Patrick Pennefather (BFA, MFA, CELTA, PhD in progress) is a founding faculty member at the Masters of Digital Media Program in Vancouver, Canada where he teaches collaborative, creative and adaptive intelligence in his Interdisciplinary Improvisation course and in the industry-facing projects that he manages. His innovative/iterative approach as an educator is fueled by ongoing research into collaborative practices, and a relentless commitment to bridging the gap between what he teaches and what is demanded by a rapidly changing, team-based digital media industry. He facilitates a student-centered learning approach, empowering learners to transform into creative and effective collaborators on multi-disciplinary project teams with the end goal of becoming the designers of their own digital future. His iterative approach to teaching and managing is informed by improvisational techniques gathered from his experience as a professional comedian and clown on over a thousand large-scale events and performances, and as an award-winning composer on over fifteen hundred live and multi-media productions. He has mentored and managed industry-funded projects with Microsoft, InTransit BC, UBC Fisheries, Media Awareness Network, Pacific Wild, Cultural Olympiad Digital Edition 2010, and more. He is currently working as a consultant for numerous NGO’s in the area of serious gaming. As a composer he has worked with numerous clients including Bard on the Beach, Push Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Touchstone, University of Florida, UCLA Long Beach, CBC Radio & Television, Bravo Television, Comedy Network, City of Vancouver, McDonald's Special Events, Cossette Communications, and DDB. To hear some of his music go to www.patrickp.biz!

Patrick is also faculty lead and curriculum designer with the Pre-MDM Program and the Centre for Digital Media's IDEA-x Program (Immersive Digital Experience Academic Program): a four-week intensive, cross-cultural, English and multimedia training program designed for international undergraduate students.