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Barbara Boyle

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The entertainment industry has found a home within UCLA’s faculty.

Barbara Boyle, a producer and president of Valhalla Motion Pictures, will be stepping up as the new chairwoman for the UCLA Department of Theater, Film and Digital Media.

She officially became the chairwoman for the department this month, after being selected from a long list of potential candidates for the position.

“The ideal for the department is the highest standard of professionalism, combined with a spirit of individualism, and she perfectly embodies that,” said Robert Rosen, dean for the School of Theater, Film, Television and Digital Media.

Boyle’s tasks as the new chairwoman will range from providing leadership for the department to finding financial contributions, Rosen said.

One of the major issues she will be dealing with are the budget cuts taking effect on the department.

Finding money to fund the program is an immediate concern, Boyle said.

Rosen and Boyle will be working together to obtain the needed funding to replace money taken by budget cuts.

“The biggest challenge is how do we prepare our students for the visual literacy of the 21st century,” Boyle said.

The new chairwoman hopes that, with the support of the faculty and the dean, she will be up to challenges ahead of her.

Last week, Boyle was able to experience her new role for the first time.

She had individual meetings with senior faculty to discuss departmental issues and requests.

“I’d describe (the week) as energizing and exciting,” Boyle said.

This is just the beginning of what will be a full-time job for Boyle.

The department went on a nationwide search for a chairperson who was interested in working on a long-term basis, Rosen said.

Boyle was recently involved in movie production through her presidency at Valhalla Motion Pictures, which is set to release “The Hulk” in June.

Boyle pursued the opening for the chair position and left Valhalla when she was accepted.

Although Boyle left her position, she will continue her work as a producer, if the department’s students should need her knowledge and experience with the field, she said.

Other opportunities for university positions were available to Boyle, but she decided she wanted the position at UCLA, she said.

“I’m a complete UC baby,” Boyle said.

Her alma maters are UC Berkeley, where she received an undergraduate degree in English and literary criticism, and UCLA for a degree in law.

She is also a founding member and co-chair for the School of Law’s Entertainment Advisory Council.

When she found herself working for a film company, her goals began to take a new form.

Boyle wanted to make changes in the way women and minorities were portrayed in film, she said.

In 2000, she was given the Crystal Award for helping to expand the role of women in film.

Earlier, Boyle served as president and board member of the organization Women in Film.

“I think it’s fortuitous to have a woman at the helm,” Rosen said.

Boyle may serve as a role model not only for all of the department’s students but for women in particular, he said.

As the chairwoman, Boyle’s involvement with the students is part of her job and guiding them is one of her goals.

“I want to bring encouragement to their own vision, explain to them the realities of our business, and ... to conquer those realities and make them happen,” she said.