CV — Trevor Finney

Education

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Technologies, Fall 2024
The College of Architecture, Arts, and Design; School of Visual Arts
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

3D Character Animation Program, Spring 2021
Animation Mentor
New York, NY

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts & Animation, Spring 2012
The Art Institute of Washington
Arlington, VA

Professional Practice

University Libraries, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
Interim Manager, Virtual Environments and Gaming Studios | January 2025 - Present

School of Visual Arts, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
Adjunct Instructor | January 2025 - Present

School of Visual Arts, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
Graduate Teaching Assistant | January 2023 - December 2024

University Libraries, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA
Creative Services Coordinator, Lecturer | December 2017 - January 2023
Graphic Design Specialist, Staff | June 2016 - December 2017

Freelance
March 2012 - November 2018
Graphic designer, UI/UX designer, illustrator, 3D artist, and creative consultant working directly and through agencies, for over 50 clients, including: M Global Services (USA), CloudHQ (USA), 3L Place (USA), Dispenser Amenities (CA), SlyFox (CA), Screen Solutions Victoria (AU)

Intelivate, Tampa, Florida (Remote)
Director of Experience | January 2015 - June 2016

Control Writer, Palm Springs, Florida (Remote)
Creative Director | March 2013 - January 2014

FireSabre Consulting, Virtual
Creative Director | September 2011 - August 2013
Lead 3D Artist | July 2010 - September 2011

Involve Inc., Virtual (formerly Infinite Vision Media)
Lead 3D Artist | February 2006 - January 2010
Clients included: NBC, General Electric, The Weather Channel, The US Holocaust Memorial
Museum, Dell, American Cancer Society, and Vivartia 7 Days.

Exhibitions and Installations

Class Exhibition, Ocean Eye, Science Museum of Western Virginia, Roanoke, VA (Upcoming)

Group Installation, Emergence, Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, Alexandria, VA (Feb 2025 - Present)

Solo Exhibition, Making Space for Daydreams, Blacksburg, VA (Dec 2024)

Group Exhibition, Bird Bonk, Bird Block Gallery, Blacksburg, VA (Nov 2024)

Solo Exhibition, You’re Connected, Newman Library, Blacksburg, VA (Nov 2023)

Group Exhibition, The Space We Have, Blacksburg, VA (Nov 2023)

Courses Taught

Virginia Tech

Student evaluation averages across all previous semesters taught:

Overall effectiveness: 5.81 / 6.00
College average: 5.26 / 6.00

Fostering an atmosphere of mutual respect: 5.95 / 6.00
College average: 5.41 / 6.00

Honors, Awards and Grants

Awards

Gold Circle of Excellence Award in Magazines on a Shoestring, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, June 2021

Library Faculty Award for Outstanding Service 2018, University Libraries at Virginia Tech, Feb 2019

Highest Achievement Award in Media Arts & Animation, The Art Institute of Washington, Spring 2012

Grants

Bailey K., Desnoyer N., Finney T., Hornyak B., Lyons B., Perryman B., Studio Playdate, Virginia Tech, Institute of Creativity, Arts, and Technology Student SEAD Grant (2024, October - In progress). $1,000 (Contribution: 20%). Hosting a student-led, student-focused weekend art intensive.

Alarid R., Bradley J., Finney T., Rogers A., Virtual Sculpture Garden, Virginia Tech, Institute of Creativity, Arts, and Technology Rapid Response Grant (2020, May). $4,545 (Contribution: 30%). Developed a web-based VR art gallery that procedurally placed artwork submissions and dynamically generated new gallery space as needed.

Scholarly and Creative Works

Publications

Feerrar, J. & Finney, T. (Forthcoming). Generative AI & digital ethics: Case study discussion. In E. Hampton Filgo & A. James (Eds.) The AI and library instruction cookbook. Chicago: ACRL Press.

