Mentor Profile

For my Capstone idea, I would like to redesign an Indiana-based Autism awareness group's website with a custom WordPress theme I will design. In addition to redesigning the website I would like to create an entire marketing campaign to spread awareness on the disorder and increase the amount of users for their website to help build a stronger community. The goals of this website are to spread awareness on Autism, provide a place for people to come together on a common interest, and to raise compassion for people with the disorder.

Four key components I am looking for in a Capstone mentor are knowledge in web development, research process, project management, and user-centered design. I feel these are the strongest elements of my Capstone and I would always benefit from advice/guidance in all of these areas.

This semester, Professor Comer is working with me on my independent study. I am using this independent study time to research the methods that would be best to use to promote awareness for the group. I will also be expanding my knowledge on HTML and CSS to create a more powerful website. I asked Professor Comer to be my Independent Study teacher and Capstone Mentor because I believe he would be a good mentor for me because of his skills in multimedia applications, his experience in the advertising industry, his background in research, and his ability to successfully manage project timelines.

Three additional mentors or secondary mentors that I feel might be good to help me produce a successful capstone are Edgar Huang, Wade Mitchell and Thomas Lewis. Edgar has extensive experience in graphic design, layout, and web development. He would be able to help me with questions on HTML and HTML5 as well as CSS and CSS3. I feel Wade would be a good mentor because of his experience in usability and user-centered design. He would be able to help me design a website that people would be able to easily navigate for people with Autism or related disorders. If I decide to create a video to be included in the marketing campaign, Thomas Lewis would be a good mentor to have. He has extensive knowledge in video development.

Edgar Huang

What is your area of expertise?

Edgar’s expertise include video streaming, video production and editing, motion graphics production, web design, graphic design, layout design, empirical research.

What are your expectations for a capstone student?

Edgar has a Memo of Understanding that students must review and agree to.

What is your general availability for mentoring next semester?

He currently has availability.

Do you have any project types you are not interested in working with?

He is not interested in working with trailers, a project without a clear client in mind.

What are your thoughts on a secondary advisor?

He has enough advisees to worry about in his capstone and independent study courses every semester.

Wade Mitchell

What is your area of expertise?

My area of expertise is HCI, specifically usability and user-centered design theory and principles.  My research is focused on interactive voice response systems and the psychological and sociological reaction to synthetic voices. 

What are your expectations for a capstone student?

Surprisingly high.  I expect students to meet with me weekly, to demonstrate mastery of their chosen subject, and importantly, to be innovative.  I like students that want to do something novel, not just redo something someone else has done.

What is your general availability for mentoring next semester?

You would only be my second capstone student for next semester so I would be fairly available.

Do you have any project types you are not interested in working with?

I would be less interested in projects that do not involve usability or user-centered design.  Specifically I would probably steer clear of people doing stand-alone development.

What are your thoughts on a secondary advisor?

I think a second advisor can be beneficial if a significant amount of the project involves an aspect outside the expertise of the primary mentor.  I think this should be worked out with the primary mentor.

Thomas Lewis

What is your area of expertise?

My areas of expertise are video production in all its aspects (from pre-production to post-production including directing, cinematography, editing, effects). I also have extensive experience in still photography.

What are your expectations of a capstone student?

My expectations are that students choose a project that is both technically and conceptually challenging. The capstone is a project that embodies the culmination of the learning experience and must demonstrate, not only a thorough technical knowledge, but also a creative and original application of skills as exhibited in a sophisticated and conceptually solid approach to the subject.

In the process of working on the Capstone, students should be prepared to delve deeply into the subject of their project with an attitude that will open them to various technical and conceptual possibilities with regard to how a subject is represented and/or information conveyed. After the groundwork of subject and approach is established, capstone students should be prepared to dedicate countless hours of hard work. Ideally this dedication will result in a project that surpasses the initial expectations of both student and mentor.

Do you have any project types that you are not interested in working with?

I will not work with students interested in horror or zombie movies. And neither Susan nor I accept music videos as capstone projects

What is your availability for mentoring next semester?

I teach a four course load and typically have several capstone/independent study students. This leaves me with somewhat limited availability.

Do you have any thoughts on another secondary advisor if you are unavailable? 

Both Susan Tenant and Edgar Huang teach video production. As far as the best help for website development, that is a bit beyond my knowledge. But I would suggest Skip Comer as a place to start.