• About
  • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • First-Year Students Reflect on Their Expectations for College, One Semester In
      First-Year Students Reflect on Their Expectations for College, One Semester In
    • “We Want to Fundamentally Change the Culture,” International Student Union says
      “We Want to Fundamentally Change the Culture,” International Student Union says
    • No image
      Students Reflect on Spring 2021 Move-in
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • Wellesley, why can’t you meet our dietary needs?
      Wellesley, why can’t you meet our dietary needs?
    • The block system is a joke
      The block system is a joke
    • Spineless nonpartisanship: how the Girl Scouts convinced me they no longer care about girls
      Spineless nonpartisanship: how the Girl Scouts convinced me they no longer care about girls
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • Harry Styles de-typifies masculinity in Vogue’s December Issue, but is this enough? (spoiler: it’s not)
      Harry Styles de-typifies masculinity in Vogue’s December Issue, but is this enough? (spoiler: it’s not)
    • Music Performance Courses Adapt to an Altered Semester
      Music Performance Courses Adapt to an Altered Semester
    • Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of “Rebecca” fails to deliver compared to its classic counterpart
      Ben Wheatley’s adaptation of “Rebecca” fails to deliver compared to its classic counterpart
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
  • Health and Wellness
    • No image
      Athletic impacts of Covid-19
    • No image
      A new kind of PE
    • No image
      Maintaining wellness as the cold sets in
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • Miscellanea
    • No image
      Remote students experience existential crises; change class years in email signatures
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Your next on-campus romance isn’t going to work out
      Your next on-campus romance isn’t going to work out
    • The Artichoke
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Claire McCloud Features, News and Features, Staff SeriesMarch 14, 2019

Jordan Tynes takes over technology at the Knapp Media and Technology Center

Tynes was long fascinated with technology Photo Courtesy of Wellesley College

From technology rentals to open computer labs to digitally focused excavations halfway around the world, the Knapp Media and Technology Center offers seemingly endless opportunities for Wellesley students to take advantage of. The electronic hub is mediated and constantly developed by many talented individuals that work diligently to keep Wellesley’s wireless presence up and running, but we have chosen to highlight one specific person for the significant strides they’ve taken and passion they’ve demonstrated for true technological advancement on this campus and beyond. Jordan Tynes, the Director of Academic Fabrication and Digital Design and a visiting lecturer in the Computer Science Department, has instigated some powerful shifts in Wellesley media over his last six years on campus and we have all been lucky enough to witness the changes in action.

        Growing up in the Bay Area, Tynes always knew he had a fascination with technology. As such, he attended UC Santa Cruz as an intended Computer Science major, but quickly transferred to the Media Arts and Sciences route with a focus in Electronic Intermedia as he “didn’t realize there would be so much Calculus.” In other words, to anyone struggling in Calculus 1: you’re not alone. During his time at UCSC, Tynes participated in “a lot of electronic art and installations” which really fulfilled his yearning to work in a blended environment of art and tech.

Following UCSC, he enrolled in graduate school at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University and developed an interest in theater as well as freelance videography. While at Tufts, Tynes was able to connect with one of his undergraduate advisors who was being hosted by a theater production company in Cambridge. Through this connection, hard work, clear talent and a bit of luck, Tynes began doing technical direction for the company and traveled through Europe with them for a few months. “Despite having no idea what [he] was doing,” Tynes loved working on the project and became even more involved in video and sound projects.

After a few months working with the theater company and finishing his Tufts degree, Tynes was offered a job in the Art Department at Wellesley College. Throughout the last six years, he has worked his way through various departments and opportunities until reaching his current role in the Knapp Media and Technology Center. Tynes had enjoyed every position he’s had at Wellesley, but he loves how his current job allows him to utilize his “natural ability with technical skills in the design field.” Every day, he gets to “explore new things in those fields” and is extremely excited every time he gets to witness the “presence of media in communication, the various things you can do with technical computer skills, and the pursuit of more in higher education.”

However, this is not to say that Tyne’s job doesn’t come with difficulties. While he does find it “remarkable” every time he sees “a student come in with a question or problem” and gets to “work with them and give them the skills to find the best way to address that problem or the best solution,” he is challenged by the level and amount of work that always needs to be done in such an “incredibly enthusiastic field” that is constantly developing and changing. On top of all that, he also “partners with other departments to design assignments that utilize Wellesley’s technological facilities and supports everything that happens in the Knapp Center, including student appointments, the internship program, equipment rental and circulation, faculty and student research, and open labs.” Therefore, it is no surprise that Tynes sometimes struggles with “managing the volume of enthusiasm and being aware of his time so he can give everyone the chance to learn with adequate resources.”

Aside from his incredibly busy role in the Knapp Center, Tynes teaches alongside various faculty members and helps develop blended learning initiatives and exercises like video essays, podcasts, and media production. Specifically, Tynes has worked with the Anthropology Department to build Virtual Reality platforms for osteology labs that explain the evolution of human anatomy, and also with the Classics Department on their Greek excavation project “to bring digital processes like scanning, drones, and electronic mapping.”

Through these projects, Tynes has been astounded by how “serious Wellesley students are about the work they’re doing” and how “they always surprise [him] with their dedication, even when [he] thinks [he’s] seen the limit.” He also loves how the college “seems to be constantly changing because [his] field is very connected to change and the embrace of it. Overall, Tynes has been shocked by the endless, incredible things he has been able to do at and through Wellesley. The College has allowed him to not only explore his own interests, from “the intersection of gaming and education” to “the critical study of various types of media,” but it has also helped him inspire others to do the same.

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleQConnect links LGBTQ+ Wellesley students across the board
Next articleA possible cure for homesickness abroad and at Wellesley

You may also like

First-Year Students Reflect on Their Expectations for College, One Semester In

“We Want to Fundamentally Change the Culture,” International Student Union says

Students Reflect on Spring 2021 Move-in

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

  • First-Year Students Reflect on Their Expectations for Colleg...
  • Students Reflect on Spring 2021 Move-in
  • “We Want to Fundamentally Change the Culture,” International...
  • Harry Styles de-typifies masculinity in Vogue’s December Iss...

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top