Professor honored

By Kristen Hoverman
The Collegian

A Fresno State professor was recently recognized for his outstanding work in electronic media production.

On Nov. 5, Don Priest, Associate Professor and Chair of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department at Fresno State, was awarded this year’s Honoree and Outstanding Faculty Rosebud Award at the annual Media Arts Festival.

During the three-day event hosted by CSU Channel Islands in Camarillo, television, film and video students and faculty attend seminars and lectures and compete in different categories and styles.

An award is given out every year to a CSU media arts faculty member for his or her achievements. Priest was chosen out of all of the participating campuses.

“He’s very deserving of it,” said electronic media junior Bryan Harley. “It’s much appreciated by us media production majors.

“Before he was chair, electronic and digital media got thrown to the wayside. We’re happy that some of the focus is returning.”

Priest is an innovator in many ways, starting college at 35, he had experience as a producer and director of television programs, news programs and independent documentaries. A native San Franciscan, he moved to Fresno for a job.

“I think it’s cool he got recognized,” said electronic media senior Mike Counts. “It’s definitely an inspiration to guys coming back to school.

“It shows people like me that you can get an award like that. He totally deserves it.”

Priest quickly became an asset to the Fresno State electronic media department and the Summer Arts program after being a student in the program himself. A few years later he returned to Summer Arts as a guest artist and later as a course coordinator for the Film/Video class.

“I thought I’d just be here for a couple years,” Priest said.

After 10 years as part of the Fresno State faculty, he continued to provide innovative studio classes for students in all areas of production and is the adviser for the B# Video Production Club on campus.

“My goal is to make everything count and provide my students with as close to a real-world production experience as I possibly can,” Priest said. “The thing about our program is we’re pretty small in the scope of television and film programs so we have to make everything count.

“Most of the projects that the students do in class are made to be broadcast here on local cable or PBS,” he said. “So we really place an emphasis on doing real world kind of projects. Some of the bigger schools they’ve got time where you do a lab assignment and that’s really all it is. It’s meant to educate and train you, but it doesn’t go anywhere.”

Over the years Priest has developed a large collection of awards for his achievements. His collection includes six Tellys, four Awards of Distinction and two Awards of Excellence from National Communicator Awards, a Silver Medal and a Bronze Medal from Charleston International Film Festival and First Place at the University of Nevada Las Vegas documentary festival.

“I knew that I was being nominated,” Priest said. “I was really honored to win. It was a really big deal to me.

“It’s like recognition from your peers that you’re doing a good job. Anytime your peers recognize you that means a lot.”

In his spare time Priest hosts a two-hour blues show every Saturday afternoon from 2-4 p.m. on the campus radio station. He is currently working on an educational DVD about Cuban percussionist Orestes Vilato and next fall, Priest will be taking a sabbatical to complete his documentary on the American Indian Theater program.

“What I always tell my kids is take advantage of every opportunity that comes along,” Priest said. “You don’t know exactly the path your career is going to take.

“There may be someone out there that has more talent than you that maybe doesn’t work as hard,” he said. “Most employers are going to go for the ones that work hard.”

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