Here we list a few recent news items about our students and
alumni that have come to our attention. See individual posts
for details about their current work and accomplishments.
Recent alumna Sarah Sy (B.A., design and cinema and digital
media, ‘23) has received a scholarship through The Gotham EDU Film and Media Career
Development Program. The six-week summer program covers
development, pitching, marketing, distribution, and more.
Alejandra Ruiz Suárez was awarded the 2023 Savageau Award
for a Master of Fine Arts design student at the opening
celebration of the annual Arts and Humanities Graduate Exhibition
at the Manetti Shrem Museum. Her work focuses on sustainable
pathways for reducing textile waste.
Quinessa Stibbins, an apparel designer whose research
explores the role apparel design can play in protest and
nonviolent civil disobedience, was honorable mention.
Under the supervision of Professor Tim McNeil and curator Dan
Nadel, graduate student Edward Whelan designed the floorplan,
environment and graphics for the exhibition “All
on the Line: William T. Wiley and the Slant Step” at the Jan
and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. This exhibition highlights
Wiley’s influence as an artist and educator, as seen through
recent contributions from world-famous artist Bruce Nauman.
Undergraduate student Eduardo Landicho recently participated in a
TEDxUCDAVIS talk on “What Defines Normal? Designing Accessible
Architecture.”
Landicho, a 4th-year design major with a focus on
architecture at UC Davis, was born with Muscular Dystrophy and
has been wheelchair-bound since the early age of five. He wants
to create sustainable and equitable infrastructure to create much
more inclusive environments for those with disabilities.
As mask mandates continue to grow across the nation, alumna Jenna
Nelson (Pyörälä) (MFA, design, ‘19) is among the innovative
designers with a mission to inspire people worldwide to wear
them. Her company Luova Flow (Luova is “creative” in
Finnish) has released a series of colorful masks with
ornamental prints and beautiful illustrations.
Alumna Milan Finnie just completed a mural project
commemorating George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter
movement. Commissioned by the Imperial Beach People’s Alliance,
her creation is a six-wall mural on Palm Avenue that the
Alliance believes will represent anti-racism in Imperial Beach.
Alumnus J.R. Campbell (B.S., environmental design, ‘94; M.F.A,
textile arts and costume design, ‘96) is the executive director
of the Design Innovation Initiative at Kent State University
in Ohio. In his role, Campbell will oversee the online launch of
the university’s new Design Innovation Hub on Nov. 12 at 11 a.m.
(EST).
Alumna Jenna Nelson (Pyörälä) (MFA, design, ‘19) has created
Luova Flow with a mission to inspire people worldwide with
ornamental prints, beautiful illustrations and quality products.
The brand’s visual style is influenced by delicate natural
elements and colorful urban and rural landscapes.
Recently, more than 200 UC Davis scientists and supporters
gathered at the OneClimate event to showcase the university’s
collective strength in climate science research in the areas of
science, engineering, and a team from the Department of Design,
led by Thomas Maiorana, an assistant professor.
Professors Glenda Drew and Jiayi Young, and design undergraduate
student Michelle Lee and 2016 graduate Darin E. Reyes have
recently received the Crocker Art Museum ArtSpots commission
totaling $31,800 to create two artwork installations specifically
for children five and under in the museum’s public spaces. The
project is a part of a larger project being funded by the
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The estimated
opening date for the installations is October 2017.
Design student Timothy Kai Stapleton received a certificate of
Honorable Mention for the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in
Undergraduate Research and received the Provost’s Undergraduate
Fellowship Award (PUF) for his project titled “Biomotion
Visibility Aids: 3D Eye Tracking Analysis of Bicyclist Clothing
at Night.”
Professors Glenda Drew and Jiayi Young, with undergraduate
students Michelle Lee and Darin Reyes, presented a guest lecture,
“Design for Social Change”, at Hong Kong Polytechnic
University.
Congratulations to Darin Reyes for
winning this year’s AIGA Enrichment Scholarship! Darin impressed
the judges with his “expansive use of media,” “clean, smart
design solutions with well-researched foundations,” and “ability
to transform personal stories into useful tools.”
The Davis Enterprise reports on how UC Davis students in an
environmental graphic design program offered concepts for new
signage within Davis City Hall.
Professors Glenda Drew and Jiayi Young will present a guest
lecture at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University with
undergraduate students, Michelle Lee and Darin Reyes. The
group will give a public talk, tour the multitude of design labs
and meet with the dean, Cees de Bont (who is also the co-Director
of ISEA 2016, a conference the four are presenting at in Hong
Kong).
What are you doing these days? We want to hear about your life
since you graduated with a Design degree. Are you working,
attending grad school, or starting a family? Please fill out this
form to tell us about your travels, accomplishments or
future plans. If you have a website we would like to post a link
to that as well.
