Nick Ray
Adjunct Professorial Lecturer
SOC Faculty
Degrees
MFA Film & Electronic Media, American University
BA Communications/Journalism, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Bio
Nick Ray is an adjunct instructor for SOC teaching web development and user experience best practices, and was previously an instructor for SOC's Digital Media Skills graduate certificate, specializing in dynamic content and developing for mobile platforms.
Nick is an open-source advocate, WordPress developer, and software architect. Nick has worked in several forms of digital media production, from crafting student-narrated webisodes in Belgium & France for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, to creating mobile apps for the Inter-American Development Bank and University Film & Video Association, to providing web infrastructure and services for national nonprofits.
In collaboration with Spark Media of DC, Nick is currently Technology Director for humanities.games, a WordPress plugin that allows students, educators and other creators to remix games for their own education and expression, supported through two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The prototype game for this plugin explores the life of George Bridgetower, an Afro-European violin prodigy who worked with Beethoven but has been largely obscured by history.
Previously Nick also worked with Spark Media on Anne & Emmett, a web-based game designed to foster empathy and respect for diversity by providing players with scenarios similar to what "the other" may have faced at different historic moments.
Working with Brigid Maher, Nick also built a proof-of-concept titled A Mosque of Her Own, a spatial exploration of the Wangjia Hutong Women’s Mosque in Kaifeng, China, which enriches the space with relevant content.
Nick continues to explore ways emerging digital technology can educate, empower and improve lives on both sides of the digital divide.
