SCAD is pleased to announce Bob Chavez, Executive Chairman of Hermès Americas, has been named the Executive in Residence at the university. Chavez assumes this executive advisory role immediately, as SCAD begins the 2024-2025 academic year.
 
In his new role, Chavez will travel to all three SCAD locations — Savannah, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia, and Lacoste, France — visiting classes, reviewing portfolios, critiquing student work, and offering mentorship to talented SCAD students. Chavez will also provide his unique vision and direction to the SCAD De Sole School of Business Innovation and the SCAD School of Fashion, furthering the university's recognition as the global leader for art, design, and innovation in higher education.

Chavez's presence emphasizes SCAD's curricular preeminence in disciplines including luxury and brand management, creative business leadership, design management, advertising and branding, service design, business of beauty and fragrance, fashion design, accessory design, jewelry design, and fashion marketing and management.
 
"Bob Chavez is a visionary leader in the international luxury space and a longtime champion of SCAD who will bring tremendous expertise and insights to the university's esteemed academic programs," said Chief Academic Officer Jason Fox. "We are honored to have Bob serve as Executive in Residence and engage deeply with talented SCAD students across an array of disciplines. He is committed to SCAD's mission to prepare students at an elite level for successful, creative professions."
 
Chavez is a longstanding executive at Hermes of Paris, Inc., since his appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hermes North America in 2000. Chavez oversees all business interests in the U.S. and Latin America and has overseen Hermes' remarkable growth and expansion in the Americas region, now with over 36 Hermes boutiques, and the hermes.com flagship website. Under Chavez's direction, the storied French house is considered the gold standard of global luxury.
 
"I am very excited to be a part of the SCAD Executive in Residence program," said Chavez. "Working with the faculty and exceptionally talented students at SCAD is a true honor, and I thank President Paula Wallace for this wonderful opportunity of engagement."
 
Chavez has been an enduring and guiding figure at SCAD for many years as a dear friend of the university and champion of SCAD students. In 2019, SCAD recognized his outstanding service and achievements by presenting Chavez with an Honorary Degree for Humane Letters. He has been recognized by numerous institutions and organizations, including March of Dimes, God's Love We Deliver, and Battery Park Conservancy Organization.
 
The De Sole School of Business Innovation at SCAD prepares the next generation of creative leaders to navigate the rapidly changing business landscape through in-depth industry knowledge, design thinking, research, and collaboration. The school's premier degree programs empower students to become forward-thinking subject-matter experts who will thrive in their future creative careers. The De Sole School of Business Innovation also offers first-of-its- kind degree programs including luxury brand management, and the pioneering Master of Business Innovation degree – the only graduate level degree of its kind in the United States. 
 

For more information about SCAD, please visit scad.edu.

Fill your most stylish tote with macarons as the film festival experience returns to Lacoste! SCAD brings movie magic back to the magnificent Luberon Valley with the third annual SCAD Lacoste Film Festival, this Thursday through Saturday, June 27–29, 2024.
 
"With an acclaimed lineup of artisans, actors, and auteurs in attendance, this year's SCAD Lacoste Film Festival promises to be our largest and most exciting edition yet," said SCAD Theaters and Festivals Executive Director Christina Routhier. "This medieval oasis, with its enchanting views of the Luberon Valley, is a fantastical backdrop for filmmakers and movie stars to share their experiences and insights with our students and the community."
 
This year's festival includes tributes to French film artisans and industry insights from honored guests directly relating to many of the university's top-ranked, preeminent degree programs, including acting, film and television, production design, and fashion.
 
Treasured films from France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, spanning several decades, will find new audiences at SCAD Lacoste's uniquely intimate outdoor stage and theater during the festival.
 
This year SCAD will honor four special guests from the film industry: Miranda Richardson, Janty Yates, Sam Taylor-Johnson, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Richardson, the legendary Golden Globe Award and BAFTA-winning British actor (Tom & Viv, Harry Potter, Damage, Kansas City) will be presented with the Étoile Award.
 
Academy Award-winning British costume designer Janty Yates (The Martian, House of Gucci, Napoleon) will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement in Costume Design Award. A frequent collaborator with director Ridley Scott, Yates won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for their first project together, 2001's Gladiator. Her most recent film is the highly anticipated sequel Gladiator II, scheduled to be released in theaters this November.
 
