Dr. Eric Freedman joins MICA as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, bringing with him a deep commitment to creative scholarship, interdisciplinary innovation, and academic excellence.

Prior to MICA, Dr. Freedman served as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Truman State University. He also held the role of Dean of the School of Media Arts at Columbia College Chicago, where he led expansive initiatives supporting media, design, and performing arts education.

A prolific scholar and creative practitioner, Dr. Freedman is the author of Artificial Intelligence and Playable Media (Routledge, 2023), The Persistence of Code in Game Engine Culture (Routledge, 2020), and Transient Images: Personal Media in Public Frameworks (Temple University Press, 2011). His research and writing explore the intersections of technology, media theory, and digital culture.

In addition to his academic leadership, Dr. Freedman is an accomplished media artist whose work has been exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, the American Film Institute, MIX New York, and Ars Electronica. He has long been engaged in community media practices and public access production, underscoring his dedication to public-facing, socially engaged work.

He serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Creative Media Research and the Journal of Communication and Media Studies, and chairs the Communication and Media Studies Research Network.

Dr. Freedman holds a Ph.D. from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.