Faculty — Media Studies, Photography and Games and Game Design

Francesco Arese Visconti PhD is the Media Studies program head at Webster Geneva Campus, where he is also the Deputy Academic Director. Arese Visconti focuses his research work on migration processes in Switzerland and Italy. In 2012, he published the book “New World — Stories of African Immigration and Integration in Switzerland.” In 2015, Arese Visconti published two projects on the Italian-Chinese community in Prato entitled “Hidden Identities — The Italian-Chinese Community in Prato” and “We, Prato.” His current work concerns contemporary Italian migration in the Swiss Confederation. Ten images from this research project were exhibited in 2015 at the EXPO in Milan and are part of his PhD in Photography from the University of Westminster in London. In addition to being an archaeologist by training (MA, University of Florence), Arese Visconti is also a member of SIYU (photographie professionelle suisse) and SPECTRUM - Photography in Switzerland.

Books

Arese Visconti, F. (2024). “The Invisible Diaspora — Rethinking Photographic Portraiture of 21st Century Italian Migrants on the Arc Lémanique area” (London: Palgrave Macmillan).

Arese Visconti, F. (2015). “We, Prato (Prato: Edizioni SUI), pp. 76.

Arese Visconti, F. (2015). “Hidden Identity — The Italian-Chinese Community in Prato” (Florence: Aiòn Edizioni), pp. 84.

Arese Visconti, F. (2012). “New World — Stories of African Immigration and Integration in Switzerland” (Florence: Aiòn Edizioni), pp. 96.

Chapters in Edited Volumes

Arese Visconti F. (2020). Possible in Photography. In Glăveanu V.P. (Ed.), “The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible.” Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.

F. Arese Visconti, and J. Sandholm-Bark. (2018). “Enabling effective assessment through collaboration.” INTED2018 Proceedings. ISBN: 978-84-697-9480-7

B. Wiggins, S. Leahy, K. Jenkins, J. Smith, F. Arese Visconti, T. Young, and B. Srisupawat. (2017). “International Podcast Project: using podcasts to enrich and enhance experiences in international education.” INTED2017 Proceedings. ISBN: 978-84-617-8491-2.

Exhibitions

2024 Jan. “La diaspora invisibile. La migrazione italiana del XXI secolo sull'arco lemanico: un ritratto fotografico,” Galata Museo del Mare — Museo Nazionale della Emigrazione Italiana, Genoa, Italy. Solo Exhibition.

2023 Jan. “Rethinking Photographic Portraiture of the 21st Century Italian Migrants on the Arc Lémanique Area,” London Gallery West, Harrow on the Hill, U.K. Solo Exhibition.

2022 June “Rethinking Photographic Portraiture of the 21st Century Italian Migrants on the Arc Lémanique Area: A Preliminary Look,” Creativity Week, Webster Center for Creativity and Innovation, Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland. Solo Exhibition.

2019 Nov. “Migration Stories,” Centre des Arts Ecolint, Geneva, Switzerland. Solo Exhibition.

2018 June “Rendering the Invisible Visible — Photographs of Italian Cultural Identity in 21st Century Switzerland,” Creativity Week, Webster Center for Creativity and Innovation at Webster University, Geneva, Switzerland. Solo Exhibition.

2017 Sept. “The Future We Want,” on the Quai Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland. Collective Exhibition.

2017 June “Between Here and There,” School od Media, Arts and Design of the University of Westminster, London, UK. Collective Exhibition.

2015 Sept. Ten photographs of “Generational Shifts — Italian Migrants in Switzerland after World War II,” Swiss Pavilion at the EXPO, Milan, Italy. Solo Exhibition.

2015 Apr. “Hidden Identity — The Italian-Chinese community in Prato,” Kent State University, Florence, Italy. Solo Exhibition.

2015 Jan. “We, Prato,” Grütli Theatre, Geneva, Switzerland. Solo Exhibition.

2014 Jan. “Morocco — A journey to the south,” Contemporary Art National Gallery Mohammed Drissi, Tanger, Morocco. Solo Exhibition.

2012 Nov. “New World. Recent immigration and integration in Switzerland from Africa,” Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland. Solo Exhibition.

2011 Apr. “Kodachrome. End of the Run: Photographs from the Final Batches,” May Gallery, Webster University, St. Louis. Solo Exhibition.

2007 July “Archaeology and Environment,” Public Library, Paros Island, Cyclades, Greece. Solo Exhibition.

2006 Apr. “Neighbours” included in “Florence — Four perspectives,” Regional Arts Commission Art Gallery, St. Louis. Solo Exhibition.

2006 Apr. “Architetture davanti all’obbiettivo — Fotografie sull’opera di Giovanni Michelucci,” School of Architecture, Washington University, St. Louis.

2005 Sept. “Architetture davanti all’obbiettivo — Fotografie sull’opera di Giovanni Michelucci,” Italian Institute of Culture, Copenhagen, Denmark. Solo Exhibition.

2005 May “Architetture davanti all’obbiettivo — Fotografie sull’opera di Giovanni Michelucci,” Fiesole, Italy. Solo Exhibition.

