RMU English and Media Arts

10/16/2026

Today, we kicked off Storytelling Month at RMU! 🎬

RMU English & Media Arts welcomed Jeff Whitehead and Ryan Samuel Carr from The George A. Romero Foundation for a conversation about their graphic novel adaptation of George A. Romero’s long-lost 1973 film, The Amusement Park.

Joined by our very own “Slasher Scholar,” Danielle Hornyak, the panel explored the creative process of adapting film into a graphic novel, visual storytelling, and the enduring relevance of Romero’s work.

Thank you to our panelists and everyone who joined us, especially our students for their thoughtful questions!

What a fantastic start to Storytelling Month! 🖤

10/16/2026

Taking storytelling to new heights! 🚁

Dr. Jones’ ARTM2040 students explored drone technology during a hands-on session at the UPMC Events Center!

The experience built on a recent guest lecture by RMU Media Arts alumnus Nazari Dorosh ’10, a professional filmmaker whose aerial cinematography work includes projects for the Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, and other professional sports organizations.

We love seeing our alumni share their expertise and inspire the next generation of visual storytellers!

10/14/2026

A little animation history in action! 🎞️

Students in our History of Photography course had some fun experimenting with a zoetrope, an early animation device that creates the illusion of movement from a sequence of still images.

Long before movies and GIFs, there was the zoetrope!

10/13/2026

Big Congratulations to Professor Hyla Willis, MFA, on presenting her paper "Sludge and Counter Sludge" on the BioArt panel at 4S 2026: Technopower and Technoscientific Futures in Toronto! ✨

This year’s conference marks the 50th Anniversary Joint Meeting of the Society for Literature, Science & the Arts (SLSA) and the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S). We are proud to see our faculty leading critical conversations at the intersection of media arts, science, and technology.

Way to go, Professor Willis! 🎉

10/12/2026

🦇 Things are getting creepy at RMU! 🎃

Join us for the 18th Annual Creepy Conference & Costume Contest on Tuesday, October 27!

This year's presentations explore local urban legends, mysterious imagery, and horror cinema, featuring RMU faculty and students:

🦇 Laura Whitaker (Faculty): Johnny No Face: The Man Behind Pittsburgh’s Creepiest Roadside Legend

🐷 Brenna Chase (Student): The Pig Hill/Pig People Urban Legend of Meadville, PA

🔍 Alex Vignovitch (Student): Secret Iconography of the United States Military

🎬 Danielle Hornyak (Faculty): The Mask and the Reproducible Monster: Gothic Fragmentation and the Circulation of Identity in American Slasher Cinema

📅 Tuesday, October 27 | 7–8:30 p.m.
📍 AMC TV Studio, near Olsen Hall

Come in costume for a chance to win $50 for Best Costume! Free snacks, fascinating presentations, and RMU Ready credit for attending.

10/11/2026

Support our own Professor Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre, who is directing The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh for RACT Productions! 🎭

The production runs for one weekend only, October 16–18, at the Segriff Stage in Rochester, PA. Check out the details below and come support local theatre!

*ONE WEEKEND ONLY!*

The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh
Directed by Barbara Burgess-Lefebvre

​📍Segriff Stage 134 Brighton Ave, Rochester, PA 15074

📅Friday, October 16, 2026 7:30pm
📅Saturday, October 17, 2026 7:30pm
📅Sunday, October 18, 2026 2:00pm
🚪​*Doors open 30 minutes before show

🎟 Tickets: $15 + fees on Leap Events
https://events.leapevents.com/event/ract-the-pillowman-2026

⭐Featuring: Josh Plowman, Gavin Calgaro, Jack Lefebvre, Kamran Mian
Puppeteers: Jenn Rian, Zack Mitrecic, Mauralee Cox

📖SYNOPSIS: In a nameless totalitarian state, a writer is brutally interrogated after a series of bizarre child murders perfectly mimic the pitch-black plots of his unpublished short stories. What follows is a shockingly funny yet nerve-wracking battle of wits between two eccentric detectives and a storyteller trying to save both his disabled brother and his precious manuscripts. The Pillowman is a dark, fiercely intelligent thriller that blurs the lines between fiction and reality, offering a chilling yet deeply moving exploration of the terrifying power of storytelling, the price of artistic freedom, and how far someone will go to protect the things they love.
⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: Profanity, Violence, Disturbing themes

****************
❓For more information visit https://www.ractproductions.com/2026-10-the-pillowman.html

🔵Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1436553161976554/1436553165309887

10/09/2026

🎬✨ Bring Your Ideas to Life with Animation!

Explore the creative possibilities of animation with RMU's 12-credit Animation Certificate!

Through hands-on coursework in digital imaging, storyboarding, motion graphics, and interactive animation, students develop the technical and storytelling skills to create engaging animated content.

From entertainment and advertising to education, medicine, and engineering, animation opens doors across a wide range of industries.

🎨 Create. Animate. Tell Your Story.

Learn more about the program:
https://www.rmu.edu/academics/certificates/school-communication-and-media/animation

10/08/2026

A little Dada in 4D! Yesterday, students embraced chance, randomness, and the absurd to create Dadaist poems. By cutting up words and rearranging them into unexpected combinations, they explored how meaning can emerge from chaos. Sometimes the best way to make art is to break the rules!

10/07/2026

Congratulations to Graphic Design major Mikayla Bayer, who was crowned 2026 RMU Homecoming Royalty alongside Kenny Ugbodu! 👑❤️💙
We love celebrating our Media Arts students on campus. Congratulations, Mikayla!

10/06/2026

🎬 Storytelling Month continues at RMU!

Join us Wednesday, October 21 at 2 p.m. for a screening of Not If I See You First, followed by a Q&A with Kenny Zimlinghaus.

Hear Kenny talk about the film, comedy, storytelling, and the creative process behind bringing a story to the screen.

📍 TV Studio, Academic Media Center
🗓 Wednesday, October 21
⏰ 2:00 - 3:30 PM