My travels as an educator have taken me from university art studios to community-based settings with a focus in young-adult education. I hope to continue to navigate toward my goal of illuminating and removing barriers for other and future artists by following the pioneering footsteps of Paulo Freire and bell hooks. As a teaching artist, I am a cruise ship director (of sorts) who gives guided tours to the pieces and places of art that don’t yet exist. Together with my participants, I invite investigations of the unknown through artistic exploration on scaffolding built for both risk and failure aboard the S.S. TutorSHIP.
QUICK LINKS:
UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE: Dominican • UArts • MICA • OpenWorks Makerspace
AWARDS + RECOGNITION: AICAD Fellowship • Campus Compact • Lazurus Leadership Award Finalist • AmeriCorp Service Member (2017-2019)
CERTIFICATIONS: MICA Teaching Certification
University Experience
DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY | CHICAGO, IL | SPRING 2021 – PRESENT
HISTORY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN (ARTH 267)
3 credits | Undergraduate-level
Spring 2021 + 2022 In-person
Course Syllabus
Examining the role of visual communication through history within a social/cultural context. Focusing on the role that graphic design has played in the development of human societies, this course covers key events throughout the span of human history, with an emphasis on the influences that lead into 20th century graphic design and the digital revolution.
PORTFOLIO DESIGN: SENIOR CAPSTONE (ARTH 454)
3 credits | Undergraduate-level
Spring 2021 + 2022 In-person
Course Syllabus
In preparation for graduation and the applied world, students hone themselves to be professionally ready for the workplace while thinking about graphic design in a larger way. By both refining a body of design work and publishing their works for a final exhibition and digital world access, student will leave with a personal brand, a professional portfolio, along with networking and interviewing skills, arming them for their job search ahead.
WEB DESIGN I (ARTH 227)
3 credits | Undergraduate-level
Fall 2021 In-person
As a design elective, students are walked through the process of building a website project for real world businesses as mock clients. Starting with industry competitor research and target market demographic profiles, the challenge is moodboard, wireframe, and install a website that is inline with what the business owner and their clientele need. Feedback is given by actual business owners for applied world experience.
GRAPHIC DESIGN III (ARTH 413)
3 credits | Undergraduate-level
Fall 2021 In-person
As a design elective, students are walked through the process of building a website project Design majors are taken on a deep dive of the three major programs that are industry standard for graphic designers — Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign. Three dovetailing assignments culminate in a personal zine and/or organizer built with Indesign which must incorporate their created photoshopped portraits and vector icons in interesting and unique layout options and chapter
UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS | PHILADELPHIA, PA | FALL 2019 -SPRING 2021
ELECTRONIC MEDIA PRODUCTION I (DAAT 201 )
1.5 credits | Undergraduate-level
Fall 2019 In-person
Course Syllabus
Meant to be taken in sequence, as a graphic design program requirement, these courses pivot between Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign in the Fall and After Effects and Dreamweaver in the Spring exploring each program’s best practices and approaches to optimize workflow and asset organization. Focusing on proper file building, naming conventions, and project organization, this course centered on applied world standards.
STUDENT EXAMPLES: Project 1 • Project 2 • Project 3
ELECTRONIC MEDIA PRODUCTION II (DAAT 202 )
1.5 credits | Undergraduate-level
Spring 2020 Virtual/Remote Learning
Course Syllabus
Meant to be taken in sequence, as a graphic design program requirement, these courses pivot between Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign in the Fall and After Effects and Dreamweaver in the Spring exploring each program’s best practices and approaches to optimize workflow and asset organization. Focusing on proper file building, naming conventions, and project organization, this course centered on applied world standards.
DIGITAL DESIGN LAB (DESN 117)
3 credits | Freshman Core Experience
Fall 2019 In-person, Fall 2020 Virtual/Remote Learning
Course Syllabus
Introductory and “best practices” course into digital technology and design with project-based instruction using creative tools including Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and AfterEffects, in addition to exploring computer programming and markup languages along with makerspace experience.
DIGITAL DESIGN STUDIO (DESN 123)
3 credits | Freshman Core Experience
Spring 2019 In-person, Spring 2020 Virtual/Remote Learning
Course Syllabus
Building on principles learned in DESN 117, the focus is to broaden perspectives with projects that examine scientific, social, cultural, historical, and political topics. Further developing skills in layout, typography, and color, along with time-management through collaboration-based campaign projects.
DESIGN HISTORY (DESN 200)
3 credits | Undergraduate-level Fall 2019
Course Syllabus
Honing on the key concepts design history overall, particularly the idea of human beings as designers and makers, i.e. Homo Faber. Starting in prehistory, this course examines the relationship between design and culture, design and craft, design as problem solving and as a ‘rational method’, and design in relation to society, though the ages til today.
