Alex Torinus

Education

• MFA, Film, UW-Milwaukee, 2004
• BFA, Film, UW-Milwaukee, 2000
• BA, Writing and Literature, Wheaton College, 1990

Biography

Alexandra Torinus is a lecturer, coordinator for the Film, Video, Animation and New Genres Living Learning Community, and an outreach coordinator for the Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres. She also works as a freelance filmmaker, producing documentary and narrative films about issues in aging, art, and education. Her documentary films “Listening Portraits,” “A House in Order,” and Elder Tales focus on the creative growth, living transitions, and emotional challenges experienced by elderly people as they reframe their identities, modes of physicality, and connections to other people and their memories in life’s latter stages. Torinus has also documented the exhibitions of artists like Camille Utterback and Brian Knep at the Milwaukee Art Museum and created documentary portraits of young local artists and musicians. She created a narrative film series called “Teacher Talk” for the Haberman Foundation that illustrates the revelations and learning that can grow out of students’ academic and social challenges and their conflicts with teachers in the classroom. After completing this research into student/teacher relationships in elementary schools, Torinus was inspired to study at UWM’s Educators Institute where she recently graduated with a cohort of other UWM instructors after mastering new skills in university course design to improve student outcomes through the use of active learning techniques and high impact learning practices.

Curriculum Vitae, CV (PDF)