#CYProfessional: Katalin Angelov, Media Arts Design Professor
At Cypress College, we are proud of our employees and realize that recognizing personal and professional achievements, along with establishing a human connection between students, faculty, and staff, promotes a collegial atmosphere imbued with the Charger Spirit! Our employees always strive for excellence and make significant contributions to the campus and surrounding communities every day. We are pleased to feature distinguished #CYProfessional educators like Katalin.
What was your path to Cypress?
I graduated with an MFA in digital arts from USC. After graduation I taught at different colleges, starting in 2003. My courses focus on digital technology, and my classes range from 2D animation, storyboarding and motion graphics. I came to Cypress College in 2015 as a part-time instructor teaching twice a week at the Media Arts and Design department. I was very fortunate that a full-time, tenure-track position opened up the next year and I was hired.
What inspires you as a teacher?
Mainly, my students inspire me. Their success and growth gives me enthusiasm for what I do every day. Making a difference and impacting someone on a daily basis is amazing.
How do you balance your work as an instructor with your other professional/creative work?
It’s very difficult not to bring work home and focus on different things in life. I am involved in a professional volunteer-based organization and spend time with my fellow animation professors by organizing forums and symposiums. I also carve out some time to do my personal art during my free time. I usually involve my daughter in this because she is also interested in drawing and design. This way we can spend time together in a meaningful way and still get work accomplished.
Is there anything else you’re working on at the moment?
I am not working on anything personal, however, that is because I am currently developing a new area of study at Cypress College, and learning how to use the tools and programs related to it is my main focus. This new area of study is called projection mapping. While the name sounds quite strange, projection mapping is a cutting edge technology which is the future of entertainment. It’s the art of projecting visuals onto architectural spaces and surfaces.
To explain it better: if you have ever seen the castle at Disneyland at night – the way they bring it to life is by using projection mapping. It’s used in theater production, live entertainment and in many more fields. I would like to add that Cypress College is the first community college that will offer classes in this area of study in the United States. We really are No.1! The first class is scheduled in Spring 2019 and I am very excited for what experiences and opportunities it will bring to our learning community.
