Halfway through winter quarter, a dozen students gathered around the crimson crescent couches of the SCADamp mainstage to present design concepts. The client: Goodwill Southeast Georgia. The prompt: Build a better donation center. The presiding professor: Ryan Madson.
 
"Madson encourages us to do things a little differently, to challenge the client as well as ourselves," said Zoë Ransom (B.F.A. architecture).
 
The ten-week project — sponsored by SCAD SERVE and its "design for good" ethic — combined students from complementary degree programs to facilitate Goodwill's continued success in the local community. At the start of the quarter, the group had visited Goodwill locations on Whitemarsh Island and Sallie Mood Drive, an in-person fact-finding trip that, as Kris Romero (B.F.A. architecture) put it, "helped us understand the practical challenges as we design a donation center that will work here in Southeast Georgia and hopefully be adopted widely by Goodwill." Paulina Merikanskas (B.F.A. industrial design) agreed: "We want them to see it, make it, and put it everywhere."
 
Weeks of sketching, list-making, refining in Revit, and debating everything from awning options to greywater recycling systems followed. "We are focusing on addressing storage space, climate control, and improving both the customer and the employee experience," said Hardik Jhanwar (B.F.A. architecture).

A spread from the final 48-page design book for the Goodwill attended donation center. 

At the mid-quarter meeting, Goodwill representatives were presented with options. Brook Bridges (B.F.A. architecture) explained three brick-and-mortar designs, all of which include "flexibility in terms of arranging the gaylords and the uprights, with an emphasis on creating an approachable experience for donors."
 
"I'm impressed by how you've addressed one of our major issues," said Goodwill retail VP Jessica Callway-Penny.
 
Dani Liebster (B.F.A. architecture) displayed boundary-pushing building and layout concepts inspired by the classic Goodwill logo. "We've integrated the curvature of the logo into the architecture of the building," Liebster said. "What do you think?"
 
"I love the thought and intention you put into incorporating our branding," said Goodwill marketing manager Hillary Bradbury. "We fight in the same space as everybody else for donations, so I really appreciate the intentionality."
 
Five weeks later, the academic quarter was ending, and the group reconvened in the Deloitte Foundry for a final presentation, this time with ten Goodwill leaders in attendance. There was cantaloupe and coffee, and a student-led round robin presenting different facets of their final design. Madson looked on: "Seeing students become design leaders, making creative decisions based on knowing how to do the work and now presenting their designs, it's pretty gratifying."

Anna Caseli with representatives from Goodwill and Hardik Jhanway (left) and Daniela Liebster (center right.)

The Goodwill group seemed especially dazzled by the on-site locker system designed Paulina Merikanskas (B.F.A. industrial design) with input from Bella Tillinghast (B.F.A. industrial design). "That is something we just would not have come up with ourselves," admitted one of the Goodwill officers.
 
There was no question that the new attended donation center's natural light-friendly sliding wall panels and cementitious materials were a hit. The students' collective, resource-conscious approach and human-centered spaces all added up to an ideal design for Goodwill.
 
Goodwill Southeast Georgia CEO Jason Marshall led the applause. "As far as I'm concerned," Marshall said, "I can see all these concepts coming to life for us."
 
Thanks to the superb students who took part in SCAD SERVE x Goodwill Southeast Georgia 2025:
 
Alba Florentino (B.F.A. architecture)
Anna Caseli  (B.F.A. architecture)
Bella Tillinghast (B.F.A. industrial design)
Brook Bridges (B.F.A. architecture)
Daniela Liebster  (B.F.A. architecture)
Dhyani Patel (M.A. design for sustainability)
Kris Romero (B.F.A. architecture)
Hardik Jhanwar  (B.F.A. architecture)
Joyce Badon (B.F.A. architecture)
Paulina Merikanskas Donde (B.F.A. industrial design)
Theresa Dao  (B.F.A. architecture)
Zoë Ransom  (B.F.A. architecture) 

SCAD has a decades-long legacy of contributing to the most prestigious cinematic art in the world — and the annual awards event that recognizes it. This year, 136 SCAD alumni and current students provided their industry talents to films nominated for the 97th Academy Awards. The awards ceremony will be televised live on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 7 pm on ABC.
 
These talented filmmakers and artisans contributed to 18 films receiving nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including five Best Picture nominees, two Best Animated Film nominees, and all five films nominated for Best Visual Effects. These films include global blockbusters Wicked, Dune: Part Two, The Wild Robot, Inside Out 2 and critical favorite Anora.
 
