Charles Piland
Associate Teaching Professor of Communication Design
Department: Communication Design
Email: rpiland@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5232
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Initiated the Elon Drone Education Day in 2021 and coordinated the 2022, 2023 & 2025 events.
Thirty years as a photojournalist at four newspapers in Georgia, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Thirteen years as picture editor and senior photographer at The Tennessean in Nashville. While there, he initiated the transition from film to digital, helped establish the use of their digital archive system, and was the lead digital imaging trainer.
Attended numerous professional workshops at the Poynter Institute, University of Missouri, Kalish Picture Editing, UNC-CH, and others. Has served on the multimedia team at Western Kentucky University's annual Mountain Workshops.
Helped establish and served on faculty for the 2011 – 2020 BSA Photographic Workshops at Philmont Training Center in New Mexico.
Came to Elon in 2005.
Links
News & Notes
Education
BS - Middle Tennessee State University / Digital Media Communications
MA - Ohio University / Visual Communications / Multimedia
Employment History
Join Elon in Fall of 2005
Teaching Assistant, School of Visual Communications, Ohio University (2003 – 2005)
Adjunct Instructor at Nashville State Community College, (1996 – 2003)
Director of Photography / Senior Photographer at The (Nashville) Tennessean (1990 – 2003)
Photo Editor at the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Massachusetts (1986 – 1990)
Staff Photographer / Assistant Chief Photographer at the Macon Telegraph, Georgia, (1979 – 1986)
Staff Photographer at the Griffin Daily News, Georgia, (1976 – 1978)
Courses Taught
Drones & Society: Innovation and Accountability
Photojournalism
Visual Storytelling
Multimedia Journalism
Publication Design
Web & Mobile Publishing
iMedia Capstone
iMedia Fly-In (Panama 2010, 11 & 12; Guatemala 2015 & 16; Cuba 2013, 14, 19 & 20)
Leadership Positions
Coordinate & oversee the Elon Drone Education Day (2021 – present)
Department Chair, Communication Design (2019 – 2021)
NPPF, Board Member (2019 – present)
NPPA, Region Six Chair (2012 – 2015)
Faculty Fellow for Technology (2011 & 2012)
NPPA, Region Six Associate Chair (2010 – 12)
Current Projects
Serves as the coordinator for the Elon Drone Education Day 2021 – 2025. https://bit.ly/ElonDroneDay
Media team photographer for the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) for ten events in nine countries. https://icpc.global/
Photography Chairman for the 2019 World Scout Jamboree overseeing a staff of 30 photographers and videographers from 13 different countries covering the event.
Ongoing personal travel photo project documenting some of my travels. https://www.flickr.com/photos/piland_travel/albums
Imaging coach for the Mountain Workshops. Served on the Western Kentucky University-hosted workshops for ten years. Trained students for the imaging staff who prepare all images used on the website. http://mountainworkshops.org
Grants Awarded
2022 Innovation Grant - Hosting the second annual Elon Drone Education Day using funds to support the event by bringing in outside presenters on topics across academic disciplines. https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2022/08/10/innovation-council-grant-to-support-elon-drone-day-2022/
2015 Summer Fellowship Grant - A Study of Parallels within Visual Ethnography and Journalistic Storytelling Part Two - Japan Photo Link: http://bit.ly/1G3fifI
2007 Summer Fellowship Grant - A Study of Parallels within Visual Ethnography and Journalistic Storytelling Part One - England
Professional Activities
Member of the AUVSI and the NC Chapter (2020 – present)
FAA Part 107 Drone Certified since 2017
Board Member, National Press Photographers Foundation (2019–present)
Member of the National Press Photographers Association (1979–present)
Member of the Adobe InDesign Users Group (2010–present)
Service Activities
National Press Photographers Foundation, Board Member (2019–present)
NPPA Student Chapter Advisor (2010–present)
Served nine years on the School of Communications Technology Committee (2008–2015) (2022–present)
Served ten years as the Phi Psi Cli Yearbook Advisor (2005–2015)
TLT Search Committee (2013, 2015)
NC Ambassador for ShelterBox USA (2012–2020)
Personal Information
Eagle Scout
Professional Development
48th International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Astana, Kazakhstan, September 2024
46/47th International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Luxor, Eygpt, April 2024
45th International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Dhaka, Bangladesh, November 2022
43rd International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Porto, Portugal, April 2019
Team Lead, 2019 World Scout Jamboree, Visual Media Team bit.ly/WSJ2019
42nd International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Beijing, China, April 2018
The 2017 Drone Summit, University of Georgia, georgiadronesummit.com/
The 2017 Drone Journalism School, Poynter and NPPA, Athens, GA drone-journalism-school
41st International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Rapid City, South Dakota, May 2017
40th International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Phuket, Thailand, May 2016
39th International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, Marrakech, Morocco, May 2015
37th International Collegiate Programming Contest, Media Team Photographer, World Finals, St. Petersburg, Russia, July 2013
The Annual Atlanta Seminar in Photojournalism, 2005 – 2015 photojournalism.org
TEACHAPALOOSA 2013, Poynter Institute, St. Petersburg, FL poynter.org/training
The 2012 Northern Short Course in Photojournalism, Newark, NJ northern-short-course
Awards
2012 ROBIN F. GARLAND EDUCATOR AWARD for outstanding service as a photojournalism educator presented by the National Press Photographers Association.
2011 Faculty Excellence for Service and Leadership Award in the School of Communications
2010 Broadcast Educators Association Best of Festival Award, Faculty, Interactive Media Category