“The first step of doing any project is understanding the audience and what they need,” says Graff. “I was trying to put myself in the mindset of how math teachers teach certain concepts to kids.”

The Maryland Public Television Web developer sat in on Fennell’s graduate classes, asking questions and brainstorming ideas with students.
 
“He was always willing to do something extra if he felt it would be good for the kids,” says Graff’s supervisor Ann Klimas.

From those beginnings came Villainy, Inc., a playful site where middle schoolers take on the identity of a secret agent in order to outsmart the evil Dr. Eugene Wick by using their problem-solving, critical-thinking and mathematics skills.

Villiany, Inc. recently won the National Educational Telecommunications Association’s award for Best Instructional Media Product. It was also voted “Best of the Best” by judges who hailed it “an entry with something extra special, a breakthrough, an extraordinary achievement.” Visit http://villainyinc.thinkport.org/.

“It’s a tribute to [Graff’s] liberal arts education,” Fennell said. “Despite being an English and Communication major, he knew enough mathematics and was savvy enough that he could create this kind of thing.”

Fennell, president-elect of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, was a consultant on the project, having helped create shows with Maryland Public Television in the past through a grant from the National Science Foundation.

This is not the first time Graff helped write and develop award-winning programming. Last spring, Maryland Public Television won a prestigious “Webby” award for a project called “Knowing Poe,” a Web site where students can meet and interact with Edgar Allan Poe. Visit: http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org.

“I still can’t believe I lucked into doing this right out of college, but an internship helped me get in the door,” Graff says. “It’s been valuable to have a diverse background in the liberal arts. It’s helped get me jobs and be able to interact and talk with different people.”

He is currently earning his master’s degree in Interaction Design and Information Architecture at the University of Baltimore.