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Meet the Team
Patti Burke
Head of Industry Relations
With three decades of entertainment industry experience, Patti facilitates relationships between SDCT and industry partners in Austin and beyond.
Michaela Newman
Industry Relations Assistant
Michaela is your first point of contact with Industry Relations. Reach out to her to set up a one-on-one and discuss next steps.
Patti's Story
Patti Burke, Head of Industry Relations, facilitates collaborations with top entertainment companies, design and architectural studios, and creative firms, providing UT students with new opportunities across the country. Leveraging three decades of entertainment industry experience, professional development, production and studio management, Burke helps curate and showcase the talents of Design, AET and CID students as they perfect their craft and set their sights on future careers.
Prior to joining the School of Design and Creative Technologies, Patti Burke lead Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI)'s Global Creative Show Studio, which is responsible for creative development, story and concept design, show design, and production at Disney’s parks in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. She led global studio strategy and performance in partnership with portfolio leadership. Burke is proud to have worked on portfolio franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar.
Before WDI, she served as VP of Artistic Development at Sony, Head of Lucasfilm’s Theme Park division, and Head of PDI DreamWorks Animation Studio.