Alan E. Franks

Alan E. Franks serves as an Assistant Professor and Director of Broadcasting at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he bridges the worlds of technical media production and creative storytelling.

His educational background includes a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, an M.A. in Film & Digital Image from the University of Sydney, and an MFA in Science & Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University.

Professor Franks specializes in Broadcast & Digital Media, with teaching and research interests focused on Video and Audio Production and Science and Nature Media. His approach uniquely combines technical expertise with creative expression, emphasizing how art and science intersect in effective visual communication. His courses emphasize hands-on, project-based learning that prepares students for careers across broadcast, cinema, and digital distribution platforms.

• Fulbright Scholar

As a professional media producer, Franks has extensive experience across virtually all media genres. His broadcast credits include multiple roles on National Geographic's award-winning series "America the Wild," which was also released as an interactive game on Xbox 360. He has produced media for diverse clients including corporations, municipalities, federal agencies, educational institutions, nonprofits, and museums, with work screened internationally. His documentary projects have taken him across the United States and to four countries outside the Americas, from the Australian Outback to the mountains of Malawi.

Professor Franks' most notable projects include a feature documentary exploring hippopotamus culture across America (covering topics from the International Hippo Society to the song "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas") and current work documenting sea turtles and the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem.