E-mail Address

Email: Please use the course e-mail system (Select the Communicate link on the left column menu, and then click on Quick Message)

Phone Number

Phone: (570) 415-6120 (although I'd prefer email – I don't always have my phone on me)

Availability

I will be online and “live” Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 7pm to 10pm EDT.  Students can always contact me via email and I will do my best to respond within 24 hours.

Short bio:

Professor Stark teaches courses in audio production, video production, mass media history, and critical issues in emerging media.  He has worked and taught in educational broadcasting at several universities for almost twenty years.  Prior to entering the academic field he worked in commercial radio and video production as an on-air announcer, news and sports reporter, and broadcast engineer.  He is the co-author of the seventh edition of the Audio Production Worktext, which was published in 2013, and has authored several articles related to media studies.

Personal Introduction

Hi everyone – welcome to COMM 190!  I hope you enjoy the class and I hope we all learn a few things along the way.

I'm originally from Ithaca, New York but grew up in northern Virginia, outside of Washington, DC.  I spent 14 years living in Texas (split roughly 50/50 between Dallas and Houston) and have lived in Pennsylvania since 2002. I have a Bachelor's degree in Radio/Television/Film from the University of North Texas, a Master's degree in Communication from Stephen F. Austin State University, and my Doctorate in Mass Communications from Penn State University (class of '09).  My research and teaching interests lie in many areas – probably too many – ranging from audio production, radio history, media history, political economy, transmedia, and analysis of emerging media technology and trends.  Recently I've gained an interest in both gaming/interactive media and North American indigenous radio.  Jack of all trades - master of none, I guess...

I'm an old-school gamer, having spent many days in my local Aladdin's Castle arcade back in the day.  I blew through plenty of quarters while my parents went shopping at the mall.  Paperboy and Gauntlet (I and II) are still my fav arcade games.  My first home console was an Intellivision system (which had its pros and cons), followed shortly thereafter by a Commodore 64 system (I had to spend $150 for an external 5 1/4" floppy disk drive so that I could save my BASIC coding, because when you turned the computer off back then you lost everything).  My first computer game system in college was an Amiga computer system which allowed my roommate and I to spend way too much time playing Savage and Batman (based on the 1989 film).  I spent way too much time in the late 90s playing Doom and Age of Empires and too much time in the mid-to-late 00s with Mario Kart.  Today I'm glad to say that I have the requisite XBox 360, but my kids are on it a lot more than I am.  Currently I am throwing it back a few years and working on completing the first Suikoden on my PS Vita.

I realize however, I am woefully inadequate when it comes to many other games and interactive systems out there so don't be surprised if you teach an old man a thing or two in the class. Either way, it's all good!

Welcome to COMM 190!