Alumnus Creates Set for NBC's Coverage of Winter Olympics

Alumnus Mike Van Dusen ’93 spent four weeks in Sochi, Russia, last fall building the set for NBC’s coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics with his company, blackwalnut.

“It was a good environment to work in,” he says about the International Broadcasting Center. During his month there, he and his team worked 12-hour days to build the set. Despite the long hours, Van Dusen found time to explore and enjoy himself while in Russia. “I traveled a lot and have been all over. The best part of the Sochi experience was visiting local towns, interacting with everyone. It was nice to experience someone else’s culture without interfering in it.”

Since graduation, Van Dusen has maintained a connection with Montclair State, briefly teaching at the University and giving talks to current theater production students. He often hires Montclair State students to intern with blackwalnut.