Meet the Editors – Storytelling Issue – Journal of Media Literacy

Martin Rayala, Ph.D.

Dr. Martin Rayala is the founder of the Ensō Education Institute. He is a former curriculum supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction who has taught at the elementary, middle, high school and university levels. He is co-founder of Design-Lab Schools and created an innovative high school that received a $10 million XQ Super School Award. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the National Art Education Association and on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Media Literacy.

Cory Rayala

Cory Rayala is the CEO of the Ensō Education Institute. A lifelong learner and educator, he holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of California, Irvine and a Masters of Arts in English from California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is an education programs consultant for the state department of education in California and a Doctoral candidate in the University of the Pacific’s Educational Leadership and Innovation Program. His research interests include design thinking, action research, and educational entrepreneurship. 

Carissa Baker, Ph.D.

Dr. Carissa Baker is an Assistant Professor of Theme Park and Attraction Management at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She attained her Ph.D. in Texts and Technology from UCF. Her scholarship focuses primarily on narratives in the theme park space, drawing on her BA and MA in Literature. Dr. Baker taught in China and was a visiting scholar at Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. She presents at academic conferences or themed entertainment industry events and publishes interdisciplinary work on theme parks. 

Brian Collins

Brian Collins is the President of the Ensō Education Institute. As a former Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the magic for virtually all of Disney’s Florida theme parks, writing scripts and spiels for some of the world’s most beloved attractions. At other times in his career, Brian has produced work for a who’s-who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. A passionate educator, Brian has also served on the faculty as a professor of several schools, including the University of Central Florida. His love and deep understanding of new and emerging technologies, and, most importantly, how they apply to business has helped fuel his unique career. Given that, a “normal” day for Brian might include exploring augmented reality, synthetic environments, blockchain, holograms or some other exotic other “sci-fi” tech that’s out there…or on the way. 

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