INTRO TO GRAPHIC DESIGN (GDES 101)
1.5 credits | Undergraduate-level
Spring 2021 In-person + Virtual/Remote Learning
Course Syllabus
An elective course for majors and non-majors, as an introduction to the profession of graphic design and its working processes. Part lecture, part studio this course ranges from formal studies and theories through Creative Suite project production. Emphasis on the craftsmanship and working methods of the students as well as the breadth and depth of the student’s individual investigative process.
INTRO TO ILLUSTRATION (ILUS 101)
1.5 credits | Undergraduate-level
Spring 2021 Virtual/Remote Learning
Course Syllabus
Focusing on fundamental illustration skills, this course centered on composition along with color and shape psychology for projects that covered major areas within the industry, such as advertising, editorial and entertainment design. As a remote course, there was high flexibility on traditional and digital production with multi-media exploration encouraged.
Teaching Internships
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART | BALTIMORE, MD | Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
FRESHMAN YEAR EXPERIENCE, SCREEN + SURFACE SEMINAR
3 credits | Undergraduate-level
Fall 2018
Course Syllabus
In this trans-disciplinary and thematic studio experience, students from a variety of majors investigate ways of being a creative person in today’s world. Lecture and art making topics included contemporary practice, social and global issues, personal and professional development, historical and theoretical perspectives with no limitations of mediums nor scale.
Assisted professor in project development, lecture and slide preparation, classroom organization, mentorship to students, and critique feedback.
SENIOR PORTFOLIO, PAINTING + DRAWING MAJORS
3 credits | Undergraduate-level
SPRING 2019
–NO SYLLABUS–
Focusing on graduating seniors within the Painting and Drawing majors, students were provided specific studio time, critique sessions, and mentorship from MICA Faculty and visiting guest lecturers.
Assisted department chair with appointment organization and acted as liaison and guide for guest speakers. Also provided mentorship to students, assisted in installations for exhibitions, and critique feedback.
Program Development
OPEN WORKS MAKERSPACE | BALTIMORE, MD | FALL 2017-SPRING 2019
TEEN MAKER ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
High School AfterSchool Program for local Baltimore Youth
5 cohorts through Spring 2018 – Summer 2019
Spring 2018 Program Syllabus
Summer YouthWorks Program 2018
Fall 2019 Program Syllabus
Spring 2018 Program Syllabus
Summer YouthWorks Program 2019
As a part of my Masters program at Maryland Institute College of Art, I assigned to Open Works a Baltimore-based Makerspace through my AmeriCorp service enrollment. With the goal of overall career preparedness, armed with an already prescribed grant budget, aided by the reconnaissance I had gathered from both the Open Works community + my Masters Program education, I set out to implement my theoretical curriculum through a program I named “The Teen Maker Entrepreneurship Program” that first Spring.
I laid out a 16 week program that was focused on skill acquisition through the Open Works studios + certifications that were already in place. Following the basic curriculum framework of the makerspace safety certification, I expanded action plans that took participants through a small, medium, + large projects that compounded on the previously learned project skills. The initial program was so successful and popular, the program was funded for the subsequent two years by local donors. Today, it is a flagship program in the Greenmount West neighborhood, and continues to groom new makers, builders, and creatives through their high school years and beyond.
Awards + Recognition
AICAD POST- GRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWSHIP, 2019 – 2021
AICAD.org
AICAD – the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design – is a non-profit consortium of 39 leading art schools in the US and Canada. In contributing to the goal of increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of our faculty, AICAD and it’s Teaching Fellowship Program aspire to create a climate that recognizes and values diversity as central to excellence by offering professional development opportunities and (up to 2 year) placement opportunities to graduate students from groups under-represented in the teaching profession.
NEWMAN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AWARD, 2017-2018
compact.org
The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are change makers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. Fellows are nominated by their president or chancellor on the basis of their potential for public leadership. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change. The yearlong program, included virtual learning opportunities and networking as part of a national network of engaged student leaders and an optional in-person convening.
FRED LAZARUS LEADERSHIP FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AWARD FINALIST, 2017
mica.edu
This award is given in honor of Fred Lazarus IV, who during his 36 years as president of MICA, thoughtfully and tirelessly explored the role and responsibility of artists and cultural institutions in leading community based social change. This award is given to one undergraduate student and one graduate student who, through the power of art and education, were able to engage in meaningful ways with their community to raise awareness of public issues and create lasting change. These students exemplify MICA’s core values of professionalism, engagement, diversity, excellence, community, communication, fairness, equality, creativity, and respect.
Trainings + Certifications
MICA’s Graduate Teaching Internship + Teaching Certification
Required the successful completion of three Graduate Teaching Internships (GTI ). Plus the successful completion of the course Philosophy & Pedagogy of Post-secondary Visual Arts Education, a 3-credit graduate seminar. Along with a written recommendations from, minimum, of two of the graduate student’s GTI mentoring faculty.