Get to know us

History

In 1996, we launched an interactive multimedia program that focused on art, design, business, and education. With a rich history of creating designs for user experience and interaction, our thesis projects are team-based and cover a wide range of interactive experiences, from interactive movies and education to mobile apps. For decades our program has been at the forefront of innovative and engaging art and design, continuously pushing against the boundaries of what is possible in interactive media.

People and culture

The art department at Cal State East Bay is a hub of talented students, staff, and faculty. Many of our students are trailblazers in their families, being the first to attend university or pursue a master's degree. Our university has a strong dedication to social justice, diversity, and sustainability, and we work collaboratively to cultivate an encouraging and dynamic environment marked by camaraderie and assistance.

Ian Pollock, M.F.A.

Associate Professor of Art and the Director of the Graduate Program.

Professor Pollock's creative and professional focus lies in transdisciplinary New Media art, interaction design for social justice and sustainability, creative use of public space, and collaboration in game jams, hackathons, playable media, neuroscience, computer science, and foresight and afro-futurism, as well as social capacity and social capital building.

Gwyan Rhabyt, M.F.A.

Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department.

Professor Rhabyt teaches course in processing and screen based design.

Marina Terteryan, M.S.

Adjunct Professor of Art

Multi-disciplinary design leader and conscious entrepreneur that works at the intersection of service design, behavior science, education, and social justice. Focusing on creating human-centered business solutions and fostering a culture of empathy-driven innovation. Marina is passionate about using design to address social issues and create positive change in the world.

Jessica Santone, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Art History & Visual Studies

Professor Santone teaches on contemporary art and visual studies, primarily from North America with particular attention to the socio-cultural circumstances of the work's making and its reception. As a result, she's interested in a number of important interpretive lenses in relation to recent art practice, including: environmental humanities, feminist theory, critical race art history, phenomenology, and new materialism.

Kal Spelletich, M.F.A.

Adjunct Professor of Art

Kal Spelletich is an American contemporary artist. A pioneer of San Francisco's machine art scene, he hand builds complex machines and robots. Current work, in 2018, includes building functional artificial robotic organs as a residence of the Stochastic Labs in Berkeley California.

Tyler Stannard, M.F.A.

Adjunct Professor of Art

Tyler Stannard MFA in Digital Media Art at SJSU. His work has been presented at events and venues across the Bay Area, California. Currently his practice is centered around upcoming technologies through Video Game Design, Virtual environment building, and Mixed Reality, further advancing his practice and exploration with techno-illusionary devices.