"Our Oscar-nominated alumni are a source of pride and inspiration for all of our current students, alumni, and most of all their mentor professors who helped put them on these stellar paths," said Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of SCAD's School of Film and Acting. "SCAD provides resources like no other university, and we send our students into the industry even before they graduate, placing them on film sets in Georgia, New York, Los Angeles, and beyond."
 
SCAD's School of Film and Acting and School of Animation and Motion have launched thousands of alumni into the movie industry, thanks to Oscar award-winning professors, resources that rival Hollywood studios, and stunning locations including an 11-acre backlot and two LED volume stages, two professionally run casting offices, and renowned film and television festivals.
 
Katerina Kojeva (B.F.A., production design, 2016) was the costume concept artist on Wicked, nominated for Best Picture, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design. Alyssa Bracken (B.F.A., production design, 2012) was the assistant costume designer on A Complete Unknown which is nominated for eight awards including Best Picture and Best Costume Design. Wyatt Garfield (B.F.A., film and television, 2007) was the cinematographer on A Different Man which is nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Actor Kayli Carter (B.F.A., performing arts, 2015) turns in another memorable star turn, as Maria Muldaur in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
 
Fifty-two of the alumni who worked on Oscar-nominated films graduated from SCAD with a degree in visual effects. Hyun Huh (B.F.A., computer art, 1999) was the visual effects modeling supervisor and Yukinori Inagaki (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008) was the character rigging lead on The Wild Robot. Ryan Gillis (B.F.A., computer art, 2004) and Steve Bevins (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) were both VFX department supervisors on Wicked. Gina Niespodziani (B.F.A., animation, 2011) was the visual effects executive producer on A Different Man. These visual effects artists allow filmmakers to create worlds and scenarios that would be impossible to capture realistically on camera, expanding creative possibilities, enhancing storytelling, and immersing audiences in fantastical narratives.
 
"No matter how the voting goes, a SCAD alumni will be on the winning team for Best Achievement in Visual Effects on March 2nd!" said SCAD visual effects chair Gray Marshall. "The sheer number of our visual effects graduates who contributed to these nominated films, both animated and live action, is a proud moment for our department and for the university as a whole. Our alumni continue to push the boundaries of storytelling through innovation, artistry, and technical excellence."

Andrew Meyer is a mentor who matters. At the moment, the film professor, producer and author is sitting in the sun outside a coffeeshop near the Jen Library, taking a few moments before his graduate-level production class to discuss his rollicking new memoir Walking in the Fast Lane. 

"While writing this book, one thing I realized is that in my professional career, I worked extensively with first-time directors," Meyer says. "I was mentoring them, only it was called producing. Then I turned to teaching, where I mentor students. I've really been a mentor all my life."

Walking in the Fast Lane recounts the Westchester, New York native's years in the music and film industries, from his days as a college student booking concerts by Miles Davis and the Grateful Dead, to vivid encounters with stars like George Harrison and Joe Cocker, to creating and running A&M Films, and collaborating with directors including Michael Apted (Bring on the Night) and Savage Steve Holland (Better Off Dead). (Anyone who attended the recent Trustees Theater showing of Better Off Dead knows the 1985 film is beloved by current students.)

This Friday, Jan. 24, Meyer will be in Atlanta for the SCAD Cinema Circle 40th anniversary screening and discussion of John Hughes' classic 1985 movie The Breakfast Club. As Meyer recounts in his memoir, in the early 1980s, a dewy Hughes had only recently left his job as an advertising copywriter to pen humor pieces for magazines. 

"At the time, John hadn't directed anything, but I'd read National Lampoon's Vacation and went to his house to meet him," Meyer says. "He told me, 'I wrote a script and the whole story takes place in one room. I thought if I wrote it all set in one room, you'd let me direct.' Well, the one room was a high school library, and the film was The Breakfast Club."

Like other Meyer-produced films including Birdy (1984) and Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), The Breakfast Club has transcended its era to achieve lasting status. Success is not easy to predict, Meyer says. "You're lucky to get a movie made, and even after it's made, you have to wait until you see the rough cut until you know if you might have a good movie."

Having a strong foundation in the classroom can make the difference. Meyer has now spent twenty years teaching at SCAD, cultivating multiple generations of film and televison professionals.

