Leadership, Policy & Government Affairs

At Binghamton University I had the opportunity to blend my skill sets as the Founder and President of Binghamton University Television. The job was to create a unique product: design high level technology solutions, teach hundreds of members how to use them, and present finished, working solutions to the university administration.

It had always been an ambition of mine to participate in studio and film productions at a university. When I arrived, the school no longer had a student run television station. It had closed years earlier because it was hard to fund, hard to staff, and hard to actually produce. With a background in both Computer Science and Cinema, I saw an opportunity to design a new, modern station. I put together a group of students with the same interest and we started producing simple shows on our own, then I wrote a detailed constitution outlining a governing body, production guidelines, and equipment functions.

We took the proposal to the University President's Office. His office granted the team $25,000, provided space, and asked me to lead the station as president sanctioned by his office. The Student Association and the Computer Science and Cinema Departments authorized me to hire student interns for letter grade credit under my supervision, and I trained those interns in leadership, Final Cut Pro, studio production, and every piece of technology in the build.

Over the next two years the team grew to more than 200 members as we built a new, streamlined station while carrying full course loads. I tried to help each member grow personally by listening to their goals and putting them in positions to reach them with guidance rather than constant intervention, and I tried to be an inspirational friend rather than a figure of authority. Our number one mission was to create sensation and a welcoming environment.

In 2013 we officially launched TheNewBTV with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by more than 400 people, including the University President, Vice President, and multiple Deans. The station is now self-sufficient and runs on its current student membership.

As someone with a passion for science, technology, and human progress, I have always been fascinated by TED and the ideas shared at its conferences. When it became clear that students across campus wanted a TED conference at Binghamton, I worked closely with a few friends and fellow students to make an expanded TEDx event a reality.

My responsibilities included reaching out to notable speakers, organizing with the Harpur College Dean's Office, building and running a team of 30 volunteers, developing the event website, and raising awareness on campus. The event became the largest TEDx organized at a university in 2013 and now recurs annually.