Patents

Patent 11,205,458 “System and method for the collaborative creation of a final, automatically assembled movie.” Alexander Torres, Ian Tepoot, Trevor Finney (2021, December)

Presentations

Finney T, Bradley J, Rogers A, Alarid R. (2021, March) The Virtual Sculpture Garden. Presentation at Institute for Creativity Arts and Technology Playdate, Virginia Tech.

Finney T, Alarid R. (2021, March) The Virtual Sculpture Garden. Presentation at the Virginia Tech Women’s Club.

Feerrar J, Finney T. (2020, November) Learning from YouTube’s Reaction Videos. Presentation at Northeast Media Literacy Conference, Media Education Lab, University of Rhode Island.

Finney, T., Peoples, J., & Fuchs, F. (2013, February). Virtual Basics: Inquiry-Based Learning, Virtual Worlds & the Common Core.

Creative Works and Publications

Art Director / Graphic Designer, IMAGINE: University Libraries at Virginia Tech Magazine (December 2022, May 2022, December 2021, May 2021, December 2020, May 2020). lib.vt.edu/magazine

Visual design, Framework for Digital Literacy at Virginia Tech for Julia Feerrar’s “Development of a framework for digital literacy” (May 2019), Reference Services Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-01-2019-0002

Podcast co-host, Knights of the Light Table (2014-2016). Forty-nine hour-long episodes. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/knights-of-the-light-table/id931349749?mt=2

Selected Episode: KOTLT 12: The Greatest Movie That Never Was https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/kotlt-012-the-greatest-movie-that-never-was/id931349749?i=1000327445479&mt=2

Writing, Illustration, A ‘Comic’ Tale Showing How Fear of Imperfection Destroys Success and What to Do (2015) for Intelivate with accompanying article by Ebony Clark. https://www.intelivate.com/life-strategy/overcoming-anxiety-fear-failure

Book illustration, Sebastian Scouts and the Seven Wonders (December 2014) for Ebony Clark. ISBN13: 9780986335204. https://www.amazon.com/Sebastian-Scouts-Wonders-Ebony-Clark/dp/0986335207

Science illustration, Illustration depicting biocell attached to CMOS integrated circuit. (January 2014). First published in “Hybrid integrated biological-solid-state system powered with adenosine triphosphate,” by Jared M. Roseman et al. in Nature Communications (December 2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10070

Professional & University Service

Virginia Tech Workshops

Led workshop, Intro to Motion Design in After Effects (Upcoming)

Led workshop, Playbooks for Making it Easy on Your Users: UX Heuristics (Upcoming)

Co-taught workshop led by Julia Feerrar, Ownership and Authorship in GenAI (Upcoming)

Invited workshop, Intro to Motion Type (Typography, October 2024)

Invited lecture, The Motion Capture Pipeline from Setup to Render (Compositing, October 2024)

Led workshop, Design Thinking (Maker Camp, July 2024)

Invited lecture, The Motion Capture Pipeline from Setup to Render (Character Animation, May 2024)

Led workshop, Introduction to Motion Graphics in After Effects (DesignUP, Apr 2024)

Led workshop, Working with the Prototyping Studio (DesignUP, Apr 2024)

Co-taught workshop led by Julia Feerrar, AI Art and Digital Ethics (DesignUP, Apr 2024)

Led workshop, Making your own mockups using Photoshop smart objects (DesignUP, Apr 2024)

Led workshop, Making your own Illustrator tool packs (DesignUP, Apr 2024)

Invited lecture, Using the Graph Editor in Maya (Character Animation, Jan 2024)

Led children’s workshop, Design Thinking (Maker Camp, July 2023)

Led streaming workshop, Creating accessible PDFs in InDesign (University Libraries, May 2022)

Led workshop, How to carve your own 3D pumpkin (University Libraries, October 2021)

Led workshop Introduction to After Effects (University Libraries, Feb 2020)

Co-Led workshop with Marjorielee Christianson, Introduction to Digital Art (Studio 72 Living Learning Community, Nov 2019)

Led workshop Digital Painting: Make a monster (University Libraries, Oct 2019)

Led workshop Introduction to Character Drawing (University Libraries, Oct 2019)

