University of North Carolina
It is with great enthusiasm that I write this letter of reference on behalf of Ryan DeWitt. I began collaborating with Ryan just six months ago as part of a team of UNC faculty and Science Learning Resources, Inc. employees funded by the National Institutes of Health to develop prototype materials for a science-based, high school curriculum on the dangers of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Ryan’s role has been to develop computer simulated 3-D animations of human and fish development as a component of the curriculum.
Although he originally lacked the background knowledge in embryonic development essential for this task, in a brief period of time Ryan has educated himself to such a level of mastery that he has been able to create animations that are scientifically accurate, esthetically pleasing, interactive, and intellectually enlightening. Not only has he promptly done what has been asked of him by us, he has been able to educate our team of scientists to the capabilities of computer graphics and serious gaming, as ways to educationally engage high school students in science. Given his extensive experience as an educator, his contributions to our discussions are reshaping our thinking at a fundamental level concerning the look and feel of our curriculum . He has been so much more than a computer graphics expert in his role on this effort. He has been a true colleague in every sense.
Ryan’s professionalism, intellectual curiosity, organizational skills, and pure talent make him an invaluable collaborator and an asset to our project.
Sincerely,
Marianne L. Meeker, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina