Darnel Degand is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Davis. He studies the various ways media and society influence the development of social success skills by exploring the social processes that exist within media production environments and media consumption experiences. His research also involves the design and development of educational media products and experiences. He received his Ed.D. from Teachers College Columbia University.

Before joining UC Davis, Darnel amassed nearly two decades of professional experience as an interactive media producer. A sampling of his resume includes roles as a game designer/developer for Sesame Workshop, as a technical development manager for an online advertising firm, and as a Multimedia Designer / Higher Education Assistant for the City University of New York, Queensborough Community College.