Full Sail University Celebrates 40th Anniversary and Announces 10th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Class

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Feb 04, 2019, 11:00 ET

WINTER PARK, Fla., Feb. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Full Sail University is proud to announce that 2019 marks the university's 40^th anniversary of providing a one-of-a-kind, innovative, and award-winning education centered on supporting students, while helping to propel graduates into their careers in the ever-expanding world of entertainment, media, arts, and technology. Over the span of four decades, Full Sail has grown to offer over eighty degree programs on campus and online, and is the proud alma mater to over 65,000+ graduates worldwide.

Full Sail Univeristy's 10th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Class

In celebration of this milestone and alumni, Full Sail is proud to announce the 2018 Full Sail University Hall of Fame induction class comprised of six graduates recognized for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, technology, media, and the arts. The induction of this new class of honorees will occur during Full Sail's 10^th Annual Hall of Fame Week, scheduled from May 19-23, 2019.

Full Sail University's 10^th Annual Hall of Fame will include a weeklong series of campus-wide events featuring:

Guest lectures, panels, workshops, and hands-on technology demonstrations from leading industry influencers, experts, and companies.
Career networking events focused on employment and mentoring for students and graduates.
Technology Expo showcasing the latest in tech trends and interactive experiences.
Live musical performances featuring a variety of artists and genres.
Interactive Creative Challenges for students and alumni.
Gaming tournaments, film screenings and more.

In addition, several events will be made available to the public via online streaming. The week will include an induction ceremony to celebrate and recognize this latest class of inductees, and will culminate in a celebration honoring Full Sail University's 40^th Anniversary. The inductees to be honored during Full Sail University's 10^th Annual Hall of Fame Week are:

Kerry Allen

Current Title: Senior User Interface Programmer for id Software
Industry Credits: In recent years Kerry has not only contributed to the releases of the notable and award-winning video games Doom and Dishonored II, but he has also been instrumental in the development of the most recent release of Doom VR.
He is currently working with his team on the highly anticipated title, Doom Eternal.
Kerry has also served in programming for Activision, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, and ZeniMax.
Some of Kerry's other credits include: Guitar Hero: On Tour, Band Hero, Madden NFL, NCAA College Football, Mixed Messages, and Kinect Adventures.
2006 Graduate (Game Development)

Michael Benford

Current Title: Creative Director at AMB Sports and Entertainment
Industry Credits: Michael has more than 15 years of experience driving visibility, and shaping fan experiences directly serving the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer's Atlanta United and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
In 2015 Michael became the Creative Director for AMB Sports & Entertainment and now oversees all creative development for each of the organization's brands.
During his career, Michael has designed and launched online sites for 13 NFL and several MLB, NHL, and MLS teams.
Michael played a lead role in developing the design language for Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the dazzling $1.5 billion sports and entertainment venue.
Michael has recently led the creative efforts for two championships; the 2016 Falcons Super Bowl appearance and 2018 United MLS Cup Championship
1999 Graduate (Digital Media)

Brian Carico

Current Title: Live Touring Video Director
Industry Credits: Brian started his career working for Vari-Lite in Nashville, where he was able to land his first tour with Aerosmith before picking up additional tours with DC Talk and Hank Williams Jr.
Brian has served in the roll of Production Manager for Travis Tritt and toured with him for a span of five years.
Brian continued to build his resume as he worked with Sir Paul McCartney, Brad Paisley, Neil Diamond, and was part of the crew that broke the Guinness World Record for 'Most Shows Played in a 24-Hour Period' with Hunter Hayes.
In 2014 Brian was nominated in the category of "Video Director of the Year" for his work with Hunter Hayes at the Country Music Association Touring Awards.
Over the past couple of years Brian has been the video director for Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett on U.S. tours and has also worked with Sam Hunt, Hunter Hayes, and Lady Antebellum.
1997 Graduate (Recording Arts)