"My students are making short films, and I prepare them by having them know how to run a well-executed film set and be professional," he says. "When a student is a good filmmaker, people are drawn to them. The DPs and editors gravitate towards the director who is passionate and has a good story. When you see someone talented, you want to work with them. That's the same in film school and in the professional world. You have to have the right people around you."

One of those people is Kate Haley (M.F.A. film and television, 2024) who directed the excellent, 14-minute documentary film about Meyer, also titled Walking in the Fast Lane. Cleverly framed as a talk show interview called "That Fabulous Eighties Show," the doc succeeds as an imaginative, evocative depiction of Meyer — the boy, the man, the producer, and Zelig-like character hopscotching through time. It will screen along with The Breakfast Club on Friday.
 
"I had a run in a window of original work, and when I look back at it now, it amazes me," Meyer says. For now, he's enjoying the sun.

Professor Andrew Meyer on the set of director Kate Haley's documentary Walking in the Fast Lane.

Photo: Shambhavi Ramabhadran.

Justin Zielke has clay on his hands. The sculptor and digital conjuror, who has created videos for musicians as diverse as Joy Oladokun and Dave Matthews, is a daily devotee of malleable minerals and a keen observer of the human form. "The body is a point of interest to me," he says. "You add your own emotion to who this person is."
 
Zielke (M.F.A. animation, 2017) is speaking specifically about "The Missing Piece," his stunning new video for electronic musician Max Cooper. The clip uses oil-based clay renderings of human heads — they form, flow, fall apart and face off — to explore what Zielke calls "the absence of a loved one, the longing for the past, or the ephemeral nature of existence itself." YouTube comments range from "I'm trying to imagine exactly how the stop motion was pulled off so smoothly" (ChrisGuerra31) to "WOW!!!! MASTERPIECE!!!!!" (wandrahodge8908).
 
"The Missing Piece" incorporates some 30,000 individual images occupying a terabyte of data. "I take a photograph after I make every mark in the clay, which brings my attention to the moment I connect to an emotion," Zielke says. Working with capricious substances means his process and intentions are indivisible. "When I make a mark in clay, I don't go backwards. It's about finding rhythm and creating beauty in the moment and adapting to what I just did."
 
Call it equipoise: the calm and cool Kansan is a SCAD superstar. Featured in the SCAD Dreamers and Makers docuseries, the Alumni Atelier ambassador created site-specific work for the SCAD Lacoste Promenade de Sculptures in 2022. As SCAD MOA curator Ben Tollefson observes: "From a large-scale bronze sculpture to a cutting-edge stop-motion music video, Justin creates moving reflections on who we are as human beings."

Nuance in Repetition, bronze. 37x70x34", 2022, SCAD Lacoste.

Now, ten years after he first arrived in Savannah, Zielke reflects on his stint as a student: "I came to SCAD with the intention of flourishing in the animation industry, going to work for a big company in Hollywood. Then my professors pushed me to ask myself ‘Why are you creating this?' and I started gravitating towards fine art."
 
He praises motion media professor Michael Betancourt, whose "media theory class rocked me to my core," and animation faculty Christoph Simon "for his wide film knowledge and eye for aesthetic theory" and Jose Luis Silva "for encouraging me to show in a fine art situation."
 
"Justin was an amazing student," says Silva. "His genuine desire to advance his artistic abilities demonstrated his high expectations for himself. His master's thesis project [on Henri Bergson's theory of duration and habit] reflected that commitment. Justin's ability to improvise and push the conventions of traditional animation techniques has led to breakthroughs in his work."
 
Now, as collaborator Max Cooper continues his 3D/AV World Tour, Zielke explains that a new visual iteration of "The Missing Piece" will accompany him. "It's a two-part screen where Max stands in the middle and projects onto the front screen. Then there's a projection onto a back screen, and you can see through everything, and project your own emotions onto it."
 
The missing piece is in hand.

See more of the work of Justin Zielke.

As winter weather wrapped Washington, D.C., Paula Wallace was inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for a warm and welcome occasion. On the afternoon of Thurs., Jan. 2., SCAD's president and founder was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House.

"A lifelong educator and trailblazer of the arts, Paula Wallace dreamt of a university that would transform how we think about professional education," declared a statement issued by the White House. "By establishing the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design and serving as its president, she has guided thousands of students into creative industries."
 
