number of award-winning students. Chan's two-volume reference on Chinese menswear, which is scheduled to be published in 2012, is expected to establish him as an authority on the subject. Chan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Womenswear from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a Master of Arts degree in Menswear from the Royal College of Arts.

  
  
  
  
• Wu Wei (Alvin) Chen
  Hong Kong
  B.A., National Taiwan Academy of Art; M.F.A., Savannah College of Art and Design; Ph.D., Communication University of China.
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  Alvin Chen is an educator and designer of motion graphics, as well as creator of new media work. His research interests focus on phenomenological aesthetics, digital performance and Chinese calligraphy. Chen has also worked in Taiwan, New York and Beijing as a non-linear editor, designer, animator and educator. He taught at Shih Chien University's College of Design in Taiwan, in the Department of Animation at Communication University of China in Beijing and in the Department of Digital Media at the Hong Kong Design Institute. Chen's recent publications include "Body Aesthetics in Digital Performance" and "China Animation Yearbook."

  
  
  
  
• Kinson Kin Chung Cheung
  Hong Kong
  B.Arch., University of Toronto; M.S., City University of Hong Kong.
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  Kinson Cheung has more than 13 years of experience in the creative industry, with technical mastery in major computer graphics packages such as Maya, Houdini, Renderman, Mental Ray, Shake Photoshop and more. Cheung's other artistic skills include design both hand and computer drawings, drafting, architectural modeling and rendering, and concept art design. Prior to SCAD, Cheung was the academy directory for Imagi Academy's Guangzhou, China office and a teaching fellow with the City University of Hong Kong. Cheung earned a Bachelor of Architecture in advanced computer modeling and animation from the University of Toronto and a Master of Science from the City University of Hong Kong.

  
  
  
  
• Wan Chiu
  Hong Kong
  B.Sc., University of Arkansas; M.F.A., Rochester Institute of Technology
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  Wan Chiu is a seasoned game designer and artist with nine years of experience in the industry, having worked with 11 published console game titles. A dynamic educator in the arena of computer gaming and user interaction, Chiu is proficient in industry standard software platforms and has more than two years of experience in multimedia development as a user experience consultant for MotherApp and a lead artist and producer for Leovation Ltd. Prior to joining SCAD, Chiu worked as a senior artist and designer for Savage Entertainment, where he was involved with game console titles like Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, and Transformers, among others.

  
  
  
  
• Evangelo Costadimas
  Hong Kong
  Dip., Niagara College Canada; M.F.A., RMIT University.
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  Evangelo Costadimas is a photographer, independent filmmaker and art curator. Having held six solo exhibitions and participated in more than 20 group shows, his photographs have been collected privately and are in the permanent collection of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Costadimas has curated numerous exhibitions and was the assistant curator for the Hong Kong pavilion in the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007). As a cinematographer, he has worked on numerous projects including feature films, shorts, documentaries, music videos, experimental art videos and commercials. He is a part-time lecturer at the Hong Kong Art School in the RMIT B.F.A. photography program, as well as a mentor at the International Academy of Film and Television. In 2008, Costadimas was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and has also gained a professional certification in art curatorship from the Hong Kong Art School.

  
  
  
  
• Scott Dietrich
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., University of Arizona; M.F.A., School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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  Scott Dietrich has worked in both the museum and the commercial fields of photography for the past 14 years. His work often documents and records the creative efforts of inspired artists, builders and crafts people. In the past three years he has traveled extensively outside of the United States, observing the creative efforts of various individuals and cultures. Dietrich earned a B.F.A. from the University of Arizona in 1994 and an M.F.A. from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996.

  
  
  
  
• Richard Dunn
  Hong Kong
  

  • B.S., University of Durham
  • M.A., University of Durham

  
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  Richard Dunn has worked as a copywriter at JWT, Ogilvy and Robson Brown, as well as head of regional copywriting activities for FOX International Channels' global Ad Sales division. With experience from across the globe in several of the world's greatest advertising agencies, Dunn developed expertise in communication techniques, analytical and strategic skills, and specialized digital, "above the line," "below the line" and "through the line" advertising and production acumen.

  
  
  
  
• Johnathan Farris
  Hong Kong
  B.A., Yale University; M.A., University of Virginia; Ph.D., Cornell University.
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  Johnathan Farris is an established historian of art and architecture. His research interests focus on issues of modernity and urbanism in China from the 18th century to the present. Prior to joining SCAD, Farris taught at Washington University in Saint Louis, Pennsylvania State University, Michigan Technological University and Western Carolina University. His recent publications include "Dwelling Factors: Western Merchants in Canton," in Carole Shammas, ed. Investing in the Early Modern Built Environment: Europeans, Asians, Settlers and Indigenous Societies (Brill, 2012) and "Treaty Ports of China and the West's Architectural Presence," in Carola Hein, ed. Port Cities: Dynamic Landscapes and Global Networks (Routledge, 2011).

