Woodbury University
To: The Woodbury University Faculty Personnel Committee
From: Kristen Fuhs
Professor & Chair, Media Arts | Program Director, Filmmaking
Date: September 30, 2024
Re: Performance Review for Contract Renewal: Jeremy Mowery
This letter serves as a performance review for Jeremy Mowery, Assistant Professor in the Animation and VFX program. Jeremy is relatively new to our community, having joined the Woodbury faculty in 2022, but he has already made a positive impact around campus. He is well respected by his colleagues, and his students praise his teaching and his positive attitude in the classroom. Based on my review of his application materials, as well as my own personal interactions, I strongly recommend the renewal of Jeremy’s contract.
Jeremy teaches across the curriculum in the AVFX program, from introductory classes like Intro to Digital Media and Intro to Stop Motion to the capstone classes in the senior thesis sequence. This means that students get to learn from Jeremy throughout all stages of the program. But it also means that Jeremy has had to become adept at teaching students through all these different stages. In his short time at Woodbury, Jeremy has moved beyond teaching classes just in his specialization – puppet building and stop motion (AVFX 263) – to guiding students through the conception and production of their thesis films (AVFX 380, 486) and helping them prepare for a career in the industry once they graduate (AVFX 495). All of this demonstrates Jeremy’s nimbleness and adaptability, as well as his service to the program’s needs.
I admire the self-reflection that comes through in Jeremy’s personal statement, where continuous improvement is outlined as a motivating goal when it comes to his teaching. Last year, he took on a core required class for freshmen – Intro to Digital Media – and made the class his own. The positive course evals attest to the class’s success, with students praising his enthusiasm, attentiveness, and encouragement. As one student writes, “Keep doing what you're doing. [Jeremy] makes the class enjoyable, and I always look forward to going to this class.” Jeremy also reflects on how his own creative practice has influenced his teaching in relation to his plans for improving his Intro to Stop Motion Animation class. His freelance work made him think more carefully about how to balance fabrication with animation over the course of a 15-week semester, so that students could better hone their stop motion animating skills. While we’re only 5 weeks into the semester, the revamped class is currently proving successful!
Beyond teaching, Jeremy’s service record demonstrates his commitment to both his students and the wider Woodbury community. At the program level, Jeremy has worked to strengthen relationships with the industry to help develop internship opportunities for students. He is also currently serving on an SoA/MCD work group related to admissions, where he is developing ideas for creative workshops to aid in the recruitment process. In terms of university service, Jeremy served on the
Adjunct Faculty Issues Committee last year, during a period of dramatic change at the university in relation to adjunct opportunities. One area for improvement might be for Jeremy to consider running for an elected position next spring – this would allow him to take on more of a leadership role in relation to university service.
Now that the MCD departmental structure has been reorganized, and we have a media studies scholar doing a performance review for an animator, the assessment of Jeremy’s creative work obviously comes from an enthusiastic lay person, rather than an expert. But I can say that Jeremy has maintained a vibrant creative practice despite the ongoing pressures related to teaching and institutional change. He co-wrote, co-directed, edited, fabricated, and animated the short film “Love Forevermore,” which he is currently submitting to film festivals. He also worked on a number of other stop motion projects for other people this past year as a fabricator, animator, and VFX artist. I find this volume of creative production impressive in light Jeremy’s high teaching load. It demonstrates to me Jeremy’s creative drive, as well as his commitment to continuously developing his craft.
In summary, Jeremy’s performance in the past year has been exceptional, and I wholeheartedly recommend the renewal of his contract. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Kristen Fuhs, Ph.D.
Professor & Chair, Department of Media Arts
School of Media, Culture & Design Woodbury University
818-394-3344
kristen.fuhs@woodbury.edu
October 31, 2024
Personnel Committee
Woodbury University
7500 North Glenoaks Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91504
RE: Jeremy Mowery – Letter of Recommendation for Contract Renewal
Dear Committee Members,
Please accept this Letter of Recommendation for Jeremy Mowery’s faculty reappointment. Professor Mowery is Full-Time Faculty of Animation + VFX in the School of Media: Culture: Design. He is applying for his third one-year renewal at the rank of Assistant Professor.
Teaching
Professor Mowery is a dynamic educator who teaches multiple courses across the Animation + VFX program including technical and conceptual courses at both the foundation and advance level. His expertise and passion for Stop Motion Animation strengthens the curriculum through meticulous and creative projects that require storytelling, environmental design, and the physical mechanics of puppetry come together in an entertaining and coherent format. In the course evaluations for AVFX 263: Intro to Stop Motion Animation a student remarks “This class is amazing & if it were not for Jeremy, I think I would hate this class. However, Jeremy makes this class fun and enjoyable that I feel productive every time I come to class.” The evaluations for this course give it a 5 out of 5 for Q8: The instructor is well prepared and explains material carefully. Professor Mowery doesn’t just transmit knowledge to students, he also transmits passion to students ensuring that the process of learning is joyful and demonstrating that tedious work matters.
The course evaluations for AVFX 486: Senior Thesis III identify opportunities for growth as an instructor. The responses fell below department averages. This occurs for many reasons, some outside the control of faculty. Nonetheless, I encourage Professor Mowery to reflect on these evaluations and embrace them as suggestions for strengthening his impact in the classroom. Ultimately, Professor Mowery brings tremendous energy, needed expertise in Stop Motion, and compassion for students to the Animation + VFX program at Woodbury. I’m excited to witness the evolution in his teaching and see tremendous value in his expertise and abilities.
Service
Professor Mowery is of service to the University and to the Animation + VFX program. At the University level he has served on the Healthy and Sustainable Campus Committee where he assisted in setting up for earth day by producing flyers and putting out tables. He currently chairs the IRB Committee that’s responsible for reviewing and evaluating all requests for research involving human subjects. He also served on the Adjunct Faculty Committee that offers support and advocacy to the adjunct community at Woodbury. Within the School of Media: Culture: Design, Professor Mowery serves on the Admissions and Recruiting Committee. Professor Mowery fully participates on all committees he is a member of.
In addition to committee membership, Professor Mowery is of service to students through mentorship. He maintains informal communications with students helping them to navigate career options and job placement opportunities. Through his freelance work he connects students to internships such as working at Screen Novelty in the puppet fabricating department on Sponge Bob Christmas special or working at Apartment D films on a music video for the WEEKND. These are just two examples of Jeremy connecting students with industry. Not only does this outreach on behalf of students help them land jobs upon graduation, it also showcases the quality of the Animation + VFX program to industry professionals.
Professional and Scholarly Activities
Professor Mowery has a creative practice focused on Stop Motion Animation which keeps his skills current and his industry connections vital. Outside of Woodbury he freelances with small independent studios on films and music videos. Recent projects include work on LA Christmas Story, an IRL film with a puppet elf that interacts with actors, as well as the title sequence and chapter titles for a feature length documentary on Radioactive Chickenheads. Through these professional projects Professor Mowery acquires new skill such as how to operate state of the art camera equipment that he then introduces to students at Woodbury. His teaching and professional activities intertwine in a manner that benefits both his scholarship and his teaching.
I fully support the reappointment of Professor Mowery. Thank you for your time and attention.
Respectfully,
Heather Flood
Professor and Interim Dean, School of Media: Culture: Design