For Immediate Release
For interviews with experts on media
contact Mary McGeachy
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Santa Barbara, CA, (February 28, 2006)—Fielding Graduate University's Graduate Program in Media Psychology has tripled in size since its inception in 2004, announced Dr. Bernard J. Luskin, Executive Vice President, and founder of the first PhD program in Media Psychology in the U.S. Mid-career professionals from around the world continue to be attracted to this ground breaking program. Software professionals, counseling and clinical psychologists, therapists, commercial and health care marketers, university professors, FBI experts, medical doctors, government employees and diverse members of the entertainment industry now comprise a roster of diverse students linked by a common interest in media and the human experience crossing all disciplines.

HIGH POWERED FACULTY
Fielding's Media Psychology Program has been a magnet as well for diverse, high quality faculty.

Forensic Media
Faculty member, Paul Wright, Esq., is an internationally known mediation attorney. He works with the students examining Forensic Media and Media Ethics related to media psychology in high profile cases. He hosted a talk by his colleague, Thomas A. Mesereau, Jr. sharing with students the distinguished trial lawyer's discussion of the Michael Jackson trial and the impact of the surrounding media frenzy and its psychological effects. He is active in international dispute resolution as Executive Director of the International Center for Mediation and Arbitration and President of the British American Business Council, L.A.

Media Production
Faculty member, Jean-Pierre Isbouts, PhD is an award winning producer, author and founder and president of Pantheon TV. He applies theories and psychologies of producing and using media, showing excerpts from documentaries, films, web sites and discusses practical media implications involved in writing, editing and using media. He offers research and practical experience opportunities. Isbouts is one of the worlds leading producers of art programs and is now producing series in psychology for National Geographic.

The Psychology of Media
Faculty member Erik Gregory, PhD examines the influences of 21st century media on individuals and groups, encountering its impact on education, health and entertainment across cultures. Dr. Gregory has worked extensively on children's programs and in international media psychology. He specializes in positive psychology.

"The quality of the media psychology faculty is a perfect match for the quality of the students," said Ron Giannetti, Ph.D, Dean of Fielding's School of Psychology. "The program is receiving high visibility. Dr. Luskin, himself, was recently asked to serve on the advisory board of the DVD Association, is working with the Colleges of Oxford University as well as the higher colleges in the United Arab Emirates. Luskin is also Chair of the Committee on Education in Media Psychology for the Media Psychology Division 46 of the American Psychological Association and serves on the University Project Advisory Board for Digital Hollywood."

"Burgeoning media industries have an accelerating need for capable media professionals, solutions architects, and highly developed practitioners, including writers, producers, programmers, engineers, designers, directors, artists, cinematographers, public relations and advertising specialists, who have the knowledge and perform the new, state of the art understanding media," said Dr. Luskin. "This PhD program supports individual strengths and values close, collegial relationships between students and faculty. Frequent contact occurs during virtual and physical cluster meetings, research sessions, national sessions and throughout the year." added Luskin. "This program is a harbinger for many new programs that will emerge in universities throughout the world," Luskin predicted.

The newest class of doctoral candidates in Media Psychology exemplifies diversity:

• Roger Brightwell, Sr. Solutions Marketing Manager for BMC Software, Cedar Park,TX
• John Franco, Network Operations Technician, Qwest, Syracuse, UT
• Lisa Gaumond, Senior Administrator, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
• Cynthia Hagan, Clinical Psychologist, Chameleon Health Care, Summersville, WV
• Elise Levy, English Teacher for SAT prep, Scorerite, Camarillo, CA
• David Levine, Executive Director, National Technology Transfer Center, Shepherdstown, WV
• Maria Orsini, Nursing Instructor, Vance Granville Community College, Henderson, NC
• Joo-Yeon Christina Ri, Senior Producer, Grid Design Inc, Daegu, South Korea
• Pamela Rutledge, Rutledge Capital Design, Cos Cob, CT
• Lynn Temenski, Adjunct Faculty, QCC/CUNY Message Therapy, Flushing, Y
• Brain Tremain, Personal Care Planner, SCAN Health Plan, Redlands, CA
• Eric Warner, Zou Sports Marketing, NFL Ambassador, Beijing, China

Founded in 1974, Fielding Graduate University, headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, is a world-recognized leader in doctoral-level graduate education, having created one of the most successful graduate-level distributed learning models for mid-career adults. Fielding is an accredited, non-profit graduate university offering numerous programs within three schools: Psychology, Human and Organization Development, and Educational Leadership and Change. The Fielding community enables students to participate effectively from anywhere in the world. For more information, visit www.fielding.edu.