(L-R) Glen Okonoski, Robin Kinnie.

Students attending a leading audio production and training facility in southeast Michigan, Audio Engineers of Detroit, will receive Ferris State University credit for their coursework under an agreement intended to build a pathway through Ferris State’s Television and Digital Media Production degree program.

School of Digital Media Director Glen Okonoski said his acquaintance with AED Chief Executive Officer and President Robin Kinnie set the stage during the summer for discussion on this accord. Okonoski is on the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Foundation Board of Directors and Kinnie is a MAB board member.

“We talked about the prospects of collaboration as their coursework provides an augmented level of training, specifically in audio content creation,” Okonoski said. “Our Bachelor of Science in Television and Digital Media Production would allow the students to start in the AED program, then continue and expand their training at Ferris.”

The agreement will have AED students learning in Detroit with the option of applying their credits to additional pursuits through Ferris State’s TDMP curriculum to support earning an associate or bachelor’s degree. Audio Engineers of Detroit is developing online coursework and Okonoski said that presents possibilities for students on the Big Rapids campus.

“We are also discussing augmentation of Ferris State’s Broadcast Engineering minor to offer that training for Audio Engineers of Detroit students in Detroit,” Okonoski said. “This is very much in line with President Bill Pink’s desire to recruit and engage more students from the Detroit market and its metropolitan area.”

The Television and Digital Media Production program has a long roster of distinguished alumni in freelance, governmental and corporate video production and management, including Lindsay Pepper, a winner of two Primetime Emmys for her work as a foley artist and her contribution to a 2023 Golden Reel-winning entry in the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ annual awards competition.

“At the heart of innovation is education, and by partnering with Ferris State University, we're empowering the next generation of audio engineers in Detroit,” Kinnie said. “This collaboration isn't just about teaching skills—it's about unlocking potential, fostering creativity, and shaping the future of the music and technology industries.”