The Presidential Citizens Medal, the second-highest civilian award in the United States, recognizes individuals who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country and fellow citizens. "Our democracy begins and ends with the duties of citizenship," Biden told honorees inside the East Room of the White House. "That's our work for the ages. And that's what all of you — and I mean this — all of you embody."

President Wallace was among twenty recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal, who were awarded in a private ceremony, followed by a reception attended by family and friends.

As the official White House statement declared: "President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice."

After the ceremony, President Wallace said  how "profoundly humbled it had felt to sit alongside the other honorees: innovators and pioneers of medicine and healthcare, lifelong public servants, and dauntless civil rights champions. President Biden and the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden (a lifelong educator herself), personally select each recipient, and their overwhelming respect for each honoree shone through the entire event."

SCAD was founded in 1978 to create a specialized professional art college to attract students from the U.S. and abroad. A private, nonprofit, accredited university, SCAD now offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 110 countries. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.

Visit scad.edu.

It was a historic day for the SCAD women's soccer program as the ninth-seeded Bees took home their first-ever NAIA National Championship with a dominant, 4-1 victory over third-seeded Keiser University. The women's soccer team is the first team to capture a national title for SCAD in the 2024-2025 academic year.

"It feels amazing," said SCAD head coach Rebecca Gunn. "I'm so proud of all the hard work we put in, taking it game by game and staying prepared." Associate head coach Sinead Byrne agreed: "So proud of the team, they deserve it. They've worked hard for it, doing things the right way."

Coverage of the Bees' big win came from WTOC, WJCL, and VSN. Coaches Gunn and Byrne also appeared on the Soccer Down Here show to discuss in-depth the historic season and the NAIA tournament, when SCAD played four matches in eight days, including a hard-fought 2-0 win over College of Idaho to reach the final.

The title game amounted to a rematch of the Sun Conference Championship game from earlier this season when SCAD beat Keiser 5-2. Going into the NAIA final, SCAD coaches emphasized the importance of scoring early.
 
In the final, the Bees controlled the game from the very start. In the fourth minute of the game Sydney Chura chased down a ball and sent in a cross to Abigail Siddall who found the back of the net to grab the early momentum. Later in the half, Siddall  scored her second goal after Chura fired a shot on a flicked ball from Ida Akesson that rebounded to Siddall, who buried it to put the Bees ahead 2-0. Just before halftime the Bees furthered their advantage when Lois Beer converted a header off of a Chura corner. The Bees took a 3-0 lead into halftime.
 
In the second half the Bees continued their dominance, controlling the possession and finding great defensive performances from the back line of Emma Parrish, Lois Beer, Lucabella Ralph, and Emily Lau to shut down the Keiser attack. While Keiser found the back of the net late in the half, the first goal the Bees conceded at the final site, it wouldn't be enough. The Bees found an insurance goal in the final minutes of the game as Chura found the back of the net for the first time this tournament to ultimately seal the 4-1 win for SCAD and bring an NAIA National Championship back to Savannah.
 
Another bright spot for the Bees was goalkeeper Saga Bryntesson. Bryntesson made several key saves throughout the final to help the Bees keep the Seahawks at a distance and secure the victory. In addition to a stellar finals performance, Bryntesson wrapped up the four games at the NAIA Final Site having only allowed one goal.
 
On top of winning the championship, the Bees also received tournament honors. Sydney Chura, Lois Beer and Ines Sommer all received All-Tournament team honors. Beer and Chura also received Defensive and Offensive Player of the Tournament recognitions, respectively. Chura was named NAIA Player of the Tournament.

It's worth noting that SCAD faculty and staff were wholly behind the team's journey to the championship. The university-wide messaging app filled up with well-wishers and, once the title match was underway, real-time celebrations did not stint on ecstatic emojis and exclamation points.

"We had so much support from SCAD Athletics through the journey," Coach Gunn said. "We got a call from our president Paula Wallace, and we heard from alumni. We've had so much support from SCAD and from the community of Savannah too. The response has been unbelievable."

The NAIA National Champion Bees finished with a record of 20-1-2.

Congratulations on an epic, unforgettable championship season!

