From the Mouse to our house

June 29, 2007

A Walt Disney Co. leader in digital-studio technology has joined Duke’s Office of Information Technology as senior manager for Interactive Technology Services.

Stephen Toback, technology director for DisneyToon Studios in Burbank, Calif., will provide comprehensive development services, digital-asset capture and distribution, Web development, and integration of academic applications. His first day at Duke is July 2.

His extensive background includes a credit on "The Tigger Movie and management of developers, analysts and support staff to provide technology infrastructure. He has worked in high-definition and standard video, digital cinema, data center design, color management, media-asset management, animation production, nonlinear video editing, digital audio, intranet application development, technology project management, open-source-enabled software development, and other technologies.

Toback and other ITS professionals' mission is to assist Duke departments with resource identification, production, implementation, maintenance, hosting and other Web development activities. ITS creates, captures and disseminates images, multimedia and other digital assets.

WeST moves to OIT; digital media melds into ITS

The School of Arts & Sciences' Web Solutions Team, or WeST, and the Office of Information Technology's Digital Media Solutions (DMS) are joining the Interactive Technology Services group in the OIT Academic Services department.

As part of Duke's central IT organization, the Web solutions group will provide a one-stop shop for all things Web related and will help OIT effectively offer Web talents and expertise to the entire Duke University and Health System.

For the past seven years, the group has provided Web design and application development services to Arts & Sciences and the broader Duke community, maintaining close ties with students, faculty and staff in an effort to meet a growing demand for Web service across the institution.

DMS was formerly a stand-alone department in Academic Services and will merge into ITS. The staff will continue to focus on applications and infrastructure in communicating, capturing, distributing and using digital video and  audio for Web conferencing, video conferencing, lecture capture, podcast creation and dissemination and media-streaming services. The group will also engage in research and development, maintenance, documentation, training, outreach, consultation, collaboration and innovation.