Peet Cooper

Current Title: Vice President and Chief Creative Officer at Gamers for Good
Industry Credits: Peet currently serves as VP and CCO at Gamers for Good, a gaming nonprofit that helps gamers give back by connecting them to charitable giving and service opportunities. As a game art generalist, Peet has contributed to games in a variety of roles including animation, concept art, 3D characters, UI, environment art, illustration, and level design.
He has had the opportunity to work on titles from Nintendo, EA, Blizzard, Riot Games, and Activision on franchises such as Star Wars, Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends.
At the age of 5, Peet was introduced to his first video game, Combat for the Atari 2600. Since then he has played, collected, and analyzed thousands of games across every console and PC.
2004 Graduate (Computer Animation)

Josh Gudwin

Current Title: Award-winning Producer and Mix Engineer
Industry Credits: Josh is a 3 time Latin GRAMMY award-winning Producer and Mix Engineer who has worked directly with Justin Bieber over the past 7 years.
During his career, Josh has earned numerous album credits including the Latin GRAMMY award-winning (Best Engineered Album 2017) "Mis Planes Son Amarte" by Juanes, "Despacito" Remix Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Featuring Justin Bieber, "New Rules" & IDGAF" by Dua Lipa, Vibras album by J Balvin, Purpose album by Justin Bieber, Believe album by Justin Bieber, Loud album by Rihanna, "Love Me Back to Life" by Celine Dion, "Ora" by Rita Ora, "Wild Ones" by Flo Rida, "Bionic" by Christina Aguilera, "Q Soul Bossa Nostra" by Quincy Jones.
In addition to numerous GRAMMY award nominations for his work, Josh won two coveted Pensado Awards, honoring his achievements in the audio industry.
Josh is a United States Marine Corps veteran who has participated in several veterans' events on campus and serves as a mentor to Full Sail students.
2006 & 2007 Graduate (Recording Arts and Entertainment Business)

Margaret Haag

Current Title: Product Design Manager
Industry Credits: Margaret is a Product Designer currently working for Capital One, where she focuses on interaction and visual design.
She leads the overall design & aesthetic for a product called "CreditWise," partnering with another designer to create the User Interface/User Experience for iOS, Android & Web from the ground up, accomplishing this feat all in under a year.
Today, Margaret is still working to keep the product moving forward by adding new features, developing strategy and vision, conducting user research, and continual user testing. Last year she led the design effort for monetization and this year she's leading new feature development.
Prior to that, Margaret worked at USA Today where she focused on visual design and illustration. She was the lead designer for the nation's first college news app, called "The Buzz."
Margaret is a skilled UI/UX designer, as well as an expert in branding/identity and layout.
2009 & 2010 Graduate (Graphic Design and Digital Arts & Design)

Since 2009, Full Sail University has celebrated the now time-honored tradition that is the Full Sail University Hall of Fame. Its purpose is to acknowledge those graduates who have made outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment, technology, media, and the arts throughout the university's 40-year history. This honor serves as a tribute to the creative inspiration, technical brilliance, and determination of each inductee, their unyielding dedication to more than a decade of excellence in their professional career, and their heartfelt commitment to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Full Sail University.

Additional information regarding events, special guests, and live musical performances will be announced closer to Hall of Fame Week. Please visit the official Full Sail Website for more details, and follow @FullSail to join the #FullSailHOF conversation.

About Full Sail University:
Full Sail University is an award-winning educational leader for those pursuing careers in entertainment, media, arts and technology. Founded in 1979, Full Sail has received accolades throughout its 40 year history, including most recently: One of the 2018 "Top Graduate & Undergraduate Schools to Study Game Design" by The Princeton Review, one of the 2016 "Top 25 Music Schools" by The Hollywood Reporter, and one of the 2018 "Top 50 U.S. Film Schools" by The Wrap Magazine.

Full Sail University is a graduate and undergraduate degree-granting institution offering on-campus and online degree programs in areas related to Art & Design, Business, Film & Television, Games, Media & Communications, Music & Recording, Sports, and Technology. With over 65,000+ graduates worldwide, Full Sail alumni have worked on countless award-winning projects with individual recognition including OSCAR®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, ADDY®, MTV Video Music Award, and Video Game Award honors.

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SOURCE Full Sail University