Co-Led with Jonathan Bradley workshop, Studios Workshops: Basics of Web Design (University Libraries, March 2019)

Co-Led with Jonathan Bradley workshop, Studios Workshops: Basics of Web Design (University Libraries, Aug 2018)

Led workshop, Building a memorable Brand (University Libraries, April 2018)

Led workshop, Open resources for beautiful designs. (Professional Development Network, Oct 2017)

Professional Associations

University & College Designers Association | 2022, 2023

AIGA | 2022, 2023

University Service (Virginia Tech)

DesignUP Professional Mentor| April 2024 | Guided a group of undergraduate students to create a logo refresh and branding package for the local non-profit food pantry, 209 Marketplace.

DesignUP Professional Mentor| April 2022 | Guided a group of undergraduate students to create a new logo and marketing flyer for the award-winning, local non-profit youth music education group, Virginia Tech String Project.

Exhibitor for Virginia Tech’s Science Festival: Basics of 3D Art | October 2020 | Together with Jonathan Bradley, we walked through the educational exhibit, located within the Virtual Sculpture Garden, in a presentation hosted by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology for a Virginia 5th grade science class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc5KTpWgqYI

Virtually hosted the Open (at the) Source | April 2021 - May 2021 | Together with Jonathan Bradley, we created 3D exhibit booths inside the Virtual Sculpture Garden for the four featured projects in the 2021 “Open (at the) Source” event from the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology.

Consultation on advanced accessible PDFs | 2020 July | University of Texas - Arlington

Sketch-notetaker at the “amplifying the unheard” flipped symposium | 2020 January | University Libraries at Virginia Tech

Consultation on graphic identity | July 2019 | Devon Johnson for the International Master Gardener Conference.

Consultation on digital signage management and best practices | November 2019 | Paul West for Virginia Tech’s IT Engagement

Universal Design and Accessibility for VT Digital Newsletters Working Group | Spring 2019 | University Libraries at Virginia Tech

Color-combination accessibility guide for Virginia Tech communicators | 2018 November | Created a glance-able, printable color chart with all brand color-combinations and their accessibility level for use by Virginia Tech communicators.

Mentorship

Student employee mentorship | University Libraries at Virginia Tech | Creative direction on all assignments, demonstrations on new skills, and guidance on semester-long learning objectives

Graphic design assistant, Will Jones | Fall 2022

Graphic design assistant, Juliette Good | Spring 2021 - Fall 2022 | Campus InternEXP program Fall 2020 - Spring 2022

Graphic design assistant, Hayley Stout | Spring 2021 - Spring 2022 | Campus InternEXP program Fall 2020 - Spring 2022

Graphic design assistant, Chloe Molinos | Spring 2018 - Spring 2020

High school senior-project mentor | February 2020 - April 2020 | Academy of the New Church Secondary Schools. Co-mentored with Marty Walker two seniors on animation for their capstone.

Peer mentor | Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 | Animation Mentor. Provided two fellow students in a class below mine with weekly critiques, including frame-by-frame draw-overs and resource support.

University Libraries at Virginia Tech Service and Committees

Lead, Signage and Environmental Graphics Working Group | September 2016 - January 2023

Member, Web Strategy Committee | October 2021 - January 2023

Member, Library Social Committee | July 2016 - January 2023

Chair, Library Council, University Libraries | July 2019 - June 2020

Member, Library Council, University Libraries | July 2018 - June 2019

Member, University Libraries Spaces and Branches Strategic Planning Subgroup | Aug 2019 - Oct 2019

Member, University Libraries Service Awards Committee | Aug 2019 - Jan 2020

Member, Search Committees, University Libraries:

Director, Inclusion, Diversity & Organizational Development | February 2021

Multimedia Producer | January 2021

Graphic Designer and Multimedia Producer January 2020

Digital Collections Librarian | June 2017

Digital Preservations Coordinator | June 2017

Instructional Designer for ePortfolio Initiatives | March 2017

Instructional Designer & Training Manager | January 2017

Emerging Pedagogies Strategist and Instructional Designer | September 2016