Donald Zirpola

Dr. Zirpola was actively involved in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Student Academy Awards for over fifteen years as the Western Regional Coordinator. As the chair and acting director of the School of Film and Television at LMU, he developed programs to national and international prominence. He has served as the president of the University Film and Video Association and as the dean of a television and film school, which he designed for the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He received a Rockefeller Foundation Grant to support his work along with his colleagues in international distance media education. He currently serves as the President of CILECT - the international professional association of the film and Television schools headquartered in Brussels representing 178 schools in 56 countries.
Dr. Zirpola received his M.F.A from the University of Southern California.