RTF Staff

Milaka Falk

Office Manager / Event Coordinator
E-mail: milaka.falk@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.120
Phone: 512-471-4191
Pronouns: she/her

Milaka earned her B.S. in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas and is beside herself to be back on the 40 Acres. In the interim between graduation and return, she has been a haunted house manager, comedy writer, singer, middle school and high school fine arts teacher, summer camp director and college advisor. The achievement she is most proud of, however, is raising two amazing children with her husband, Gordon. 

Milaka is the Event Coordinator for RTF, including planning, coordinating with vendors and caterers, and securing venue reservations. She oversees day-to-day operations in the main RTF office and serves as the first point of contact for the department, responding to inquiries via department phones, email, and walk-in traffic. She orders office supplies, ensures office equipment is working properly,  and assists faculty and students with room reservation requests.  Milaka also coordinates film processing and shipping for class projects. In addition, she maintains department directories, lists, and calendars; and processes background checks and I-9s for new employees.

Yesenia Mejia

Business Services Associate 
E-mail: yesenia.mejia@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.116
Phone: 512-232-1975

Yesenia supports our Senior Financial Analyst on the RTF Financial Team. Her main duties are departmental travel management (RTAs, Visiting Speakers, Reimbursements), processing various payment documents, coordinating student insurance coverage and space requests for production student film projects, and managing our department ProCards. 

Yesenia has been with The University of Texas since the spring of 2021 and has experience with UT systems and accounting practices. She is an advocate for mental wellbeing and harm reduction. She gives back to her community by serving those in crises. She enjoys organizing and attending sober events and supports those in recovery from substance abuse as a Peer Facilitator with a local non-profit. Her favorite things to do include making others laugh and tempting fate with the fastest roller coaster ride! Currently, her favorite movie is “All Along the Western Front."

Wendy Stuessy

Senior Financial Analyst
E-mail: Wendy.stuessy@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.116
Phone: 512-471-4136

Wendy serves as a full-time accountant and purchaser for all department accounts.  She meets regularly with faculty, staff and students regarding a variety of fiscal matters and is responsible for maintaining and communicating current Moody and UT policy information. Wendy makes long-term and short-term fiscal projections and works closely with Assistant Director to establish the annual operating budget. She prepares and distributes regular financial reports for Department Chair, Assistant Director, various stakeholders, conference managers and event leaders. 

Teresa Valente

Academic Program Coordinator
E-mail: teresa.valente@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.120
Phone: 512-471-1906

Teresa earned her B.A. in communication with a focus in Media production from the University of Houston and has 9 years of film experience. Some may call her a Disney addict…When she is not planning her next Disney trip she is spending time with her family or relaxing at home with her dog, Charlie.

Teresa works with Course Scheduling (including CES reports and grade reporting),  supporting our Sr. Academic Graduate Program Coordinator during peak times, coordinating scholarships and fellowships, and assisting students with festival/script submissions.

 

Elana Wakeman

Senior Programs & Communications Coordinator
E-mail: ewakeman@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.104
Phone: 512-471-6617
Pronouns: she/her

Elana manages the RTF website, all aspects of department-sponsored summer camps and workshops, RTF’s social media channels, and the student production resource center, The Hub (with help from talented student workers!). She also produces promotional materials and coordinates the Longhorn Denius showcase and other RTF initiatives and events. She has a background in film and has worked in the industry in various roles. She earned her M.F.A. in film production from Florida State University and holds a B.A. in English, with a concentration in film studies, from Duke University. Before coming to the department in August of 2012, she worked for 12 years as the Publications Manager at UT's Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. She has played poker with two Academy Award-winning actors (lost to one, beat the other).

Rachel Walker

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

Rachel Walker assists the Department Chair, managing overall administrative functions for the Department and acting as the main point of contact for various branches of the Moody Dean’s Office and other campus entities.  She serves as Curriculum Coordinator, Human Resources Manager, Staff Supervisor, and provides fiscal oversight of departmental and instructional budgets. She also manages all Faculty Affairs for RTF, including Promotion and Tenure and various faculty reviews; as well as faculty recruiting/hiring, leave requests, and other HR tasks.
 

Teresa Warner

Sr. Academic Program Coordinator (Graduate Programs)
E-mail: teresa.warner@austin.utexas.edu
Office: CMA 6.118
Phone: 512-471-3532
Pronouns: she/her

Teresa received her MFA in Screenwriting from The University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film in 2014. She’s worked in LA for the NFL Network and the DGA, but was called back to Austin by breakfast tacos.  She’s excited to be a part of the department again and looks forward to working with and supporting the faculty, staff, and students.

Drew Saplin

Set Safety Coordinator for Student Productions 
E-mail: Drew.saplin@austin.utexas.edu or rtf-safety@austin.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-468-6748 
Pronouns: He/They 

Schedule: In office as needed for speaking engagements or to meet with students regarding their safety plan on campus. 

Drew joined RTF and Moody College in Spring 2024. He works with production students to educate them on set etiquette and approving safety plans for their productions.