“It pretty much shows the spectrum of what EMU offers in four years,” said Stauffer, who majored in digital media.

Stauffer created the with Adobe After Effects, a software program he learned to use in an intensive course taught by , professor of . The project got off to a promising start during Stauffer’s student internship with , during which he was encouraged to pursue his interest in animation that began in Holsopple’s class. After Stauffer finished his coursework in December, 2012, EMU hired him to finish the job.

“I really enjoyed it, despite how long it took. It was a great, great process and I learned a lot,” said Stauffer, who spent so many hours working on the project this winter that he didn’t bother counting them.

Stauffer now works at a hotel in Harrisonburg while juggling a number of freelance design projects. Eventually, he hopes to freelance full-time, putting to use the audio, web design, photography, video and animation skills he developed as a student in EMU’s visual and communication arts program.

The department is becoming one of EMU’s most popular programs. Enrollment in the four majors offered through by the VaCA department (art, communication, digital media and photography) is more than 100, about double the number enrolled six years ago. One reason for the growth in popularity, Holsopple said, is the fact that very few small Christian universities offer majors in either photography or digital media. VaCA’s synthesis of fine arts and technology education also appeals to prospective students.

“We’re not just teaching you technology, and we’re not just teaching you fine arts,” Holsopple said. “[Students] are going to get a radically better education than if they’re off in one field or the other.”

As the program’s popularity has grown, so has its stature. Increasingly, Holsopple said, prospective students are considering EMU’s VaCA program along with highly regarded art and design programs at places like the or the .

The university has also made substantial investment in keeping current with professional-level software and equipment to ensure that graduates take strong technical skills to the job market.

Stauffer expressed appreciation for the way VaCA faculty members help students identify and deepen specific interests – both technically and artistically. Holsopple also credited his colleagues on the VaCA faculty with creating a program that offers students a unique opportunity to develop critical-thinking skills, in addition to technical ones.

“[Our] students have something to say, instead of just being technically astute. I think that some schools are more concerned that they know how to use technology,” Holsopple said. “We are equally or more concerned about how they think about the world.”

An ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř alumna with more than 12 years experience in design, writing, editing and project management has been named director of at EMU.

of Harrisonburg will begin her new position on May 16, 2005. In this role, she will direct a six-member creative staff responsible for the overall public relations/communications programs of the university, which includes overseeing publications and other print materials, the news bureau, institutional advertising and web content design and maintaining campus-wide graphics and editorial style standards.

Ms. Parmer will succeed Paul W. Souder, who held the position three years.

, vice president for , announced the appointment.

“Kirsten brings years of experience in working within the marketing services department at EMU and has worked for a number of external clients over the years as well,” Yoder said. “She has shown natural leadership qualities, a creative flair and a passion for quality, timeliness and accuracy,” she added.

A 1993 EMU graduate, Parmer was a student assistant in the communications department during most of her college career. She joined the staff as a graphic designer in 1993 where she has worked on major projects including “Crossroads,” the university magazine; the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival; admissions materials and the President’s Annual Report.

She has received a Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District III “award of excellence,” numerous Printing Industries of the Virginias awards and the EMU “Quality Service Award.”

Parmer is married to Trevor Parmer, assistant vice president for employee benefits at BB&T Shomo and Lineweaver Insurance. They have two sons – Max, 7; and Simon, 4.