  
  
  
  
• Michelle Hardy
  Hong Kong
  B.A., Florida Atlantic University; M.A., Florida Atlantic University
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  Michelle Hardy earned a B.A. in secondary French education, and an M.A. in linguistics and ESL from Florida Atlantic University.
  
  Her areas of expertise and special-interest research include grammaticalization, second language acquisition and sociolinguistics. She has traveled extensively and has lived in Canada, South Africa, the United States, France and Hong Kong. Prior to joining SCAD, Hardy taught English communication at Lycée Technique Privé Saint-Martin in France, and French at McArthur High School in Hollywood, Florida.

  
  
  
  
• Yoav Horesh
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., Massachusetts College of Art; M.F.A., Columbia University.
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  Born in Jerusalem, Israel, photographer Yoav Horesh has exhibited his work in galleries throughout the world and with Amnesty International. His work is part of the collections at The Addison Gallery of American Art in Andover, Massachusetts, the Museum of New Art in Detroit, Michigan, and featured in many private collections. In addition to lecturing in both the United States and Europe, Horesh's work has been featured in publications and websites on three continents. He has garnered numerous awards, including the Agnes Martin Award, The Projektraum-Bahnhof 25 Residency Award and the Mortimer Frank Grant. Horesh earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University. Prior to joining SCAD, Horesh taught at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, The New England School of Photography, Queens College and Columbia University.

  
  
  
  
• Denice (Deni) Javas
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., Philadelphia College of Art; M.F.A., School of Visual Arts.
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  Deni Javas has been a professional working artist for more than 20 years. An internationally recognized designer, illustrator and model maker, her clients have included Godiva Chocolatier, Esteé Lauder and Revlon. Javas has earned several awards for her design work from the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations and is represented by Schmidt Dean Gallery in Philadelphia. Javas earned a B.F.A. from The University of the Arts and an M.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts.

  
  
  
  
• Carl Johnson
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., Rockford College; M.F.A., School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
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  Carl Johnson is a visual artist and painter whose body of work includes sculpture, installation, theater stage design and performance art. Before coming to SCAD, Johnson taught at Northwestern University, the University of Wisconsin and was a Fulbright instructor in Taiwan. Johnson's synthesis of his unique disciplines has spontaneously and organically generated a new visual language within the creative practice. Johnson's work blurs the boundaries between multiple disciplines, allowing thought and emotion to intersect and become amplified through the relationship of his unique visual elements.

  
  
  
  
• Brian Kot
  Hong Kong
  B.S., The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Ph.D., Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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  Brian Kot is a registered diagnostic radiographer and animal imaging researcher. He began his first veterinary imaging research on exotic species in 2003 and has since directed his focus on aquatic animal diagnostic imaging and comparative investigations of anatomy and physiology in mammalian. Kot is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the HKPU and visiting scientist/researcher of various zoo/aquariums worldwide. Kot obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in radiography, and subsequently his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) in 2005 and 2010 respectively.

  
  
  
  
• Richard Krepel
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., Art Center College of Design; B.F.A., University of Arizona; M.F.A., Savannah College of Art and Design.
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  Richard Krepel has worked as an artist and illustrator on a national level for the past 30 years and as a SCAD professor for the past 20 years. He has enjoyed a wide range of assignments, including cover commissions for Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, poster and program art for the New York City Ballet and corporate imagery for countless Fortune 500 companies. In 2005, Krepel completed 25 illustrations for "Hallelujah," a collaborative book project featuring the poetry of selected hymns. Krepel's work has won awards in many of the nation's top industry shows, magazines and annuals including: Applied Arts, Digital Design, Step Inside Design, Step By Step, RSVP, Spectrum (the best of fantasy art), American Illustration, Communication Arts and the New York Society of Illustrators. His work was selected for the cover of the NY Society of Illustrators in 2004 - a singular honor. Krepel earned Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from Art Center College of Design and the University of Arizona, and a Master of Fine Arts degree from SCAD.

  
  
  
  
• Kwan Hang Lam
  Hong Kong
  B.S., M. Phil., The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Ph.D., University of California, Irvine.
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  Kwan Lam is a highly accomplished mathematician and professor. He has been published in many mathematical publications, including Transactions of the American Mathematical Society. Prior to joining SCAD, Lam was an assistant professor in the department of mathematics and information technology at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. Lam received both his Bachelor of Science and his Master of Philosophy degrees in mathematics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He then went on to earn his doctorate in mathematics at the University of California.

