COD professor selected an Adobe Leader

Tony Venezia, professor of motion picture/television at College of DuPage, has been selected to serve a new two-year term as an Adobe Education Leader.

The Adobe Education Leader Program highlights the contributions of educators who use Adobe tools and applications in innovative ways to promote excellence in the classroom.

Venezia, a Wheaton resident, studied animation at College of DuPage and completed his bachelor's degree in filmmaking at Illinois State University. He then headed to California, earned his master of fine arts in animation at the University of California in Los Angeles and worked for 23 years.

He spent 15 years as co-founder of Electric Filmworks Inc., a company that specialized in creating and producing digital film optical effects, motion graphics, motion-control model shots and second-unit photography.

His special visual effects have been featured in commercials, television and blockbuster films, including "Twister," "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Total Recall" and "When a Man Loves a Woman."

Venezia moved back to Illinois in 2000 with his family and spent four seasons in the on-air graphics department for "The Oprah Winfrey Show." In 2005, he returned as a professor to College of DuPage, where he started the associate in applied science degree in animation.

The Adobe Education team recognized Venezia for being "innovative on a global scale, with potential to influence others beyond your organization." Venezia said he is honored to serve as an Adobe Education Leader.

"I train students for an industry where innovation is expected, and it's important for them to learn the tools that will help them succeed," Venezia said. "I appreciate the opportunity to work with Adobe on a team that understands the importance of unleashing the innovation inside students."

For more information about COD's motion picture/TV program, visit www.cod.edu/programs/mptv, call (630) 942-2892 or email glinkeg@cod.edu.