Email: faresevisconti71@webster.edu

          USPP

Peter Carson received a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver. He has practiced law in the area of tort litigation, worked as a reporter and editor for several publications in the United States and Switzerland and worked in the community investment department of a large nonprofit in Houston, Texas. In addition to teaching, Peter is Manager for Academic Advising and Student Ssuccess at Webster Geneva Campus.

 

Email: petercarson43@webster.edu

Zuzana Hevler studied journalism and media studies at FSV, U.K. She is a trained journalist and has carried out a part of her studies in New York and England at the U.K.'s Loughborough University. She has written for various newspapers and weeklies in English and has worked since 2007 in conjunction with International Geneva. She worked as an editor for the Hospodářské Noviny, the English-language weekly Prague Post and the daily Zemské Noviny. She gathered experience in the magazine Československý shah.

Groundbreaking Referendum and Billion-Dollar Costs: Swiss Approve 13th Pension, March 4, 2024.

Zelensky Criticizes Putin in Davos: Once Again Urges Swiss, Who Promise Peace Conference, Jan. 16, 2024.

Watches Worth Hundreds of Thousands to Tens of Millions: Left a World-Renowned Watch Company and Started His Own in a Room, Nov. 4, 2023.

Swiss-Alps-Zermatt: Glaciers Melting Faster Than Expected, Surprising the Swiss. Only Some Snow-Capped Peaks Might Be Saved. Oct. 7, 2023.

Zelensky's Attempt to Convince Hesitant Swiss: Standing Ovations and a Few Walkouts. June 15, 2023.

Swiss Leopards Gather Dust: Will Bern Send Tanks to Ukraine? Arms Companies Await Permission, Public and Parliament Divided. June 7, 2023.

"It’s Important to Fulfill Dreams You Had as a Child," Says Mystery Author Michaela Klevisová. April 26, 2023.

Swiss Dismantle Air Defense Missiles Despite Not Needing To: Criticism Arises, Could Have Sent Them to Ukraine. March 15, 2023.

"For Russia, It’s a Case of Let the Chips Fall Where They May," Says the Highest-Ranking Czech Diplomat at the UN. March 13, 2023.

 

Cem Koker is a seasoned full-stack developer with comprehensive expertise spanning network infrastructure, web technologies and game development. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Information Technology from the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES Geneva). With more than ten years of experience in software development and systems architecture, he co-founded a Swiss IT services company and led mission-critical projects at large scale for the United Nations.

In game development, Koker brings eight years of Unity development experience, creating diverse applications and games for Swiss companies. His portfolio includes traditional games, virtual reality (VR) projects and therapeutic gaming solutions through his work at GreenCross Studio, where he developed rehabilitation-focused applications. His technical expertise spans multiple domains, from enterprise web applications to health care solutions, demonstrating versatility in applying both traditional development and game technologies across different platforms and business needs. Most recently at One Fox Studio, he expanded his skillset to include video editing and web development, further broadening his multimedia expertise.

 

 

Lisa Manolache has high quality video game development learning experiences. She studied visual arts at the Faculty of Art and Design, in Timisoara-Romania and in Dijon-France. She completed her studies at the SAE Institute Geneva (school associated with Middlesex University-London), in Switzerland, where she obtained a bachelor's degree in Game Art and 3D Animation. She has expertise in developing the full pipeline of creating various props, weapons and environments for video games with imposed concept art and with an established art style. Having a solid artistic background, she has carried her knowledge of fine arts to all of her 3D projects.

 

 

Anne-Laure Oberson PhD is a philosopher, photographer and curator. Her research focuses on the quantic nature of images, the impact of electronic images on cognitive processes and phenomena such as synchronicity. She is currently writing on imagination in regards to generative models for image creation. She is leading an art residency program and teaching contemporary philosophy. She has edited and contributed to books, catalogs and articles in the field of philosophy, contemporary art, photography and art history. Her book "I see. Do you? Thinking Seeing" was published by Atropos Press. She studied History of Art at the University College of London and Philosophy, Art and Critical Thought at the European Graduate School.

Fight Back! in “The Struggle for Digital Images, An Agonistic Perspective of New Media Floods,” ed. Béatrice Joyeux-Prunel et al., upcoming.

Anne-Laure Oberson. Making Sense of AI Generated Images in the Process of Imagination, in “From Hype to Reality: Artificial Intelligence in the Study of Art and Culture,” ed. Eva Cetinić, Darío Negueruela del Castillo, 2024, Hertziana Studies in Art History, vol. 03, 2024.

Towards a New Imag(e)ination, in “A Piece of Artificial Intelligence,” ed. Flussera Robionica, Postdam: University of Applied Science, 2024.

From visibilities to images: can AI models offer us a look beyond the invisible? Mundus imaginalis: Philosophical lucubrations towards an imaginary approach to the question of synchronicity, in “Quantum Psyche 2,” ed. Giuliana Galli Carminati et al., Genève: KDP Independant Publishing Platform, Feb. 2021.

"La fièvre - ce facteur trop humain", in Markiewick&Piron, PFH*, Luxembourg: Centre national de l'audiovisuel, March 2020.

