The Media Arts Center’s graphic design and film studies programs have welcomed two new hires for the 2025-2026 academic year.
The Film Studies Department has hired Zachary Haines to fill the vacant equipment and operations manager position.
“We were looking for someone who had a lot of technical knowledge,” Film Studies Department Chair Jo Dery said. “We were looking for someone who was able to imagine the way that our department could grow.”
According to Dery, the transition process was made easier after they had previously hired two alumni to fill the position for a year, allowing the department to do a job search and give Haines some training when he was hired.
Dery said that her favorite part of working with new faculty is the “blank slate” they give the department.
“It’s an opportunity to have an outside input on your program,” she said. “It’s really exciting to have some just bring their expertise and point out that there are other ways to do things.”
According to Haines, he has mainly worked in higher education both as staff and as adjunct faculty, as well as working as a freelance filmmaker, camera operator and photographer. He has been working at a similar position for about eight to nine years.
Haines said he is looking forward to working with students as the year goes on.
“I’m really excited to see student work,” he said. “The students just seem so interested and passionate about filmmaking. They’re just so motivated with their own work.”
“The reason I work at a university level is because of the students,” said Haines, “I’ve been here all summer and I’m just very excited to start interacting with the students again.”
The graphic design department has also hired Chris Meidell as a new adjunct faculty.
“We look for experience [and] excellent work,” said Art and Design Department Chair Randall Hoyt. “Personable individuals who are both socially outward-looking and positive people.”
Meidell was an ideal candidate for the department with a stand-out profile, said Hoyt. “[Meidell] is an industry professional with over fifteen years of experience working,” Hoyt said. “He connects with people. Our students need warmth, they need approachability.”
Meidell has previously worked for MTV in New York. He will be teaching one class this semester, Motion Capture I.
“I’m just getting my feet wet,” Meidell said. “Which I think is good because I’m still doing freelance work on and off.”
Meidell said he enjoys the collaborative aspect of graphic design and he loves to show his work to an audience or a crowd to gain feedback.
Meidell said a big reason he chose to work at Keene State was the town.
“When I moved here, I could just tell it was a college town,” he said. “It just has that energy of a college town which I love. It’s this youthful energy.”
Meidell said he takes a more hands-on approach to his teaching.
“I don’t want to just be the teacher at the front of the class,” Meidell said. “I want to be a part of the class myself and really feel like we’re all in it together.”
Emily Sloane can be contacted at
esloane@kscequinox.com