"I am so excited to attend this festival in beautiful Lacoste and engage with the students, many of whom will be future creatives in our industry, and I am very proud and honored to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from SCAD," Yates said.
 
Celebrated director, artist, and photographer Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, Nowhere Boy, A Million Little Pieces) will receive the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award during a special screening of her new film Back to Black, based on the life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, and starring Marisa Abela.

SCAD Lacoste Film Festival honoree, director Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Renowned French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Alien: Resurrection, Delicatessen), will receive the festival's Auteur Award on the closing night of the festival. Jeunet is best known for his 2001 Oscar-nominated international sensation Amélie, considered a classic across generations.
 
Other special guests include preeminent French production designer Anne Seibel (Midnight in Paris, Emily in Paris, Casanova) whose designs shine on the lauded new Apple TV+ show The New Look, chronicling the rise of fashion designer Christian Dior in post-World War II Paris. Also in attendance will be award-winning documentarian and director Lisa Immordino Vreeland (Truman & Tennessee, Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, Love, Cecil, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict).
 
The SCAD Lacoste Film Festival is presented by SCADFILM, the university's leading programmer of events for students and working professionals in animation, film and television, interactive design and game development, motion media design, immersive reality, and digital media arts. More than 150 SCAD students are taking classes this summer in Lacoste. A large majority of them are pursuing degrees within the university's School of Film and Acting.

"This festival is an intimate and carefully curated experience that allows European and international filmmakers to provide professional insights to our student filmmakers through master classes and insightful conversations," said Leigh Seaman, Senior Executive Director of Programming and SCADFILM. "Each year our students make connections that can help launch their careers in an inspiring and unforgettable setting."
 
See you there, mon pote!

Visit SCAD Lacoste!

The SCAD equestrian team won the 2024 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) Hunter Seat Team Championship on Sunday, May 5, capturing their fourth IHSA national title in school history. Nearly 500 collegiate athletes competed in the event, which took place at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina. 

SCAD sophomore Alex Alston earned two individual national titles, winning Champion in Dover Saddlery Individual Open Equitation Over Fences and Dover Saddlery Team Open Equitation on the Flat events. Alston also had the highest overall score as an Interscholastic Equestrian Association alumnus in the Over Fences event. Peter Cavagnac (B.F.A. advertising and branding) was named Champion in the Chronicle of the Horse Team Limit Equitation on the Flat event, while Kameron Riggs (B.F.A. performing arts) was named Champion in Team Introductory. 

"This is such a significant win for our team and equestrian program and for SCAD as the home of champions," said Head Coach Ashley Henry. “This season has been the culmination of so much hard work and passion. From the beginning, our SCAD equestrian team has focused on getting to Nationals and we are proud to bring this banner home once again." 

SCAD competed against some of the best collegiate equestrian teams in the country, defeating Sacred Heart University, Skidmore College, St. Lawrence University, Penn State University, and the University of Georgia to win the Hunter Seat Team Championship 

"I am incredibly proud of our SCAD equestrian team," said Director of Athletics Amanda Workman Haverstick. “Their success this season has been earned through dedication and outstanding leadership by Coach Henry and the equestrian staff, who have led the team, nurturing these true champions." 

SCAD individual rider results include:

• Alex Alston (Sophomore) - Champion Dover Saddlery Individual Open Equitation Over Fences, Champion Open Team Flat, Highest Overall Score Over Fences 
• Celia Cram (Junior) - USHJA High-Point Hunter Seat Rider, Presenting the Cacchione Cup, Reserve Champion, Reserve National Champion in the Dover Saddlery Individual Open Equitation Over Fences, 3rd Dover Saddlery Individual Open Equitation on the Flat, 3rd Dover Saddlery Team Open Equitation Over Fences 
•  Hattie Bradford (Sophomore) - 4th Horseware Ireland Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences, 4th Horseware Ireland Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat, 4th The Chronicle of the Horse Individual Limit Equitation Over Fences 
•  Peter Cavagnac (Freshman) - Champion The Chronicle of the Horse Team Limit Equitation on the Flat, 7th The Chronicle of the Horse Team Limit Equitation Over Fences 
•  Karma Redman (Junior) - 8th The Chronicle of the Horse Team Limit Equitation on the Flat 
•  Carly Vujakovich (Senior) - 9th Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat 
•  Lexie Stoebenau (Sophomore) - 3rd Team Novice Equitation on the Flat 
•  Kameron Riggs (Sophomore) - Champion Team Introductory Equitation 
•  Chloe Lakloufi (Senior) - 4th Individual Introductory Equitation 

