Bob White considers himself to be "The Luckiest Boy In The World." He loves to teach, he loves to write, and he loves to make still and moving pictures. A student once gave him a recording of Neil Diamond’s "Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show," and told him this is what his class was like. His love of film began around the time that he started going to the movies when he was about eight years old. Television was one thing, but the big screen was BIG. He started making little films with his family’s home movie camera. In college, he discovered a world of films beyond Hollywood, which were really examples of film as art and literature. When he came to Simmons, he produced each class as he would a film. His classroom is a theater and the lecture is like the Traveling Salvation Show. His specialty is computer animation, and he makes about one short animated movie each year.
Education
- Certificate, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- MS, Boston University School of Public Communication
- AB, College of the Holy Cross
Courses
Communications Media
Serves as an introduction to communication arts and theory, and the world of still and moving pictures. Involves the analysis of media from the point of view of the audience, and the production of media from the point of view of the communicator. Numerous screenings supplement examples and exercises in film, animation, multimedia, and the graphic arts. The atmosphere of the classroom is a media environment: a comfortable theater supported by light and sound.
Video Production
Explores the working methods and production of narrative, personal, documentary, and music video filmmaking. Examines historical examples from Maya Deren to the present, and requires students to plan, shoot, and edit their own short pieces. A course for women who want to make movies, it teaches the variety of conditions that lead to the creation of professional productions.
Animation
Introduces the technology of three-dimensional computer animation, grounded in the history of traditional animation, applied creatively to individual projects.
Bob White in the News
Simmons Hosts “A Conversation of Remembrance” to Honor Gwen Ifill ’77, ’93HD
The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the Simmons Alumnae/i Association honored the legacy of trailblazing news anchor and journalist Gwen Ifill ’77 ’93HD. Ifill’s brother Dr. Roberto Ifill and her college classmates joined Simmons faculty, current Simmons students, Ifill School Dean Ammina Kothari, and President Lynn Perry Wooten to commemorate this extraordinary alumna.
Professor of Communications Bob White Featured in Oral History Collection of Artists During COVID-19
During the COVID-19 lockdown (2020–2021), local photographer and filmmaker Jerry Russo interviewed hundreds of artists about their experiences of isolation, including Professor of Communications Bob White. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has since archived this oral history collection.
Professor Bob White Receives 2022 Alden Poole Faculty Mentor Award
Bob White, Professor of Communications in the Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities, is the 2022 recipient of the Alden Poole Faculty Mentor Award. This award recognizes a faculty member in the Ifill College who has had a...
Shout-outs from Students and Alums
Maggie Knowles '02 Helps Celebrate Local Food Culture and Agricultural Sustainability
As the Editor-in-Chief of edible MAINE, a print and digital magazine that explores Maine’s food scene, alumna Maggie Knowles promotes a holistic approach to the culinary arts and food production. Knowles spoke with us about her love for writing and food, and how Simmons helped her achieve her dreams.
The Accidental CPA: How Communications Strengthened a Career in Accounting
Mary Dowling Marino ’73 shares her journey, from majoring in Communications at Simmons to “accidentally” becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).