"The fourth meaning of the image: Flusser's invitation to envision the world," Flusser Studies, vol. 29, Feb. 2020.

Œuvres en devenir — devenir d’une œuvre. L’an-archive de Bujar Marika, in Dayer, C., Schurmans, M.-N. & Charmillot, C., “La restitution des savoirs : un impensé des sciences sociales?,” Paris: L'Harmattan, April 2014.

“I see. Do you? Thinking seeing,” New York, Dresden: Atropos, Feb. 2013.

View a complete list of publications.

Email: annelaureoberson@webster.edu

Over the past 15 years, Dr. Glenn O’Neil has been involved in some 100 reviews and evaluations in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. Mainly at the project or program level for international organizations and NGOs, the reviews and evaluations focused largely on communications, advocacy and surge response in a range of sectors including media, development, civil society, youth, human rights, humanitarian aid and health. O’Neil’s role was often as team leader, but also as team member or providing methodological support (e.g. in developing surveys, indicators, theories of change and evaluation frameworks) or quality control (review and approval of methodology, tools and reports). O’Neil is also an experienced teacher, facilitator and trainer in media, communications, advocacy, evaluation methods and use for UN agencies, NGOs, universities and professional associations. O’Neil holds a PhD in social research and methodology from the London School of Economics and an Executive Masters in Communications Management.

O'Neil, G. (2022). Communication Monitoring and Evaluation in the Non-profit Sector. In Gonçalves, G. & Oliveira, E. (Eds.) “Routledge Handbook of Non-Profit Communication.” New York, NY: Routledge. p.104-114.

O'Neil, G. (2020). Measuring and Evaluating Audience Awareness, Attitudes, and Response. In V. Luoma-aho & M.J. Canel (Eds.) “Handbook of Public Sector Communication.”  New York, NY: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 405-416.

O'Neil, G. & Bauer, M. (2018). “Pathways to Use of Communication Campaigns’ Evaluation Findings Within International Organizations,” Evaluation and Program Planning, 69, 82-91.

O’Neil, G. (2013). “Evaluation of international and non-governmental organizations’ communication activities: A 15-year systematic review,” PR Review, 39(5), 572-574.

     

Dusan Petkovic holds a PhD in media technologies and innovation, a master's degree in visual anthropology from the Free University of Berlin, and a bachelor's degree from the Dutch Film and Television Academy. With over eighteen years of professional experience in media production, Petkovic is a post-production specialist with a long list of award-winning projects. He has worked on four continents and his projects have received awards at the Sundance Film festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, as well as the BAFTA, BfFA and Daytime Emmy awards.

 

 

After studying Physics at EPFL, Rémy Petkantchin worked in complex numerical modeling European projects, applied to ischemic stroke treatment in his PhD with the University of Geneva and simulating the mouse brain with the Blue Brain Project at EPFL. In parallel, Petkantchin has developed theoretical and practical videogame programming and design knowledge by developing and publishing two videogames and earning a professional accreditation from Epic Games. As of 2025, he is working as a Monte-Carlo Developer at CERN.

In his free time Petkantchin plays water-polo at the national level.

Berchet, A., Petkantchin, R., Markram, H., Kanari, L., 2025. Computational generation of long-range axonal morphologies. Neuroinformatics 23, 1–23.

Petkantchin, R., Berchet, A., Peng, H., Markram, H., Kanari, L., 2024. Generating brain-wide connectome using synthetic axonal morphologies. bioRxiv 2024

Petkantchin, R., Raynaud, F., Boudjeltia, K.Z., Chopard, B., 2024. A Blood Flow Modeling Framework for Stroke Treatments, in: Heifetz, A. (Ed.), High Performance Computing for Drug Discovery and Biomedicine. Springer US, New York, NY, pp. 369–381. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3449-3_17

Petkantchin, R., Raynaud, F., Boudjeltia, K.Z., Chopard, B., 2023a. A Blood Flow Modeling Framework for Stroke Treatments, in: High Performance Computing for Drug Discovery and Biomedicine. Springer, pp. 369–381.

Petkantchin, R., Rousseau, A., Eker, O., Boudjeltia, K.Z., Raynaud, F., Chopard, B., 2023b. Characterizing fibrinolysis under flow conditions: a simplified mesoscale 3D model.

Petkantchin, R., Rousseau, A., Eker, O., Zouaoui Boudjeltia, K., Raynaud, F., Chopard, B., 2023c. A simplified mesoscale 3D model for characterizing fibrinolysis under flow conditions. Scientific reports 13, 13681.

Petkantchin, R., Padmos, R., Boudjeltia, K.Z., Raynaud, F., Chopard, B., 2022. Thrombolysis: Observations and numerical models. Journal of biomechanics 132, 110902.

Latt, J., Malaspinas, O., Kontaxakis, D., Parmigiani, A., Lagrava, D., Brogi, F., Belgacem, M.B., Thorimbert, Y., Leclaire, S., Li, S., 2021. Palabos: parallel lattice Boltzmann solver. Computers & Mathematics with Applications 81, 334–350.