A "Watershed Moment for Wellness" across the pond provided multiple milestones for SCAD. At the Global Wellness Summit 2024, held Nov. 4-7 in St. Andrews, Scotland, two of the three finalists for the Shark Tank of Wellness Competition were new graduates from SCAD Atlanta. Sofía Sánchez (B.F.A., advertising, 2024) and Aimar Diaz Tatá (M.F.A., advertising, 2024) each presented projects that earned them top recognition and significant cash compensation.
 
SCAD advertising professor Gauri Misra-Deshpande guided the projects and led the trip. "I'm incredibly proud of how Sofía and Aimar represented SCAD at the Summit, and how the judges recognized their excellence," Misra-Deshpande says. "The most important aspect of their projects is wellness, which means empathy, innovation, design and storytelling, all coming together in a collaborative environment. They both learned and earned a lot from the experience."
 
Prior to the Summit, the advertising students prepared for their competition by honing their presentation skills with SCADamp coach Greg Skura. In Scotland, Sánchez and Diaz presented their business ideas to industry "Wellness Sharks" Mia Kyricos, founder of Kyricos & Associates LLC, business development director Karen Campbell of Chiva-Som International Health Resorts, and Agilysys SVP Frank Pitsikalis. Following rigorous Q&A sessions, the winners were announced: Sofía and Bond-sai won first place and $5000, while Aimar won $2000 for third place for Radical Truthical.
 
Bond-sai, inspired by the tree that gives it its name, is a sculptural and practical "emotional ecosystem" in the domain of smart wearables and mood lamps. The product was developed during Misra-Deshpande's ten-week class Collaborative Studio: Creating the Brand Solution (ADBR 480), where Sánchez was part of a seven-person student team that created a data-driven 92-page process book and brand video.

Lighten up: Global Wellness Shark Tank-winning student project, Bond-sai.

"Our team included multiple international students, all intensely familiar with the challenge of being in a new place, away from family, and trying to stay connected with those you love," explains Sánchez, a Guatemala City native who came to SCAD on a bowling scholarship. "Bond-sai offers an opportunity to show how you're feeling, visually, through colors, and to demonstrate how we're connected and help with mental health. It comes with a companion app where friends and family can see accurate readings of each other's stress levels through an Apple Watch or Fitbit. You can see the lights of your friends and family on the tree and know when they need a check-in."
 
Diaz's graduate thesis project, a card game called Radical Truthical, was inspired by classic games including Cards Against Humanity and Monopoly. "My game supports mental health by focusing on media literacy and how to learn discernment," says the Venezuela-born, Texas-raised Diaz, who attended SCAD on an educator scholarship. "I intentionally made Radical Truthical engaging for teens and young adults, and made sure the game isn't hyper-political, so while it covers political topics, there's pop culture too. With the over-consumption of social media, it's important to put your phone away and have a fun game that provides a low-stakes environment to have high-stakes conversations."

Facts: Aimar Diaz Tatá's award-winning game, Radical Truthical.

Both Sánchez and Diaz aim to take their products to market, encouraged by the enthusiasm they garnered at the Wellness Summit. They are grateful for that experience, and the "guiding light" of the mentor they call "Professor Gauri."
 
"Industry leaders were surprised and impressed when they learned that our student projects were completed in such a short time," says Misra-Deshpande. "This is our sixth year winning and it is safe to say that SCAD is a well-known name in the wellness community."

Sofía Sánchez would like to thank and include her Bond-sai student teammates ("It was a total team effort!"): Achal Agarwala, Annia Ortega Monegro, Harrison Steppe, Kriya Shah, Jack Selden, and Jenna Weisenbach.

Top (l-r): Sofía Sánchez, Professor Gauri Misra-Deshpande, Aimar Diaz Tatá. (Image courtesy: Global Wellness Summit.)

SCAD is proud to announce Kate Aronowitz (B.A., graphic design, 1997), GV (Google Ventures) Lead Operations Partner, has been named Executive in Residence at the university. Aronowitz will mentor students from the university's top ranked De Sole School of Business Innovation, School of Design, and School of Foundation Studies.

In her new role, Aronowitz will travel to all three SCAD locations — including Savannah and Atlanta, Ga., and Lacoste, France — to visit classes, review portfolios, and offer mentorship to talented SCAD students. She will provide her unique vision and expertise in collaborations with academic leaders to review portfolios and develop new curriculum design processes for the SCAD De Sole School of Business Innovation, School of Design, and School of Foundation Studies, furthering the university's recognition as the global leader for art, design, and innovation in higher education. Aronowitz's presence emphasizes SCAD's commitment as the preeminent source of knowledge in the disciplines of graphic design, industrial design, advertising, social strategy, design management, creative business leadership, and service design, among others.