In April, SCAD took home the top trophy at the IHSA Collegiate Cup Zone 5 Team Championship, opening the gate for the team to advance to Nationals. 

Throughout this record-breaking season, SCAD has dominated with four Team National Championship wins: Overall Tournament of Champions National Title, American National Riding Commission (ANRC) Novice Division National Title and Reserve, ANRC National Division National Title, and Reserve and IHSA Collegiate National Title. The Bees were also the Collegiate Cup Champions in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2024, and the Reserve Champion in 2018, 2019, and 2023, establishing an elite equestrian program unlike any other. The SCAD equestrian team has been led by head coach and SCAD alum, Ashley Henry, since 2005.   

For more information on SCAD athletics, visit savannah.scadathletics.com. 

The weather was sublime, the turnout tremendous, and the chalk art beyond compare. The 43rd edition of beloved Sidewalk Arts festival brought SCAD Family and Alumni Weekend to its colorful culmination on Saturday, April 27, 2024, for a beautiful day in Forsyth Park.
 
This year, as SCAD celebrates its 45th anniversary, Sidewalk Arts "Star Power" prizes were given to a student and an alumnus for the best chalk art that celebrates SCAD at 45. Sidewalk Arts prizes were also awarded for Best of Show, Best Student Individual, Student Group, Graduate Student, and Alumni chalk art.
 
And the winners are….

 
Best of Show: Isabella Kiely (B.F.A., illustration) and Chris Demassa (B.F.A., user experience design).
 

SCAD Star Power (students): Sophie Hill (B.F.A., illustration) and Morgen Votaw (B.F.A., illustration).
 

SCAD Star Power (alumni): Lexi Mangieri (B.F.A, illustration, 2012).
 

Best Student Individual: Caitlin O’Toole (B.F.A., illustration).
 

Best Student Group: Sam Doejaaren (B.F.A., film and television) and Cole Patnoad (B.F.A., illustration).
 

Best Graduate Student: Zihan Zhang (M.F.A., illustration) and Yuchan Yang (M.F.A., illustration) aka Happy Puppy Group.
 

Best Alumni: Will Penny (M.F.A., painting, 2013).
 

See the full gallery with the rest of the winners at Sidewalk Arts 2024!

Thanks for everyone who made the day a resounding success. See you next year!

Just Jacob is being seen.
 
On April 13, producer Abigail Dickinson (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) and writer/director Halle Losordo (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) won the Loreen Arbus Focus on Disability Scholarship Award at the Television Academy Foundation 43rd College Television Awards for their documentary short film Just Jacob.
 
Just Jacob follows Dickinson and Losordo's friend and fellow SCAD alumnus Jacob Thiele (B.F.A., interior design, 2023) who has a genetic disorder called Treacher-Collins Syndrome which affects the development of facial bones and tissues. The film shows Thiele's normal everyday life with his friends and family, along with his daily challenges. As recipient of the Loreen Arbus Award, the filmmakers have been honored for the student-produced project that best portrays disability issues and helps an emerging artist with a disability gain recognition.
 
The award ceremony, celebrating the best in student-produced television programs from colleges and universities nationwide, was held on Saturday, April 13, at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California. Dickinson, Lorsordo, and Thiele attended the ceremony along with their professor Sedika Mojadidi, chair of film and television D.W. Moffett, and chair of acting Mark Tymchyshyn. The film's editor Dahae Lee (B.F.A., film and television, 2023), director of photography Yuuki Shimizu (B.F.A., film and television, 2023), and sound designer Mark Otim (B.F.A., sound design, 2023) also attended.

