Karen Helmerson is the Director of the Electronic Media and Film Program. She has worked with independent and community-based media for over 20 years and comes from a family whose history is in the performing arts and film. Karen has served as Deputy Director of Film/Video Arts and most recently worked with the Educational Video Center as Associate Director. As former chair of the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) International Committee, she has traveled extensively throughout the US, Canada, Europe and Japan speaking on issues of access, literacy and development. She has worked and exhibited as a video artist, served as a board member of the Media Alliance and was recently a NYSCA Arts in Education panelist.