"We are thrilled to welcome Kate Aronowitz as Executive in Residence for our Schools of Design, Business Innovation, and Foundation Studies," said SCAD Chief Academic Officer Jason Fox. "Kate's longstanding commitment to serving her alma mater as a professional and alumni mentor is amplified by this new role. Her wealth of experience at companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Wealthfront, as well as her current role as GV's Lead Operations Partner will provide invaluable insights to our talented SCAD students, faculty, and staff, furthering the SCAD mission to prepare talented students for creative professions. We are proud of Kate, and this appointment as Executive in Residence, which underscores SCAD's commitment to nurturing the next generation of dreamers, makers, and industry leaders."

Aronowitz is a seasoned design executive who has built and led world-class design teams at several iconic Silicon Valley companies. She began her career at eBay, where she joined the first user experience team and became a Senior Manager of User Experience and Design. She joined LinkedIn as Director of Design and started its user research team, and at Facebook (now Meta), she was the company's first design executive. In her current role at GV, she leverages her extensive experience to empower portfolio companies, advocating for incorporating design thinking into high-level business strategies.

"SCAD gave me the foundation I needed many years ago to launch my design career, and ever since, the university has remained committed to doing the same for generations of designers," said Aronowitz. "I'm thrilled to return as an Executive in Residence, eager to spend time in the classroom offering industry perspective and mentorship to students, while collaborating with faculty on the future of design education—spanning from graphic design and user experience to the evolving impact of artificial intelligence. With more opportunities than ever for design to shape the world, I believe SCAD is truly at the heart of it all!"

Aronowitz has been an influential leader at SCAD, participating in the inaugural SCAD AI Summit earlier this year, sharing her insights on the AI literacy expected from emerging designers and the exploration of AI's impact on the design world. She served as co-chair of the Fortune Brainstorm Design conference and has been recognized as one of the most influential designers by notable publications Fast Company and Ad Age.

For more information, visit scad.edu.

It happens. The amount of talent in an enclosed space creates a vibration so strong the building begins to levitate.
 
Luckily, the "Behind Her Lens: Directors" panel on Tuesday afternoon at SCAD Savannah Film Festival was grounded in experience and common sense. The Gutstein Gallery stuck to its moorings.
 
The participants included some of the most talented and influential directors working today: Marielle Heller (Nightbitch), Rachel Morrison (The Fire Inside), Erica Tremblay (Fancy Dance), Jordan Weiss (Sweethearts) and Kaila York (Discovering Love) were joined by moderator and film journalist Reshma Gopaldas. As the panel began, Gopaldas trumpeted its title: "‘Welcome to ‘Behind Her Lens'!" Pause. "Better that than ‘Under His Eye.'"
 
To kick things off, the panelists spoke of their paths to directing. Heller, whose directorial debut was 2015's Diary of a Teenage Girl, said: "I came to directing via acting. I was in my twenties, auditioning, and I was really frustrated with the roles for women, none of them felt three-dimensional and real to me. I knew I had to do more with my creativity, so I decided to write, and I adapted [Phoebe Gloeckner's book] into a play, then a movie. I became a director through making that first movie. Now I feel all my training as an actor and writer feeds my directing and is a real help."
 
Tremblay, whose directorial feature Fancy Dance debuted this year on Apple TV+, said: "My journey as a filmmaker and storyteller started growing up on a reservation in Oklahoma. I'm from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. I remember watching elders tell stories and I thought, wow, what is that power? I want to get people to physically lean in when I tell stories, so I was really inspired by growing up and by traditional stories."
 
Weiss discussed her route to helming Sweethearts, which will screen Thursday night at Trustees Theater: "I wrote this script with my best friend and had no intention to direct it. We were confident Jud Apatow was going to want to direct this movie. He didn't. My wonderful writing partner and agents and producers looked at me and said, ‘Are you sure you don't want to throw your hat in the ring for this?' I made a directing presentation, and now this is my directorial debut. The next time I have a chance to direct I will raise my hand right away."
 
