President | Kino-Eye Center
Program Director | Microsoft EPIC | Microsoft FAST
University of Rochester, NYIndustry and Non-Profit 
As the President and Founder of the Kino-Eye Center, Dr. Cesare Wright leads non-profit education outreach programs with a variety of community and industry partners, including Microsoft, BP, Chevron, University of Houston, NASA, Space Center Houston, and government agencies nationwide.
Dr. Wright is the Program Director of Microsoft FAST (Future Accelerated Skills Training), Microsoft EPIC (Education Partnerships for Inspired Communities), and Microsoft Drone Academy. For more information on current programs and initiatives, please visit – http://IamSTEMpowered.org
He is regularly featured on a variety of radio and television shows, including “Tech Corner” on Great Day Houston w/ Deborah Duncun (KHOU Ch.11).
Academia
Dr. Cesare Wright spent seven years in the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University, where he served as a Lecturer in Engineering and Leadership & Outreach Specialist for the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership (RCEL).
Dr. Wright co-developed and launched the official RCEL Certificate Program in Engineering Leadership, which is endorsed by the National Academy of Engineering, and is now regarded as one of the premier undergraduate leadership programs in the U.S.
In addition to teaching courses and managing industry partnerships, Dr. Wright created and led the engineering internship program for RCEL, which placed 100% of students
for five years straight.
Before joining the School of Engineering, Dr. Wright also taught courses in Film, Art & Art History, and Visual & Dramatic Arts, including the first Rice University courses in Advanced Sound & Cinematography and Auteur Film Theory.
Research Interests
Dr. Wright’s research interests center on the intersection of culture and technology, including such topics as digital media, artificial intelligence, drone technology, E-sports/gaming, and virtual & augmented reality.
He publishes and speaks on topics including STEM education, visual anthropology, veteran employment, rape prevention and anti-bullying, film production & theory, and disaster relief.
He has contributed to several books, including Success After Service (2020) and Hurricane Harvey, Houston and Heroism (2018), and he has published articles in Drone 360 Magazine, Military.com, and the Society for Film & Media Studies.
Recent Awards and Honors
In recognition of his work in K-12 education outreach, Dr. Wright received the 2016 Houston Humanitarian Award from the City of Houston and the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, as well as the 2015 Community Impact Award from the World Youth Foundation.
For his dedication to Rice University students, Dr. Wright received the 2015 Outstanding Faculty Associate from Hanszen College Associate and the 2017 C.M. and Demaris Hudspeth Endowed Award for Student Life and Clubs.
Awards for education excellence and outreach:
2017 Rice University C.M. and Demaris Hudspeth Endowed Award for Student Life and Clubs
2016 Houston Humanitarian Award from the City of Houston
2015 Community Impact Award from the World Youth Foundation
2015 Rice University Outstanding Faculty Associate
Film and Media
Dr. Wright is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker, whose work has been featured on Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, French TV 2, National Geographic, Documentary Channel, Spiegel TV, and several international film festivals.
In addition to his independent film work he has served as News Editor and Special Projects Producer for Fox 26 News and produced commercial content for major companies.
Dr. Wright has worked in over 25 countries producing and directing films on such diverse topics as modern primitivism & performance sub-cultures, paramilitary civilian activity on the U.S./Mexico border, the controversial world of political talk radio, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA fighting, and the relationship between sports and assimilation in immigrant communities.
In collaboration with the Gracie family, founders of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he directed the Gracie Women Empowered Rape Prevention and Self-Defense DVD series, and produced the publicity campaign for the Gracie Bullyproof anti-bullying project.