About
Demos Orphanides was the Director of Web Technology & Community Strategy at HASTAC until the end of 2017. He began his tenure at HASTAC in early 2014, originally serving as Drupal Webmaster and Online Community Strategist. He has an interdisciplinary degree in Law & Society from Oberlin College as well as a technical degree in Graphic Design & Advertising. Demos has been designing, deploying, and managing websites for over 15 years, with a concentration on Drupal site planning and administration. Since 2008, he has specialized in managing online learning communities, focusing on the intersection of collaboration and learning within community web environments.
Upon joining HASTAC, Demos supported the group’s eponymous site and membership community as well as several major HASTAC projects and initiatives. These include: the now-completed series of Digital Media and Learning Competitions – supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation through a grant to UC, Irvine; a National Science Foundation (NSF) EAGER grant studying the HASTAC network’s data and its impact on scholarship; and the HASTAC Scholars Program and Fellowship.
Demos also led the organization’s comprehensive rebranding and site overhaul project – a complete redesign and redevelopment of hastac.org using the Drupal 7 framework – working with staff, community members, designers, and developers to ensure greater usability, utility, and increased community participation on the group’s flagship website. In addition, Demos coordinated community strategy and engagement and provided web technology training and user support for HASTAC staff and community members. This included work such as communications and outreach support, website administration, direct user support, site security and stability, specialized support for the DML competition and its grantees, as well as technical administration and oversight for a long-running series of DML webinars.
A few other things about Demos:
Originally hails from Queens, NY.
Arrived in NC via MA, CT, OH, and PA.
To grab his attention talk about urban archeology, photography, traditional printing methods, industrial design, or 3D printing.
Biggest weakness is a fascination technology (especially gadgets of all kinds).
Knows more about Star Wars than any grown-up should.
Still plays with toys (but calls it “collecting”).
