Stu Krieger is a professor of screen and television writing in the University of California, Riverside's Department of Theatre, Film, and Digital Production. From 2001 to 2020 he also taught Producing the Screenplay at USC's Peter Stark Producing Program.Krieger wrote the animated classic The Land Before Time for producers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, and he co-wrote the Emmy-winning mini-series A Year in the Life. He also wrote or co-wrote ten original movies for the Disney Channel, including Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and its two sequels, Tru Confessions, Smart House, Phantom of the Megaplex, the Humanitas-nominated Going to the Mat, and Cow Belles. In April 2015, Professor Krieger delivered a well-received TEDx Talk entitled "Choose Joy." His first novel, That One Cigarette, was published in November 2017.