  
  
  
  
• Christine Lampert
  Hong Kong
  
  
  
  
• Curt Conrad Neilson
  Hong Kong
  A.A., A.S., Ventura College; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles; M.A., California State University, Northridge.
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  Curt Neilson has taught English Language, Culture, and Literature at Hoseo University in South Korea, Westwood College in the U.S., and Chiba National University in Japan. He's been featured in more than 40 publications, including Metropolis, Japanzine, Tokyo Notice Board and Tokyo Journal of Buddhist Studies. At his alma mater, UCLA, Neilson participated in several Shakespearean productions and was awarded a research assistant position. For graduate studies, Neilson focused on creative writing within his English major, composing poetry for the university press as well as Cal State University Fullerton. While in Los Angeles, Neilson worked in the film industry for several years and is a member of both the Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).

  
  
  
  
• Michael Robinson
  Hong Kong
  B.A., University of Minnesota; M.F.A., University of Southern California.
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  Michael Robinson's broad range of experience as a Web designer, animation director and creative director spans 20 years. His creative career began with Web design, developing website brands for Microsoft, Target and MTV Networks, including Comedy Central and VH1. His films have won awards in the U.S., and his work has been screened at festivals worldwide. In addition to several commercial and independent animation projects, Robinson also animated and directed a series of story-driven spot IDs for MTV Networks in 2009-10. Robinson earned his M.F.A. in animation from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts in 2008.

  
  
  
  
• Jose Rueda
  Hong Kong
  Prof. Cert., The Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon; M.S., Ph.D., University of Manitoba; M.B.A., University of South Australia
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  Dr. Jose A. Rueda has more than 18 years of experience in research and development and commercialization, particularly in interactive and data networking products and services. With a focus on technology applications and venture development in the communications, media and entertainment industries, Dr. Rueda formerly served as the chief executive producer for the Hong Kong team at PlayLab, where he was involved with popular games such as Indiana Jones, High School Musical, Power Rangers, MySims Racing, among others. In 2006, Rueda co-founded Fortune Cat Games Studio, Canada's first video games business incubator, and for eight years served as the director of data networking, operations and research at TRLabs in Canada, a consortium of industry, university and government. Other relevant experience includes serving on the Board of Canada's Advanced Networking Organization for Research Industry & Education, the Ensis Investment Venture Capital Fund Advisory Committee, the International Standards Organization Technical Committee for Nano Technology, and other listed and private companies and not-for-profit organizations. Rueda holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Manitoba and an M.B.A. from the University of South Australia.

  
  
  
  
• Peter Sakievich
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., Brigham Young University; M.F.A., New York Academy of Art
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  Peter Sakievich has worked as an illustrator for local companies within regional and national markets since 2004. His projects have varied from theme park design, to murals and to entertainment design for games and animation. Sakievich's major clients have included Maverik, EA Games and Disney Interactive. He has been published in the illustration annuals Spectrum, Expose and D'Artiste. Before joining SCAD in 2012, Sakievich taught life drawing, life painting and illustration at Brigham Young University and at Utah Valley University. Sakievich earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Brigham Young University in 2004 and his Master of Fine Arts from the New York Academy of Art in 2010.

  
  
  
  
• David Smith
  Hong Kong
  

  • B.A., Institute of Technology Sligo
  • M.F.A., University of Ulster

  
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  David Smith is an Irish artist based in Hong Kong. Smith graduated from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in 1998, the Sligo Institute of Technology in 2001 and the University of Ulster in 2003 with a Masters of Fine Art. Although primarily a painter, Smith also works on photographic and music-based projects for video and short films, which have been shown in Ireland, Germany, the U.S., and recently at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture. He has exhibited in juried shows and solo at Manifest Gallery in the U.S., Amelia Johnson Contemporary Gallery in Hong Kong and has been included in the first and second edition of INPA (International Painting Annual).

  
  
  
  
• Winnie Soon
  Hong Kong
  B.A., City University of Hong Kong; M.A., University of Hong Kong; M.S., University of Plymouth.
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  A native of Hong Kong, Winnie Soon is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher and digital media practitioner. Her projects often explore the intersection of art and technology through multimedia experiments in communication technologies, with a particular interest in the interplay of media, culture and communication. She is the co-founder of InNoPO, a collective based in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom that is dedicated to the research, development, production and experimentation of contemporary art. In addition to showing her work internationally in Korean, Chinese, British, American, Bulgarian and German exhibitions, Soon has extensive professional experience in creative media industries, having served with companies such as now TV, China Mobile Hong Kong, Hong Kong CSL and SINA. While with these companies, she managed a number of entertainment and lifestyle commercial projects such as online search campaigns, multimedia content downloads, instant messaging, interactive infotainment applications, video streaming and high-definition TV. Soon earned a Master of Science degree in digital art and technology from the University of Plymouth in Plymouth, England, a Master of Arts degree in media cultures from the City University of Hong Kong and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in information systems with a minor in computing from the City University of Hong Kong. View her work.

