To start, can you share a bit about your background and what led you to pursue an M.F.A. in Design at UT Austin?
I come from more than two decades of experience in visual communication, creative direction, and retail merchandising, where I led large teams and managed visual branding across multiple brands and regions. While that work taught me how to build systems, understand audience engagement, and shape meaningful visual experiences, I reached a point where I wanted to expand my practice beyond corporate frameworks.
Pursuing an M.F.A. in Design at UT Austin was a way to refine my voice as a designer, deepen my research-driven approach, and transition into design education.I was drawn to the program’s emphasis on process, pedagogy, and cross-disciplinary thinking, as well as its commitment to socially engaged design. I wanted to explore how design can create connection, foster equity, and support students—especially first-generation and BIPOC designers—as they develop their own creative agency. Growing up I felt that students that were not adjacent to art and design careers makes it more difficult to understand the necessary foundations of pursuing a career in design.
In what ways did the M.F.A. in Design program prepare you for the path you’re on today?
The program reshaped how I think about both design and teaching. I learned to articulate processes as clearly as outcomes, to build assignments around inquiry rather than aesthetics, and to approach critique as a collaborative tool for growth.
UT Austin taught me to slow down, reflect, and research deeply—skills that now guide my approach as an educator and mentor. It also strengthened my ability to design student-centered curricula, facilitate iterative workshops, and integrate real-world design practice into the classroom.
All of this prepared me for the academic path I’m on now, transitioning into a tenure-track faculty role and continuing to support emerging designers in building confident, intentional creative practices.
Can you describe a project or experience from your time in the program that played a key role in shaping your direction as a designer?
One of the most formative experiences was developing undergraduate courses centered on portfolio development and the student design journey. Guiding students through exercises like journey mapping and narrative-driven iconography projects helped me understand the transformative potential of structured iteration and visual storytelling.
This work showed me how curriculum can empower students to see themselves not just as makers, but as thinkers—and how thoughtful assignment design can reshape a student’s sense of identity and capability. That experience solidified my desire to remain in academia and focus my practice on teaching, mentorship, and equitable access to design education.
How did the faculty, resources, or collaborative environment at UT Austin influence the trajectory of your work?
The faculty at UT Austin were instrumental in helping me refine my direction. Their combination of rigor, generosity, and high expectations (shout out to Tasheka Arceneaux-Sutton) pushed me to think beyond surface-level design decisions and toward deeper questions of meaning, ethics, and cultural context.
Events like George Aye’s lecture and workshop, critiques with visiting designers, and the program’s emphasis on interdisciplinary dialogue gave me a model for the kind of educational ecosystem I now strive to build for my own students.
Resources like the design studios,the RRK collection, the Ransom Center, fabrication labs, and peer collaboration spaces also supported a level of experimentation that allowed me to reconnect with both digital and hand-made processes—something that continues to shape my personal practice today.
How has your career or creative practice evolved since graduating, and what impact do you hope your work is making right now?
Since graduating, my career has shifted fully toward design education. I've joined Appalachian State University as a tenure-track faculty member, and I continue to mentor BIPOC and first-generation design students—an area I’m deeply committed to.
My work has become more intentional, more research-driven, and more focused on equity. I want my impact to be felt in the classroom: through inclusive curricula, supportive critique structures, and resources that empower students to build strong portfolios and pursue meaningful creative careers.
At the same time, I continue to explore personal design work—letterpress, photography, risograph, and book cover design—because maintaining an active creative practice strengthens what I bring back to students.
What are you currently working on—professionally, creatively, or both—and what excites you most about your work today?
Professionally, I’m developing new coursework, refining assignment sequences, and building student-facing resources for Appalachian State’s Graphic Design program. The coolest part about this is that our department recently updated its curriculum and I love being a part of this team. Giving feedback that can refine rubrics, collaborative spaces, portfolio frameworks, and opportunities for cross-disciplinary engagement.
Creatively, I’m exploring letterpress, risograph, and photography, and continuing to integrate analog and digital processes into my teaching. I’m also pursuing potential Fulbright research opportunities focused on inclusive design education and supporting BIPOC and first generation students globally.
What excites me most right now is the balance between being an educator and a maker—building spaces where students can thrive while continuing to evolve my own creative practice.
What advice would you share with prospective students who are considering the M.F.A. in Design and wondering how it might expand their practice or career path?
I would encourage prospective students to think of the M.F.A. not as a place to perfect a portfolio, but as a place to expand their thinking. UT Austin gives you room to experiment, question assumptions, and redefine what design can be in your life. In the beginning it was hard to embrace the ambiguity and covet the weirdness within your practice.
If you’re open to critique, curious about process, and willing to dig into the “why” behind what you make, the program will push you in meaningful ways—whether you’re preparing for a career in academia, creative leadership, or socially engaged design.
Most importantly, the M.F.A. gives you an opportunity to be part of a cohort, directly interact with mentors, and a community who will shape your practice long after you graduate. It expands your network, your thinking, and ultimately your sense of purpose as a designer. The connections I made with my academic & thesis supervisors is something that I value immensely and I understand that I did the work, but without their care and guidance I would not be where I currently am.
To learn more and apply for the M.F.A. in Design program, visit https://designcreativetech.utexas.edu/mfa-design