Team Just Jacob (l-r): Mark Otim, Dahae Lee, Jacob Thiele, Abigail Dickinson, Halle Losordo, Yuuki Shimizu.

"To come to Los Angeles as a filmmaker, not just as a visitor, is surreal, exciting, and gratifying," said Dickinson. "This award reflects our many months and endless hours of hard work and shows that our film is doing what we hoped — Jacob's story is reaching people."
 
"Since I met Jacob in 2019, I have been inspired by his outlook on life and his determination to not let anything get in the way of his pursuits," Losordo said. "Our film is a reminder that life is more complex and more beautiful than outward appearances. I want to thank SCAD president and founder Paula Walllace and all my incredible professors for helping me make my dreams come true. They are always encouraging us to collaborate with students in other majors and tell important stories."
 
Just Jacob debuted at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival in October 2023 and won the Best Student Documentary Short category. Since graduating in May 2023, Dickinson and Lorsordo have been employed at Jupiter Entertainment. Dickinson is an associated producer for the television production company and Losordo is a production coordinator and social media manager. Thiele is an Event Design Manager at Interluxe Group in Bluffton, SC.
 
"This experience has been truly amazing, being able to share my story and raise awareness for people with disabilities and work towards breaking this glass ceiling around us," said Thiele. "I hope this film shows that people in similar situations can accomplish anything they put their minds to. Having this amazing team tell my story truly means a lot and I could not think of anybody better to do so."
 
Just Jacob is being entered into film festivals across the U.S. Follow the journey on Instagram.

SCAD excellence (l-r): Mojadidi, Moffett, Losordo, Thiele, Dickinson, Tymchyshyn.

(Photos: Danny Moloshok/Invision for The Television Academy/AP Images)

The SCAD men's and women's bowling teams both won the 2024 NAIA National Championship Titles on Saturday, March 23. The women's team took home their third consecutive national championship, and the men earned their first championship win in program history.

"The winning moments for both the men's and women's championships really were the culmination of a group of individuals coming together to achieve something bigger than themselves," said SCAD bowling head coach Katie Thornton. "Our teams embraced a ‘We Over Me' mentality that allowed their hard work on the lanes to shine and give them the chance to raise the trophy."

The 2024 tournaments took place at 5 Star Lanes in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with the three-day competition consisting of 24 Baker matches to determine seeding in double-elimination match play. The Baker format means the players all contribute to a single tally or scoreline, emphasizing the team nature of the competition.

"I am enormously proud of our men's and women's bowling teams," said SCAD Savannah Director of Athletics Amanda Workman Haverstick. "For the women to win their third consecutive NAIA National Championship is an amazing accomplishment and they did so in dominating fashion the entire week. The men's team persevered to win three matches on the final day, showing determination and grit to come away with the title. We are so fortunate to have head coach Katie Thornton and assistant coach Mike Conn leading our program."
 

The women's bowling team had a stellar performance with several players honored: First Team All-American Lara Kurt (B.F.A., UX design), and Second Team All-American notables Addy Nelson (M.F.A., design management) and Yumi Yuzuriha (B.F.A., film and television). Nelson was also named Tournament MVP.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) also announced the 2024 Daktronics NAIA Women's Bowling Scholar Athletes. SCAD Bees totaled three honorees including Grace Bringham (B.F.A., interior design), Raina Davis (B.F.A., interior design), and Yumi Yuzuriha (B.F.A., film and television). SCAD also swept the Southern States Athletic Conference individual awards, with SSAC Mike Conn (SCAD bowling assistant coach) being named Coach of the Year and Lara Kurt being named Player of the Year.

The men's team fought hard for the championship title and continued to set records with players Julian Salinas (B.F.A., UX design) and Tyrell Ingalls (B.F.A., sound design) being named to the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team, and Ingalls being named the Tournament MVP. The NAIA also shared the 2024 Daktronics NAIA Men's Bowling Scholar Athletes which included five SCAD bee honorees: Diego Aguilar (B.F.A., sound design), Camdyn Drexel (B.F.A., film and television), Julian Salinas (B.F.A., UX design), Leoj Chin (B.F.A., UX design) and Connor Bishop (B.F.A., social strategy and management). 

