RTF Staff

Administrative Manager

E-mail: rachel.walker@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.120D
Phone: 512-471-4058

New to the department as of January 2017, Rachel Walker assists the Department Chair, managing all of the administrative functions of the Department. She is responsible for the instructional budget, course scheduling, human resource management, department scholarships and internships, faculty promotion and award nominations, and miscellaneous projects of all kinds. Rachel also works closely with the communications coordinator to develop department publications and large-scale events and acts as a liaison with the College's academic advisors for academic planning and course management.

Rachel earned her B.A. in English from the University of Texas. An avid music fan, she can often be found in the front row of a live show around Austin. She lives in a log cabin east of town and loves fussing over her chickens, ducks, cats, honeybees and Great Pyrenees dogs.

Senior Program Coordinator, Technology and Information Policy Institute (TIPI)

E-mail: cecilia.garrec@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 5.102
Phone: 512-471-5826

Cecilia joins us from Paris, France. What started as a one-year sabbatical has turned into a second year and maybe a third? She is responsible for the smooth running of TIPI with a special emphasis on it’s ongoing 10-year program, the UT Austin Portugal Digital Media Program. Her specialty is in managing large research programs. She assists the program’s visiting researchers and scholars find their way in the system and always has an open door!

Since coming to Austin, she has recently found a passion in painting and teaching others how to optimize their mind.

Administrative Associate/Office Manager

E-mail: bert.herigstad@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.120
Hours: M-F 7:45am -4:45pm
Phone: 512-471-4191

Bert has been with the Department of Radio-Television-Film since the fall of 1997. He is the office manager and handles many routine administrative tasks. Bert is most proud of meeting a troubled student or faculty member and leaving them with hope.

Senior Administrative Associate, TIPI

E-mail: gholder@utexas.edu
Office: CMA 5.102
Hours: Tu-Th
Phone: 512-471-1525

For 19 years, Gloria served as the accountant and purchaser for the Department before retiring in 2015. Prior to RTF, Gloria worked in UT’s Payroll and Purchasing Offices. Currently she is working part-time for the Technology and Information Policy Institute (TIPI).

Gloria has a husband, a daughter, and three dogs. She enjoys hanging out with her family and loves to read, watch TV & movies, and go for long walks. She is an avid fan of “The Walking Dead” and “The Game of Thrones.” Her favorite movies are To Kill a Mockingbird, Aliens, & The Incredibles. She’s also quite fond of watching New Orleans Saints football, hanging out on the patio at Opal Divine’s, and grabbing dinner and a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse.

Senior Program Coordinator

E-mail: rosemary.lara@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.150

Media Librarian/Administrative Assistant

E-mail: Lee.Sparks@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.168
Hours: M-F 10 am-4 pm
Phone: 471.1906

Lee, a 1997 Summa Cum Laude graduate of RTF, has served as the RTF Media Librarian since 1998. In addition to serving the RTF Graduate and Faculty communities, he coordinates RTF film and video class screenings and is the RTF Media Library purchasing agent. Lee also manages faculty travel, visiting speaker arrangements, reimbursements, pro card purchases, and vendor payments.

Recreationally, Lee is an avid consumer of American comic books and hates the pretentious term 'graphic novel.' When not enjoying genre films from other countries, he cleans up after his cats.

Financial Administrator

E-mail: Wendy.stuessy@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.120B
Phone: 512-471-4136

Wendy serves as a full-time accountant and purchaser for all the department accounts.

Graduate Coordinator

E-mail: msyed@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.116
Phone: 512-471-3532

Mona joined the RTF department in October 2016 as the Graduate Program Coordinator. She supports approximately 160 graduate students across the department’s MA, MFA and PhD programs, and helps students navigate their degree requirements and connects them with campus resources to ensure their academic success and well-being. Mona is responsible for managing student records, tracking student progress, coordinating student employment, processing scholarships and travel awards, overseeing registration, planning events for the various program cohorts, addressing students concerns and keeping students informed about the Graduate School’s policies and procedures. She works closely with the Graduate Advisors and with the Media Studies and Production area heads on matters related to student fellowships, admissions and recruitment, student professional development and student year-end reviews. Prospective students interested in learning more about the RTF graduate programs are welcome to contact Mona with questions.

Mona earned her undergraduate degree in Government from Smith College and a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Communications & Programs Coordinator

E-mail: ewakeman@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.104
Phone: 512-471-6617

Elana manages all content updates for the RTF website, coordinates the summer camps and workshops, manages social media outreach, and produces promotional materials for departmental events.

She comes to RTF after working as Publications Manager at UT's Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk and earning her M.F.A. in film production from Florida State University. She also holds a B.A. in English from Duke University.