Stone Librande

Game Design & Development

A Lead Designer at Riot Games, Stone has worked in the game industry for over 15 years on games such as SimCity, Spore, and Diablo 3.

Evan Skolnick

Game Design & Development

Evan Skolnick has over 25 years of combined story and game development experience at world-class entertainment companies such as Marvel, Activision and Lucasfilm.

USV Faculty

At USV, you’ll find your mentors among our experienced faculty with ties to major industry players in Silicon Valley.

To learn more about our faculty and academic leadership, read through some of their bios, featuring accomplishments in the fields of business, arts, and technology.

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Bhanu
Viswanadha

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

Masters in Mathematics 
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India

Master of Technology in Mathematical Modeling
Simulation from University of Pune, India

 

 

NetApp,  APL Ltd

Bhanu Viswanadha, PMP,PMI-ACP, CSM, SASM, SA, POPM, SDP, DASM, DASSM, TOGAF, KMP1, CSaSP, CCSK is currently working as IT Architect at NetApp. Previous positions include Program Manager at a major retail and healthcare company and Technical Leader at APL Ltd.

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Christian
Sasso

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

M.S., Computer Networks
Politecnico di Torino

B.S., Software Engineering
Politecnico di Torino

B.S., Game Design Engineering
University of Silicon Valley

Cisco Systems
Atlanet
Softek
Nest Labs
Ericsson

Christian (Chris) is the founder of Heroic Arcade, a studio specializing in virtual and augmented reality experiences, which in 2015 won the Best in Show award at the Google Tango Competition.

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Deep
Shrivastava

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

M.S. Computer Information Systems

B.S. Electronics and Communication Engineering

NS Institute of Technology, India

BITS, India

Escorts Telecom Ltd.
National Informatics Center

Deep Shikha Shrivastava brings over two decades of teaching experience to USV.

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Dr. Daniel E.
Lockhart

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

DBA in Strategic Management and Marketing
University of Kentucky

MBA
West Virginia University

Bachelor of Arts in Business, Finance, and Accounting
Davis and Elkins College

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Lockhart has lead various executive education sessions and consulted with corporations such as US West, Posolite Corporation, CSX, Dick Simon Trucking, and numbers small business startups.

Dr. Daniel E. Lockhart is an adjunct instructor at the University of Silicon Valley.  He holds a Doctor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky specializing in Strategic Management and Marketing.  He also earned a Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia and an undergraduate degree in Business, Finance, and Accounting from Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia.  Dr. Lockhart has held several teaching, research, and administration positions.  He is currently the Master of Business Administration Director at Midway University.  Dr. Lockhart was an Assistant Dean at Zayed University Dubai of the United Arab Emirates for eight years. 

 

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Evan
Skolnick

Faculty
Professor of Practice

B.A. English, Journalism, Graphic Design

University of Connecticut

Activision
LucasArts
Electronic Arts
Disney
Ubisoft
Kabam

Evan Skolnick has over 25 years of combined story and game development experience at world-class entertainment companies such as Marvel, Activision and Lucasfilm.

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Irv
Kalb

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

M.S. Computer Science
West Coast University

B.S. Computer Science
Rutgers University

Convergent Technologies
Apple
Acuson

Irv Kalb has been teaching software development and computer-based training since 2010.

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Isabell
Fearnsby

Faculty
Associate Professor

B.A. History
UC Santa Cruz

MFA Figurative Painting
Academy of Art University

Isabell Fearnsby, professional oil painter and teacher, is known for her creative vision and love of collaboration.

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Jayeeta
Sinha

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

M.S. Mathematics
Tezpur University, India

B.S. Mathematics
Dibrugarh University, India

B.E.
Dibrugarh University, India

An organized professional with more than 6 years of teaching experience with an ability to improve student’s critical thinking and problem solving skills, Jayeeta Sinha can explain complicated Mathematical concepts in an easily understandable manner.

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John
Hayes

Interim Director of Business Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Professor of Practice

Doctor of Business Administration (ABD)
California Southern University

Master of Organizational Leadership
Fort Hays State University

Established business, management, leadership, and innovation professor with four decades of industry and academic experience. Integrating real-world experiences into the classroom using industry-relevant business model frameworks to create adaptive insights that align strategies for growth and profitability and encourage sustainability, innovation, and corporate social responsibility.

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Julius
Dobos

Faculty
Distinguished Professor

Weiner Leo Music School, Budapest

B.S. Electrical Engineering
Kando Kalman University, Budapest

Sony Pictures / Happy Madison
Discovery Channel
Cartoon Network
Roland Corp.
The Creative Shop
Member of AES, BMI and ARTISJUS

With over two decades of professional experience as an award-winning composer of electronic and film music, sound synthesist, sound designer & audio engineer, Julius Dobos is internationally known for his work in major motion pictures and television shows (such as You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Zookeeper, Mall Cop, DragonBall Z), in new media, advertising and sound installations.