"This accomplishment is so meaningful to SCAD students, alumni, parents, and supporters and would not be possible without the administration and staff we have in Savannah," said Coach Thornton.

The 2024 national championships mark the latest accomplishments for the program under Thornton, who started at SCAD as the first head coach during SCAD Bowling's inaugural season in 2015. Thornton, the 2013 NAIA Collegiate Player of the Year, and holder of an M.B.A. in international business, was named NAIA men's bowling Coach of Year in 2018 and 2022, as well as the 2022 NCBCA Men's Coach of the Year, becoming the first woman in history to do so. With the program's emphasis on positive, familial culture grounded in support and care, SCAD Bowling has become a national powerhouse.

Next up, the SCAD Bowling teams will compete at the Intercollegiate Team Championships, April 17-20 in Jeffersontown, Kentucky. 

For more information on SCAD athletics, visit savannah.scadathletics.com.

Championship images credit: Mariusz Nowak Photography

SCAD has a decades-long legacy of contributing to the most prestigious cinematic awards in the world. This year, SCAD is proud to announce the contributions of 158 alumni and current students who have contributed their talents to films nominated for the 96th Academy Awards®. The Awards will be televised live on Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 7 pm.

These talented artists and filmmakers contributed to a total of 17 films receiving nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including six Best Picture nominees and three Best Animated Film nominees including global blockbusters Barbie, Oppenheimer, Elemental, and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, nominated for Best Visual Effects, includes 39 SCAD alumni credits.

The SCAD Casting Office helped to place over 50 alumni, students, and faculty in front of and behind the camera on director Todd Haynes' film May December, which was filmed in Savannah and is nominated for best original screenplay. SCAD faculty worked directly with the film production of May December to structure two SCAD classes — a production design class and film and television class — which convened on set.

SCAD alumni and students who worked on these Oscar-nominated films represent a variety of top-ranked degree programs, including animation, visual effects, film and television, production design, sound design, acting, casting, dramatic writing, sequential art, illustration, architecture, interactive design and game development, fashion, painting, photography, and furniture design. For more than 40 of the alumni, this is not the first time they have contributed to an Oscar-nominated film.
SCAD's School of Film and Acting and the School of Animation and Motion have launched thousands of alumni into the movie industry, with resources that rival Hollywood studios, Oscar award-winning professors, stunning locations including an 11-acre backlot and two LED volumes, two professionally run casting offices, and stellar film and television festivals.

"I am extraordinarily proud of our alumni, faculty and current students who contribute everyday to the professional filmmaking landscape," said Andra Reeve-Rabb, the dean of the School of Film and Acting. "Having over 150 of our SCAD bees working on Oscar worthy films is a WOW moment, and it's not surprising. It's what we do at SCAD. We have countless full circle moments that begin with a student in a master class during our film festival engaging with an award-winning actor or director and then fast forward a few years and now that alumni is working side by side with those same industry professionals making the best films of the year."

The SCAD Savannah Film Festival has established itself as a distinguished stop on the road to the Academy Awards. Since its inception in 1997, the festival has screened more than 175 Oscar-nominated films and honored more than 125 legendary actors, directors, producers, writers, and filmmakers.

SCAD alumni also worked on three of the five films nominated for best animated feature: Elemental, Nimona and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. All three films were featured at the SCAD AnimationFest in Atlanta and Savannah Film Festival in 2023, with students benefiting from the career advice from Oscar-nominated industry professionals.

Congratulations to the students and alumni who contributed to this year's Oscar-nominated films:

