Erik Gernand is a writer and filmmaker whose award-winning short films have screened at more than 100 film festivals around the world including SXSW, Mix Milan (Italy), Cinequest, and Palm Springs International Shortfest, as well as been broadcast on IFC, PBS, and the Logo Channel (MTV Networks). His films have been distributed by First Run Features and Strand Releasing. His full-length play “The Beautiful Dark” was the recipient of the 2012 New Works Project Winner at T. Schreiber Studio in New York, and was a finalist for the 2012 Woodward/Newman Drama Award.

Erik teaches writing and production courses in Radio-TV-Film, and was the 2012 recipient of the Galbut Outstanding Faculty Award in the School of Communication. In the spring quarter of 2012, Erik taught Producing the Sitcom and traveled to Los Angeles with a group of those students to observe the taping of the season finale of Modern Family. He also runs Weekend Filmmakers, a 48-hour filmmaking challenge for Radio-TV-Film first-year students.