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Kay
Combs

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

EdD in Educational Leadership
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Master of Arts in Adult Education
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management with emphasis in Human Resources
Midway College, Midway, Kentucky

Associate of Arts in Business
Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky

 

 

 

 

KC Educational Consulting, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Skills U

Kay was born in San Francisco, California, but has made Kentucky her home for over thirty years.  She landed in Kentucky after traveling and living in several states and a few countries as her father was a seasoned Army veteran.  Kay lives in the beautiful horse country of Kentucky on the outskirts of Lexington, Kentucky where she raised her son.

 

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Leann
Hill

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

BFA
San Jose State University

 

Leann Hill is a concept artist and illustrator working out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Professor Hill received her BFA degree from San Jose State University and specializes in Visual Development, Concept Art, Illustration, and Storyboarding.

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Nick
Fortino

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

Ph.D. East West Psychology
California Institute of Integral Studies

M.A. Psychology
Sofia University

B.S. Health and Exercise Science
Sacramento State University

Nick Fortino is a psychology professor, researcher, and theorist who believes in the power of learning psychology for individual and social evolution.

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Phil
Campbell

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

BA (Hons) DipArch in Architecture
Brookes University, Oxford, UK

MA in Architecture
Oxford Brookes University

 

 

Eidos, Electronic Arts, Zynga

Philip Campbell has been designing interactive entertainment for over 30 years – as an architect, writer, game creator and designer.

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Preeti
Mohindru

Faculty
Full Professor

Ph.D., Applied Mathematics
University of Guelph, Canada

M.S., Mathematics (Honors)
Panjab University, India

M.S., Applied Mathematics
University of Guelph, Canada

In her doctoral program, Preeti Mohindru solved a famous mathematical problem which had gone unsolved for twenty years. As an instructor, her aim is to develop students’ problem solving skills, to ensure that they understand relevant concepts and to encourage them to communicate mathematical results and ideas clearly.

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Reid
Winfrey

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

A.A. Art
Cabrillo College

B.A. Art
UC Davis

M.F.A. Printmaking/Painting
San Jose State University

Reid Winfrey approaches realism in terms of the challenge of creating images that have “painterliness,” or the sensuality of paint and color and obvious hand of the painter.

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Richard
Chuang

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

B.S. Electrical Engineering
UC Davis

Pic 2
Pacific Data Images
Dreamworks Animation

Professor Richard Chuang serves as Chief Executive Officer of PIC2. Mr. Chuang is a Co-Founder of Pacific Digital Image (PDI) Dreamworks Animation Studios.

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Rosie
Katz

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

B.A. Computer Video Imaging and Character Animation

University of Silicon Valley

Electronic Arts

Activison/Sledgehammer Games

Rosie Katz comes to USV bringing eleven years of experience working in the Game industry.

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Seth
Gillespie

Project, Program and Engagement Management
Adjunct Professor

Ph.D. in Organization and Management
Capella University

MBA with an emphasis in Technology Management
UPOX

B.S. in Molecular Biology with Minor in Economics
UC San Diego

Apple, Chiron, Dell, Siemens, Chevron, Pfizer, Lucasfilm LTD (the parent company of Industrial Light & Magic and LucasArts)

Dr. Seth J. Gillespie is a popular educator, speaker, lecturer and subject matter expert in a variety of fields with over 20 years of real-world experience.

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Tania Peitzker

Faculty
Faculty Adjunct Professor of Metaverses and Interfaces

PhD, B.A. Hons & part LLB. Law, English, Cultural Studies at the University of Potsdam (post grad), Germany; Uni QLD, Australia (undergrad). Q. Inst. Pa. (Qualified Paralegal in Emerging Technologies & Intellectual Property, Commercial Law, Contracts). Institute of Paralegals, IoP London.

Tania’s reputation in industry is wide and varied, just see her

Tania Peitzker is a globally active technologist: innovating, writing and teaching at corporate events, educational conferences and governmental policy thinktank.

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Van
Phan

Faculty
Adjunct Professor

B.A. in Psychology/Economics
UCLA

M.F.A. Animation/Film
University of Southern California

Dreamworks. Industrial Light and Magic, Naughty Dog, Blue Sky, 2K games, Activision, Sony Imageworks

Van Phan’s interests in teaching comes from his love for storytelling, animation, and learning. His multidisciplinary background and breadth of experiences have given him a unique perspective and teaching pedagogy.

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