Media School welcomes 5 new faculty
The Media School is pleased to welcome five new faculty this semester, with one IU alumni among them.
Katina Bitsicas is joining The Media School as an associate professor of media arts and production. She previously served as an associate professor of digital storytelling at the School of Visual Studies with the University of Missouri.
She holds an M.F.A. in studio art from the University of South Florida, a B.A. in studio art at Kalamazoo College, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in studio art from SACI in Italy.
Her projects have been shown in various exhibitions, screenings, performances, and publications. She has also appeared in several talks and presentations worldwide.
Malia Bruker is joining The Media School as senior lecturer and director of the B.F.A. program.
Numerous multimedia and digital projects have been presented in exhibitions, film screenings, and presentations. She has also been invited as a guest for several presentations and workshops. Grants include $20,000 for a cinematic VR project with Florida State University.
Bruker’s extensive academic experience includes serving as an associate professor at the School of Communication with FSU; an adjunct instructor, teaching assistant, and program development associate at Temple University; and a media instructor at Rollins College. She obtained a B.A. in media production at Florida State University and an M.F.A. at Temple University.
Ivica Ico Bukvic is joining The Media School as a professor and inaugural director of the Kinetic Imagery and Extended Reality Lab. He was previously a professor at Virginia Tech teaching concepts such as human-centered design and UI/UX.
His education includes a management academy degree at Virginia Tech, a D.M.A., an M.M, and a B.M. in composition at the University of Cincinnati, along with a gymnasium degree in music theory at Music Academy “Vatroslav Lisinski” in Croatia.
Bukvic has contributed extensively to the field of music theory and computer music programming through his numerous publications and research work over the years. He has also received several grants and awards to continue his efforts.
Taeyoung Lee, MA’18, is joining The Media School as an assistant professor of journalism. Lee earned her Ph.D. in journalism and media at the University of Texas at Austin.
Her research interests include mis/disinformation, social media, communication technology, journalism, and media effects.
Lee has received several honors and awards for her groundbreaking research in the field. She previously served as an assistant professor in the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston from 2023 to 2025 for almost two years.
Laura Marciano is joining The Media School as an assistant professor of communication science. She was previously working as a research associate at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Marciano earned her Ph.D. in communication sciences at USI Università della Svizzera italiana in Switzerland. She also has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology.
She has published several research papers, book chapters, and conference papers. She is also the recipient of several awards and grants.