  
  
  
  
• Leon Tan
  Hong Kong
  Dip., M.H.S., Auckland University of Technology; B.A., Ph.D., The University of Auckland New Zealand.
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  Leon Tan is an art historian, cultural theorist, psychotherapist and occasional curator of interdisciplinary projects. He has published in journals including CTheory: Theory, Technology and Culture, Museum, Management and Curatorship, The International Journal of Cultural Studies and Theory, Culture and Society. Tan has presented work at venues such as Digital Arts Week (Zurich), the International Society for Electronic Arts (Singapore), the Royal Institute of Art (Stockholm), Synapse - Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), KHOJ International Artists' Association (Delhi), the Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art (Delhi) and the 2012 Taipei Biennial. Tan is a specialist in new media, media art histories, digital culture, contemporary art, critical and cultural theory, and media psychology.

  
  
  
  
• Gabriel Teo
  Hong Kong
  Dip., LASALLE College of the Arts; M.Des., Auckland University of Technology
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  Gabriel Teo has more than 12 years of global industry experience working in major film and game studios around the world. Prior to coming to SCAD Hong Kong, Teo was head of media research and development at Huhu Studios in Auckland, New Zealand, where he developed collaborative cloud technologies to facilitate his games' cinematic production. Teo's other teaching experience includes two years at Auckland University of Technology, where he lectured in its animation and moving image department. Believing strongly in the creative synergy between industry practice and research education, his primary strengths are 3-D digital sculpting, film compositing, 3-D texturing and photo-real lighting using a variety of digital tools such as Zbrush, Maya, Modo, MentalRay, Vra, Nuke and After Effects. Teo received his Master of Design Research Studies at the Auckland University of Technology where he specialized in next generation 3-D sensorial technologies for the film and entertainment industry.

  
  
  
  
• Debra Wacks
  Hong Kong
  B.A., California State University; M.A., New York University; Ph.D., The City University of New York.
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  Debra Wacks earned her doctorate in art history with a certificate in women's studies from The Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York. She has taught at Parsons The New School for Design, The College of Staten Island and Hong Kong Baptist University and has published several articles in Art Journal. Wacks, who has lived in Hong Kong for more than 8 years, is working on a book called: "Subversive Humor: The Performance Art of Hannah Wilke, Eleanor Antin, and Adrian Piper."

  
  
  
  
• Ronald D. Wilcox
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., Washington University in St. Louis; M.F.A., Syracuse University.
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  Ronald Wilcox has worked on global brands such as Volkswagen, Anheuser-Busch, Titleist, FootJoy, Fidelity Investments, and M&M/Mars, as well as smaller, regional brands looking to expand their market share. His "Not your typical bank" campaign for Citizens Bank/RBS generated exceptional market growth, taking it from the 28th to the 8th largest bank in the U.S. within five years. Wilcox has worked with global agencies such as DMB&B and Arnold/Havas and had his work recognized with multiple Effie awards, One Show and D&AD awards, along with an Emmy.

  
  
  
  
• Wun Wing (Ronald) Wong
  Hong Kong
  
  
  
  
• Christopher (Chris) Yin
  Hong Kong
  B.F.A., University of Michigan; M.Des., Illinois Institute of Technology; M.B.A., The University of Hong Kong.
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  Chris Yin is an accomplished designer and consultant with extensive experience in developing corporate identity, print and packaging systems for clients across a variety of industries in the United States and Asia.
  
  Yin has worked as a designer in San Francisco and New York for design firms such as Siegel & Gale and Landor Associates. In Hong Kong, he has worked for Philips Design, Landor, Brand Union and Ogilvy Redworks. Most recently, Yin worked as a senior brand consultant for Brandimage in Hong Kong.
  
  Prior to teaching full time at SCAD Hong Kong, Yin taught part time at SCAD Hong Kong. He has also taught design at the Hong Kong Art School and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and is pursuing a doctorate from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

  
  
  
  
• Dexin Tian
  Hong Kong
  B.A., M.A., Xi'an International Studies University; Ph.D., Bowling Green State University.
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  Dexin Tian's talent for bridging cross-cultural communications has earned him such rich experiences as interpreting for U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit to Xi'an in 1998, and serving as an education consul in the Chinese Consulate General in New York City from 1999 to 2003. In addition to his numerous published papers, Tian's areas of expertise include organizational and intercultural communication, public speaking and communication research methods. Tian earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English language and culture and a Master of Arts in English linguistics and literature from Xi'an International Studies University, and a Ph.D. in communication studies from Bowling Green State University. Prior to joining SCAD, he taught English and communications at XISU and Louisiana State University at Alexandria.