Dr. Joel Thierstein is Associate Provost at Rice University and Executive Director of Connexions. Prior to coming to Rice, Dr. Thierstein served as an Associate Professor and Director of New Media Communications at Oregon State University. He also served as a professor at Baylor University, Purdue University Calumet, and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Dr. Thierstein served as a visiting professor of Communications Law at Syracuse University.

Dr. Thierstein has nearly 10 years of media experience. He has worked in radio, television, cable television, and newspaper. Dr. Thierstein has also worked with many companies and associations including Sony, the Pro-MPEG Consortium, and the National Association of Broadcasters.

Dr. Thierstein sits as a voting member of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (the standards setting body for digital television). He began working with the ATSC in 1999 and has sat as a voting member since 2002.

Dr. Thierstein has written extensively in telecommunications. His books include Birds In Flight: Satellites In The New Millennium, 3rd ed. and Religion, Law and Freedom: A Global Perspective. He has presented numerous conference papers.

Dr. Thierstein has produced numerous high-definition video projects for such organizations as National Geographic and the Association for Computing Machinery’s International Collegiate Programming World Finals.

Dr. Thierstein has a Ph.D. from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. He has a J.D. from Syracuse University as well. 

Dr. Thierstein has served as a Board member of Fossil Rim Wildlife Center since 2000 and has served as Board Chair since 2003. He has also worked extensively with the Conservation Centers for Species Survival.