Gopaldas asked the panelists how they each set a positive tone on the set. York, who has directed more than ten feature films including the new UPtv movie Discovering Love, said: "The tone gets set in the production meeting, that's the first time when you and your crew are all sitting around a table talking about how you're going to accomplish everything you're going to accomplish, and that tone carries over to the first day of filming. I always try to lead with kindness. I don't think you have to be a yeller or screamer to get things done fast or efficiently."
 
The Fire Inside's Morrison weighed in: "I've grown up working on films since I was a DP, and I can see what worked and what didn't and why. We give up so much to make films. You have to love who you're working with and create a family, supportive environment. Efficiency is importnant. Prep and know what you want and need. People really appreciate that, because then they get to go home to their families. Life is too short."
 
The hour-long panel also felt too short. Topics discussed included staying true to a vision, fundraising, and the continuing push for equality in the industry. The students in attendance buzzed in appreciation. The building felt like it was levitating.

'Lens' friends (l-r): Marielle Heller, Rachel Morrison, Kaila York, Erica Tremblay, Jordan Weiss, and Reshma Gopaldas.

Architectural historians use annual conferences as opportunities to showcase and see new research, scholarship, and analytical approaches, and to hone public speaking skills. These gatherings are also great opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the country, to learn about host cities through tours and presentations, and for students and recent graduates to network for internships and jobs.

A unique regional conference is the annual meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (known as "SESAH" and pronounced see-saw), which attracts architectural historians, historic preservationists, social historians, architects, and independent scholars. This year's meeting, held in Marietta, Georgia from October 2-5, saw SCAD's best-ever showing, with a total of nine presentations by faculty, students and alumni — the largest representation from any institution. Additionally, architectural history chair Robin Williams served as a panelist at the opening plenary panel discussion featuring representatives of the three major architecture programs in Georgia: SCAD, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University.

"I am proud of an exemplary presence by SCAD at this year's SESAH conference," said Dr. Williams. "Our students displayed the fruits of the School of Building Arts' ‘Peer Practice Session' conference presentation rehearsals, which provided valuable feedback from faculty, SCADamp coaches, and their peers. The results were elevated and impressive."

Graduate students Anna Jose (M.F.A., architectural history), Emi Higashiyama (M.F.A., architectural history), and Elizaveta Kavunets (M.A., art history) illustrated the breadth of interests with presentations on the overlooked works of American architect William Parsons in the Philippines, the lost and surviving opera houses in Georgia and their surprising multi-functionality, and the fantasy paper architecture drawings of Alexander Brodsky and Ilya Utkin in 1980s Russia, respectively. Architectural history undergraduate Hannah Dinning analyzed the emergence of playground spaces in the early 20th century and their role in shaping children. Architectural history professor Kelly Ritter discussed representations of slums in Shanghai in mid-20th-century popular media. Chair Williams presented on how Savannah's downtown urban plan shaped and tamed the impact of automobile infrastructure in the 20th century.

Three alumni also presented papers: Mike Walker (B.F.A. architectural history, 2016), Glen Umberger (M.F.A. architectural history, 2015), and Elizabeth Clappin (M.F.A. architectural history, 2016). Ruben Acosta (M.F.A. architectural history, 2010) completed his term on the SESAH Board of Directors as the Florida representative. Alumnae Alesha Cerny (M.A. architectural history, 2011) and Bethany Laskin (M.F.A. architectural history, 2024), and SCAD Atlanta architectural history professor Daniel Williamson also attended.

Each year SESAH awards a pair of travel grants to graduate students to support their participation in the conference. Among the eleven students applying, architectural history graduate student Emi Higashiyama received the highest score from the award committee, which selected her for the Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman Student Travel Grant.

"Receiving a travel grant frees me up from economic demands and allows me to forge connections that are so necessary for building a new career," Higashiyama said. "As a non-traditional international student, attending a conference with such a gregarious group of experts is the highlight of my time as a graduate student in architectural history. I can't wait till SESAH is in Savannah in 2026!"

Congratulations to everyone involved in a highly successful SESAH 2024, and special thanks to SCAD's Institutional Recognition office and SCAD's School of Building Arts for offering important support covering student travel costs. 

SCAD at SESAH 2024: Mike Walker; Professor Kelly Ritter; Emi Higashiyama; Anna Jose; Ruben Acosta; Hannah Dinning; Elizabeth Clappin; Bethany Laskin; Alesha Cerny; Glen Umberger; Chair Robin Williams; Professor Daniel Williamson. (Not pictured: Elizaveta Kavunets.)