B.A.A., Ryerson University
M.A., Webster University M.F.A., Southern Illinois University Carbondale
George Cooke was appointed to the faculty in 1996. He brings to the Mass Communication department 27 years of experience in film, video production, and still photography. As a senior communications specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in Canada, he was in charge of major video projects on subjects such as highway engineering and driver training. His work as producer-director, cinematographer, and editor earned him several awards; he is a three-time winner of the Creative Excellence Award from the U.S. Industrial Film and Video Festival in Chicago, and winner of a Silver Cindy Award from the Association of Visual Communicators in Los Angeles.
Recently, he completed a master of fine arts degree in Mass Communication and Media Arts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His thesis project was the culmination of two years of work with the Street Outreach Program in Cairo Illinois. Cairo, located at the southern tip of Illinois is one of the most impoverished towns in the state. When the young people of Cairo say, “There is nothing to do here!” it is no exaggeration. The resulting social documentary is dedicated to two Street Outreach workers who have worked tirelessly to make life better for the youth of Cairo.
