Meet the Kremen Communications Team!

Alex Johnson is a multimedia specialist who creates high-quality photo, video, and website content. He studied at California State University Fresno and was employed by the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, where he managed and operated the Kremen TV Studio, creating digital content for faculty, staff, and students. He founded Siteful Studios, where he designs and develops websites for people and businesses both locally and around the world. He developed TechCheck IT, the equipment management and reservation software used by hundreds of students in multimedia programs at CSU Fresno and CSU Sacramento.  He currently leads as the Interim Communications Specialist at the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, where he performs a variety of tasks including social media management, public relations, photography, videography, and website development. Outside of his professional life, Alex enjoys competitive cycling, woodworking, music production, and most importantly, spending quality time with his son, Levi. 

Otto E. Benavides is an Emeritus Associate Professor and former Director of the Instructional Technology and Resource Center and the NASA Educator and Resource Center at KSOEHD.  Otto worked at Memphis State University as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the  Media Center at the College of Education. During his tenure at Memphis State he proposed to construct a technology wing for the college. His supervisor, Associate Dean Barbara Burch,  supported his ideas. However, she left MSU to become the Dean at the School of Education at CSU Fresno. During phone calls Otto and Dr. Burch had, she informed Otto that the State of California had provided funds for the construction of a new building at Fresno State. Dr. Burch asked Otto if he would be willing to share his ideas with the architects and engineers planning the building construction.  He agreed and sent his drawings and descriptions of his vision to the engineering team. Dr. Burch asked Otto to apply for a tenure track position at the school.  After the selection process was completed, CSU Fresno hired him to work at the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. He worked with Associate Dean Robert Monke, the university architect and the architectural firm in the technological design of the new building.

After Otto’s early arrival in June, 1990, he was asked to design a technology center. Upon this request he created INTERESC - The Instructional Technology and Resource Center. Based on his design, the Center had several components: computer classrooms, a technology center, a TV Studio, a copy center, photographic studio and technical support.  Otto created the first student support system at the university.  This support was maintained from 1994 until Otto retired in 2017. As part of INTERESC the TV Studio, he designed, provided support and training for faculty and students  on video production, video conferencing, video streaming and satellite communications.  Student assistants under his direction and the direction of engineers provided full and efficient support for all technical needs of faculty, staff and students at the school. The TV Studio became a hub for the production of instructional and other videos.  The studio also served as a training site for teachers and K-12 students in the Fresno area. In addition the TV studio along with the computer classrooms was used to provide instruction to migrant students during the summer for many years. INTERESC, under Otto's direction supported off site conferences and video interviews with school teachers and school administrators in the Fresno County area. 
 

Samantha Ray worked as Kremen’s first Communications Specialist from September 2017 to November 2021. She elevated the Kremen brand and helped amplify Kremen’s story to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the Fresno State community. Samantha spearheaded launching the Kremen blog, strategized social media content to increase engagement and followers, and managed the launch of Kremen’s new Fresno State website in 2021.

She earned an M.S. in Business-Marketing from California State University of Long Beach and an MBA from Fresno State. With a background in higher education marketing, Samantha worked in Kremen to build and launch continuous content and assist our graduate programs with their student acquisition tactics.