Lynn Rogoff
Title: Adjunct Associate Professor
Department: Humanities
Campus: New York City
Area(s) of Expertise: Computer Game Design, Media Production
Education Credentials: M.F.A.
Joined New York Tech: 2009
Lynn Rogoff has long stood at the intersection of storytelling, innovation, and education—combining art, technology, and social consciousness in groundbreaking media projects. As a writer, director, producer, and educator, Rogoff has advanced the use of AI to reimagine historical storytelling and immersive learning.
She is the creator of the award-winning AI-animated feature film Bird Woman: Sacajawea, the first magical realist interpretation of the legendary Native American guide, told through Indigenous voices and powered by emerging AI tools. The film has garnered 12 international awards, including the Latino & Native American Festival Heritage Historical Impact Award, and is now streaming on Xumo.
Rogoff received the Emerging Technology Grant from NYIT to develop AI-powered educational chatbots representing historical figures such as Sacajawea, Lewis, Clark, York, and Chief Cameahwait. These multilingual, interactive characters are designed to enhance classroom engagement, increase retention, and promote inclusive storytelling. Early trials have shown marked increases in student motivation and critical thinking.
She was a featured speaker at the 2024 Art of Movie Making Festival, leading a workshop on “Creating Magical Realism with AI,” where she shared insights into blending human creativity with AI-driven animation and narrative design.
Rogoff is also the founder of Amerikids USA, where she produced Pony Express Rider, the flagship title for McGraw-Hill Home Interactive. The game was awarded a Crystal Award, Bessie Award, and both the National Parenting Center and Family Channel Seals of Approval.
Her earlier documentary No Maps on My Taps received two Emmy Awards, a Writers Guild of America nomination, and aired internationally for over a decade. She contributed to Sesame Street, Big Blue Marble, Watch Your Mouth, and Israel's Rechov Sum Sum.
At New York Tech, Rogoff led the Green Kids Media team, which won the People’s Choice Award at the New York State Business Plan Competition. Her ongoing mission is to ethically integrate AI with human creativity to reframe education and media through experiential technology.
Recent Projects/Research
- Bird Woman: Sacajawea — 12-time award-winning AI feature film
- Emerging Technology Grant (NYIT): "Leveraging AI in Education – Creating and Testing Chatbots for Historical Figures"
- ISRC Grant (Institutional Support of Research and Creativity)
- OSVR Award Package (Open Source Virtual Reality)
Recent Publications / Media Features
- The Financial Times, Chatbots in the Classroom: How AI is Reshaping Higher Education
(https://www.ft.com/)
(https://www.ft.com/)
- EdTech Magazine, “AI Chatbots as Educational Tools in Higher Ed”
(https://edtechmagazine.com/) - Information Week, “Tailored AI Learning Experiences”
(https://www.informationweek.com/) - Teaching Magazine, “Adaptive Learning Through AI Characters”
- Verizon News, “Why AI Knowledge Is Critical for Students”
(https://www.verizon.com/about/news) - Parents Magazine, “How AI Can Enhance Human Capability”
(https://www.parents.com/) - EdSurge, “Should Students Chat With Historical Figures?”
(https://www.edsurge.com/) - Authority Magazine, “Meet the Disruptors: Filmmaker Lynn Rogoff” (https://medium.com/authority-magazine)
- Tribeca Citizen, Bird Woman: Sacajawea film spotlight
(https://tribecacitizen.com/) - The Highlands Current, “Visual Innovations in Animated Storytelling” (https://highlandscurrent.org/)
Honors and Awards
- Bird Woman: Sacajawea — 12 international awards
- Emerging Technology Grant, NYIT (2024–25)
- Presidential Engagement Award, NYIT (2013)
- People’s Choice Award, Green Kids Media Team (2012)
Courses Taught at New York Tech
- Game Development and Digital Storytelling
- Technical Communications
- Writing for the Mass Media
- Public Speaking
- Screenwriting
- Social Media for Business
- Directing