Dear Evaluator,

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My name is Sam Avery, Associate Professor in the Communication and Media Studies Department at SUNY Cortland. I submit this digital portfolio in accordance with Chapter 220.07 of the SUNY Cortland Handbook in support of my application for promotion to the rank of Professor.

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LINK ► PROMOTION APPLICATION LETTER 2026

LINK ► PERSONNEL ACTION FORM 2026

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Since joining SUNY Cortland in 2013 after earning my MFA in Media Arts Production from the University at Buffalo, my work has been focused on digital filmmaking, visual storytelling, and experiential media production. I received continuing appointment and promotion to Associate Professor in 2019. Since that time, despite the significant disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, I have continued to expand my work as an educator, creative practitioner, and institutional leader through the Blackbird Film Festival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization I founded in 2015 and continue to direct, and through the ProLab, a collaborative production initiative that provides motivated students with mentorship and real-world filmmaking experience beyond the classroom.

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My teaching, creative activity, and service are deeply interconnected and grounded in the belief that storytelling and visual media are essential tools for learning, civic engagement, and cultural connection. Rather than existing primarily in traditional journals, my scholarship takes the form of films, festivals, and student-centered creative initiatives that are publicly shared, peer-reviewed, and community-facing. Together, these projects represent a sustained program of creative inquiry into how stories are created, circulated, and experienced within regional and community contexts.

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In accordance with the criteria outlined in Chapter 220.07, the materials linked throughout this site are organized around three areas: Teaching, Creative Work, and Leadership & Service. Collectively, they reflect my continued commitment to SUNY Cortland, my students, and the broader creative community.

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Thank you for your time and consideration.

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