CV
Bystanders debate the presidential options at the Daily Talk, an English-language news medium, which is published daily on a blackboard on Tubman Boulevard in the center of the Liberian capital, Monrovia. Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s campaign slogan: ‘Let monkey wait small, baboon still working” was referring to the local idiom that monkeys are the hard workers and baboons are lazy, benefiting from all the work the monkeys accomplish.
Curriculum Vitae | PDF VERSION
Ken Harper is an award-winning designer, professor, photojournalist and media educator. He has worked as a multimedia designer and producer for The Rocky Mountain News, MSNBC.com, New York Life, Bausch & Lomb and various non-profit organizations including the United Nations, the Bahá’í Faith, The Electronic Intifada and Aidchild.
Currently, Ken is an Associate Professor and the first director of the Newhouse Center for Global Engagement at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. The Newhouse Center for Global Engagement (the Center) is dedicated to bringing knowledge to the world through storytelling, collaboration and innovation. Professor Harper’s role in the Center stems from his long history in working internationally and he is now sharing that passion by bringing the classroom into the world and the world into the classroom.
Since joining the faculty at Newhouse, Ken has focused his international efforts on empowering local storytellers through training, exchange and activism. He has had leadership roles in Together Liberia, New Narratives, Free Rodney and most recently EbolainLiberia.org, a partnership with the Liberian government on visualizing the Ebola outbreak. Ken holds a master's degree from Ohio University's School of Visual Communication and an undergraduate degree in Photojournalism from Western Kentucky University. Ken resides with his wife, Dara, and two super cool kids in Syracuse. He enjoys riding his motorcycle, eating Altoids and practicing yoga.
Projects
The Electronic Intifada, Ohio University Masters Project {archived]
kentuckypostpreps.com [archived]
Education
Master of Arts in Visual Communication
Ohio University, June 2009
Bachelor of Arts in Photojournalism
Western Kentucky University, May 1998
Skills
Applications
- Coda
- CSSedit
- Dreamweaver
- Drupal
- Edge Animate
- Final Cut Pro X
- Freehand
- InDesign
- Photoshop
- Primiere
- Quark
- Sketch
- Wordpress
Languages
- HTML5
- CSS3
- jQuery
- PHP
- SASS
Experience
S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Syracuse University
Associate Professor | 08.08 - Current
SCOPE OF WORK
Three main areas of responsibility, teaching, creative and service. I teach both graduate and undergraduate focusing on multimedia design and development with a focus on media training in developing countries. I lead my departments efforts in outreach and recruitment and direct the Newhouse schools summer graduate design course.
CENTRAL PROJECTS & POSITIONS
Newhouse Center for Global Engagement | Center Director
With the expressed mission to bring knowledge to the world through storytelling, collaboration and innovation the Center serves as an umbrella organization for all Newhouse international efforts and a launching pad for future projects. Initial projects have included the press freedom project Free Rodney, the data visualization project Ebola In Liberia and more recently the dialog held at Newhouse "Running for Cover:
Visual Communication Theory & Practice | Summer Graduate Course Director
As part of my leadership role at the Newhouse School, I am responsible for the management of our graduate level graphic design course. This class provides an introduction to graphic design for most incoming Newhouse students. Each summer, I hire and manage 8-10 teachers and assistants as well as evolving the course curriculum for 90+ students.
Together Liberia | Project Founder and Director
Together Liberia was a pilot media development project intended to empower local communicators to share their own stories through training, equipment donations and relationship building. Together Liberia was comprised of professors and students from five US universities with the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications serving as the anchor institution. Other institutions included Duke University, University of North Carolina, University of Oregon and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
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New Narratives | Director of Digital and Visual Media.
In 2012 I joined New Narratives as the Director of Digital and Visual Media. New Narratives’ (NN) is a non-profit organization helping media deliver independent, truthful information to its people so they can make smart decisions about their countries’ politics and resources, while keeping leaders accountable.
Rocky Mountain News
Interactive Designer and Producer 02.06 - 01.08
SCOPE OF WORK
I was responsible for the production and design of both large and small interactive projects. I routinely worked with developers, photojournalists and editors to bring complex stories and issues to life though interactive tools such as audio video and still images.
