In 1989 Donna combined her interests in music and technology to complete a B.A. in Computer Music Composition from Clark University – long before there was an actual "multimedia" field. In 1991 she received an M.F.A in Electronic Music Recording from the Mills College Center for Contemporary Music and then went on to receive a second M.F.A. in Integrated Electronics Arts from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in 1996. It was then that Donna began teaching multimedia in the Bay Area. Her Digital Media Skills course has won awards for online learning from both @ONE and the U.S. Distance Learning Association.

Donna has taught courses in audio production, website and graphic design, and multimedia. In 1999 she became a multimedia content developer for Apple Computer, designing online training for their iLife applications (while continuing teaching an online course for CCSF). She recently "retired" from Apple Computer to raise her daughter and continues to teach part-time. She is currently the MERLOT fellow and a CVC Scholar, evangelizing Podcasting for Educators.