Master's Students
Anna Cearley
After graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Anna Cearley worked briefly at the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News before being hired by The San Diego Union-Tribune. For seven years she was based out of Tijuana, Mexico, covering all aspects of border life, with an emphasis on crime and security issues. She also reported from Nicaragua and El Salvador through a competitive one-year journalism grant from the Inter American Press Association. Anna has received numerous awards for her reporting, including Best Latin American Reporting from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. At APOC she is interested in focusing on the technological and social forces that are impacting the journalism industry.
Greg Cherry
Greg Cherry received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Syracuse University and has worked for the Annenberg Foundation in Los Angeles for over 2 years. He currently serves as a Program Assistant, working directly with nonprofit organizations throughout the community in all program areas. He was previously at Sony Pictures Entertainment, working for Sony TV Studios as a Production Assistant. He is interested in furthering his studies in communications, media studies, and specifically the relation of emerging technologies to public opinion.
Ed Cohen
Ed Cohen is an award-winning writer, editor, commentator and publications manager. He has written for and edited periodicals at four major universities, including 10 years as associate editor of the widely admired Notre Dame Magazine. He began his career as a reporter on daily newspapers in Virginia and Delaware and spent time on loan to the Life section of USA Today. He has been an organizer with several groups opposed to the invasion and occupation of Iraq and in 2005 sought the Democratic Party nomination for Congress in northern Indiana.
Thomas Grasty
Tom Grasty graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with a B.A. in Journalism. From 1990 to 1994, he worked in the public relations and advertising industries before turning his attention to entertainment. Tom became a senior story analyst for HBO Pictures and DreamWorks SKG, then Head of Development at VH1 Motion Pictures for Television. Currently, Tom is executive in charge of development at Blaze Television, where he is responsible for developing new television, web and mobile projects, as well as working with content providers, broadcasters and other strategic partners. Tom is particularly interested in Search Engine Optimization, SEM and online advertising, and intends to use the skills he is acquiring in the APOC program to find new ways to monetize small businesses, online communities and individual creative endeavors.
Chris Guitarte
Christopher Guitarte graduated from the University of California Irvine with a B.S. in Computer Engineering in 2006, then participated in the Philippine Studies Program through the College of Arts and Letters at the University of the Philippines Diliman. Chris' professional experience includes working with the School of Biological Sciences at UC Irvine. He now provides technical support for faculty, staff and students at the Annenberg School for Communication. Chris is particularly interested in the application of online communities to mobile technology, digital rights issues such as creative commons, and developing online communities for those with a similar ethnic background (i.e. Asian-American).
Wendy Keller
Wendy Keller received her BA in music and certification in Music Management from the University of San Diego. She has worked in a variety of fields, including performing arts and corporate finance. After suffering a significant injury, she discovered a way to turn her physical limitations into an asset, and help others maximize their strengths to accomplish their goals. In 2007 she received her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. At APOC she seeks to fortify her knowledge base and develop an effective online community for Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science.
Otto Khera
Otto Khera earned a BS from Arizona State University (ASU) in Finance and in Economics, and later an MBA. Otto's background is in higher education and in advertising-based digital media projects. In the late 1980s Otto managed academic programs and grants for an ASU European studies research center. In the first half of the 1990s, Otto led the ad-based Axon Television project that was a planned 24/7 short film and video cable TV network. In the latter half of the 1990s he co-founded and managed the ad-based Desert Exposure arts and entertainment print magazine. Since 1998, Otto has been in higher education when he directed a new media technology center in western New Mexico until 2001. In 2002 Otto joined the University of Southern California's Center for Scholarly Technology which he now directs, and which supports technology-enhanced and distance learning at USC.
Arienne McCracken
Arienne McCracken graduated from Ohio State University with a B.A. in Russian and a M.A.s in Slavic Studies and the History of Art. Her master's thesis looked at the similarities in the works and beliefs of the artists Vasilii Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich. Arienne's work experience includes several years recruiting and programming for Honors students at Ohio State. She currently works as a program coordinator at USC's Center for Effective Organizations. At APOC she is interested in learning about the user experience and gaming communities.
Erin Metzger
Erin Metzger received her BA in Communication with a minor in Visual Culture from The University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication in 2007. An enthusiastic music fan, Erin had several music industry internships during her undergraduate career. At APOC, Erin hopes to explore more of the ever changing online landscape, particularly blogging and Internet culture.
Nonny de la Peña
Harvard graduate Nonny de la Peña is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, writer and technology artist. A former correspondent for Newsweek Magazine, she has written for the New York Times, Premiere Magazine, Texas Monthly, and Time Magazine. She has also authored scripts for television, and directed and produced four nationally-acclaimed feature-length documentary films exploring human rights issues. The Los Angeles Times wrote that, "de la Peña expertly personalizes the stories" in her films, and the New York Times called her work, “a brave and necessary act of truth-telling.” Her latest project, GONE GITMO - a virtual representation of Guantanamo Bay prison in Second Life - was funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Erika Shen
Erika Shen received a BA in French Language and Literature from Barnard College. After graduation she joined the MTV Networks family at Nickelodeon Magazine, then moved to MTV Off-Air Creative. After returning to her native Los Angeles to to help launch MenuPages.com, an online dining and restaurant guide, she rejoined the corporate world as a Producer for CBS Interactive Entertainment. She is about to embark on a new career at The Walt Disney Internet Group as a Lead Producer for Disney XD.
Rachel Wagoner
Rachel Wagoner received her BS in Computer Engineering and Minor in Digital Arts from the University of California, Irvine. She was very active in the engineering community at UC Irvine, holding board positions and coordinating school-wide conferences, technology festivals, events and programs. Rachel has worked for Standard Data Resources, UC Irvine's Network and Computing Services (NACS), and MeridianLink Inc. She currently is a web designer and project manager at the Institute for Triple Helix Innovation, a nonprofit research institute. Working for the institute has encouraged her to pursue nonprofit management, an interest she has had since her undergrad. Upon finishing the APOC program, she looks forward to applying her degree to the nonprofit sector, creating online communities to help support and foster nonprofit organization needs and services.