Kentucky Post Preps [archived]
Director of Design | 11.04 - 01.06
PROJECT
Working with a small team of content producers, I designed and produced an interactive multimedia sports site for Scripps Howard. it was published weekly covering high school prep sports in Northern Kentucky.
Of Uganda by Uganda
Facilitator/Instructor | 07.04
PROJECT
Ugandan residents—of all ages and locales—were invited to participate in a series of documentary photo training workshops, which culminated in one 24-hour photo shoot. A panel of judges determined the final images for display and sale benefiting AIDCHILD, a Ugandan based orphanage for children living with aids.
The United Nations Committee, The Question of Palestine
Designer-Producer
PROJECT
Designed a web-based information portal for the united nations committee, “The Question of Palestine.” This portal serves a dual purpose, to disseminate current UN news regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as an archive of UN resolutions regarding the issue.
North American Baha'i Temple, The Dawning Place [archived]
Designer-Producer
PROJECT
Developed a time line-based, flash-driven presentation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Bahá’í House of Worship of North America.
Mountain Workshops
Interactive Designer-Producer and Webmaster
PROJECT
Responsible for the creation, design and maintenance of the mountain workshops' site since 1997. The mountain workshops is an annual, week-long photojournalism workshop, which attracts photo journalists from around the world to participate in a collaborative photo essay.
The Electronic Intifada
Designer-Illustrator
PROJECT
Responsible for interface and graphic design of web site, including collateral materials. Worked with a team of programmers to design the dynamically-driven palestinian news site.
msnbc.com
Multimedia Producer | 10.01.01 – 04.01.02
PROJECTS
Olympic 2002 Multimedia Producer
Responsible for editing photos utilized on the msnbc.com olympic web site.
Daily Picture Desk Editor
Responsible for editing photos utilized on the msnbc.com daily site during the war in Afghanistan.
Adea Group
Multimedia Designer
PROJECT
Revo interactive cd-rom magazine
Designed an interactive cd-rom integrating flash, full motion video and director to produce an elegant, powerful solution for the client.
Answerthink
Web Designer | 04.00 – 12.00
PROJECT
New York Life
Worked with New York Life executives to develop an online presence and associated style guide.
PROJECT
Bausch & Lomb
Worked to develop the graphic interface for the client facing web site. Performed closed-group usability testing to determine optimum usability and aesthetic appeal.
Sun Publications
Print Designer | 01.98 – 01.00
SCOPE OF WORK
Responsible for the design and layout of the Lincoln Way Sun, a weekly newspaper that varied in length each week from 50 to 80 pages. Worked in cooperation with writers, illustrators, and photographers to produce and deliver conceptual illustrations.
Awards and Panels
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Panelist, Teaching Compassion: Visuals, Convergence, and Strategies for Overseas Media Courses | 14
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Second Place "Globalizing the Classroom" | 14
Society of News Design, College News Design Contest
Honorable Mention, "Mini-site/special section of a news website" | 13
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Second Place, "Best of the Web" | 12
2011.newhousemilitary.org, Changing America
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
Honorable Mention, "Best of the Web" | 12
togetherliberia.org
Society of News Design
Commendation, Section/Topic Presentation, under 50,000, pro division | 11
apartfromwar.org
Best of Digital News Design
First Place, Information Graphics, David Miller, student division | 11
apartfromwar.org, Jerry's Cabin
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication
First Place, Best of the Web, Team Journalism | 10
youngandthewireless.com
Best of Photojournalism
Third Place, News or Feature Multimedia Package, independent | 10
mountainworkshops.org
Pictures of the Year International
First Place, Editing Division/Interactive Publication: Small Media | (POYi 63)
kentuckypostpreps.com [archived)
Pictures of the Year International
First Place, Interactive Publication: Small Media | (POYi 62)
mountainworkshops.org
Published
“Macintosh OS 9 and OS X” | 03
Survey of operating systems, Charles Andjane Holcombe (Osborne-Mcgraw-hill, 2003). Apple chapter in popular computer operating systems textbook for students training to be computer professionals, from Omh’s Mike Myers’ computer skills series.