Thierstein named new Connexions head

Thierstein named new Connexions head

BY ARIE WILSON
Rice News staff

Joel Thierstein, an established leader in the communications field, is joining the Connexions Project as new executive director, replacing Joseph King, who stepped down after serving a year and a half, overseeing substantial expansion of Connexions in scope and impact.

Richard Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and founder of Connexions, said that as the program enters the most ambitious phase of its development, it is imperative to have a strong leader at the helm.

”Connexions is growing rapidly in terms of the amount of usage, the amount of content, and the types of media being contributed,” Baraniuk said. ”Joel’s strong background in rich media and his entrepreneurial and management skills will greatly help Connexions as it grows toward a global standard for open education.”

Thierstein comes to Rice from Oregon State University (OSU), where, as director of the new media communications program and director of media research for the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, he prepared and administered a 10-year strategic plan for the department, designed and built five media research and production facilities and designed and built the academic program currently in place.

It was during his tenure at OSU that Thierstein first became acquainted with Connexions. Since NASA and National Science Foundation mandate public dissemination of information produced through their grants, Thierstein was searching for an effective way to meet that expectation.

”We were dealing with huge amounts of information and looking for innovative ways to reach the public, in particular, the educational community,” Thierstein said. ”Connexions was the perfect way to reach out to that community.”

In his first semester as director, Thierstein plans to set priorities for the organization and establish plans for the future. He will continue to reach out to new constituents and partners that will help Connexions grow.

”The opportunity here is amazing — Connexions will have a significant impact on the world of education,” Thierstein said.

After graduating with his bachelors and masters of science in telecommunication from Syracuse University, Thierstein worked in the radio industry, serving as in several capacities including operations manager, news and sports director, and promotions and production assistant.

He then returned to Syracuse, earning doctorates in law and mass communications.

During his academic career Thierstein has taught at Syracuse, Southern Illinois University‑Edwardsville, Purdue and Baylor Universities and, most recently, OSU.

Under his guidance, the college developed and built a media research and production facility.

Founded in 1999, the non-profit Connexions is one of the Web’s first open educational resources. Connexions adapts open-source concepts to educational publishing, allowing anyone anywhere in the world to read, write, use and modify materials for free. The number of people using Connexions has grown by almost 70 percent during the past year and the site attracts approximately 500,000 visitors each month.

To explore Connexions’ courses and learn how to post lessons, create courses and teach students, visit <http://cnx.org>.