Breanna Adams (B.F.A., film and television, 2014)  Elemental
Shelby Albright (B.F.A., animation, 2018)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Madison Aldrich (B.F.A., film and television, 2019)  May December
Ashleigh Michele Allen (B.F.A., film and television, 2021) May December
Rami AlRamahi (B.F.A., computer art, 2005)   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Daniela Alvarez (B.F.A., productions design, 2023)  May December
Vivian Amaro (B.F.A., visual effects, 2023)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Nina Areyan (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)   May December
Jurasama Arunchai (M.F.A., production design, 2010)  Maestro
William Atkin (B.F.A., computer art, 2003)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Collin Banko (B.F.A., visual effects 2014)   The Creator
Vincent Bates (M.Arch, architecture, 2013)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Alireza Bidar (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017)   Elemental
Austin Bonang (B.F.A., computer art, 2005)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mikayla Brander (B.F.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Courtney Brewer (B.F.A., animation, 2020)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Donald Brooks Jr. (B.F.A., animation, 2020)   Elemental
David Butler (B.F.A., fashion, 1997)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Stefania Cancemi (M.F.A., visual effects, 2016)   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Rebecca Carfagna (M.A., arts administration, 2015)  May December
Shannon Carlson (B.F.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Bailey Chafin (B.F.A., film and television, 2022)  May December
Yinghao Chai (M.F.A., visual effects, 2017)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Anthony Chappina (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Mignon Charvet (B.F.A., fashion, 2009)    May December
Ian Chase (B.F.A., sound design, 2017)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Yuna Chen (M.A., visual effects, 2019)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Diana Chu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019)   The Creator
Bijay Chudal (B.F.A., animation, 2020)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Alexis Coleman (M.F.A., film and television, 2022)  May December
Chelsea Rose Collins (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) May December
Marissa Coppola (B.F.A., themed entertainment design, 2023) May December
Ryan Coster (B.F.A., animation, 2011)    Elemental
Jackson Cropper (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)  Killers of the Flower Moon
Courtney Dees  (B.F.A., production design, 2018)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Nick DeMaioribus (B.F.A., animation, 2019)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Samantha Doyle (M.F.A., sound design, 2019)   Past Lives
Nicholas Dubois (B.A., animation, 2005)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Kaitlin Duchene (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Colleen Durham (B.F.A., animation, 2018)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Sonali Dutta (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019)   Nimona
Ricky Elizondo (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013)   May December
Duarte Elvas (B.F.A., film and television, 2003)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Zafer Ercevik (M.F.A., film and television, 2008)  Napoleon
Carlos Escobosa (B.A., film and television, 2021)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Andrea Falsone (B.F.A., animation, 2019)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Sean Feeley (B.A., visual effects, 2006)   Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Alvin Trent Fortune (B.A., animation, 2018)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Philip Fraschetti  (B.F.A., computer art, 2005; /M.F.A., visual effects, 2007) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Yin Fu (M.F.A., animation, 2019)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Nitin Garg (M.A., visual effects, 2016)    The Creator
Bianca Gee (B.F.A., animation, 2012)    Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Beppy Gietema (B.F.A., film and television, 2019)  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Gabe Gilden (B.F.A., film and television, 2014)   The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Emma Gillian (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)  May December
Zachary Goodson (B.F.A., animation, 2010)   Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Nicholas Grozier (B.F.A., film and television, 2021)  Maestro
Eryn Gruttadauria (B.F.A., film and television, 2020)  American Fiction
Jared Gunter (B.F.A., film and television, 2020)  May December
Christian Haberkern (B.F.A., broadcast design and motion graphics, 2008) The Creator
Lindsay Hamilton (B.F.A., fashion, 2013)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Christian G. Hawkins (B.F.A., film and television, 2013) May December
Taylor Hasting (B.F.A., visual effects, 2014)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Alyssa Hibben (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)  May December
Val Higgens (B.F.A., film and televisions, 2023)  May December
Alan Hodges (B.F.A., visual effects, 2001)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Chase Hogan (M.A., animation, 2018)    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Lauren Hughes (B.A., film and television, 2023)   May December
Fatou Jackson (B.F.A., performing arts, 2022)   May December
Aidan Skye Jameson (B.F.A., production design)   May December
Matt Jamoom (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021)   Napoleon
Niah Johnson (B.F.A., photography)    May December
Bess Johnson (B.F.A., film and television, 2011)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Darnell Johnson (B.F.A., sequential art, 2010)   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Reagan Johnson (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)  May December
Brandon Lee Karcher (B.F.A., animation, 2018)   Napoleon
Walker Kennedy (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017)   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Jeannine Kernisan (B.F.A., animation, 2015)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
David Kersey (B.A., computer animation, 2000)   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Kelsey Kirpich (M.F.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Lubomir Kocka (B.F.A., film and television, 2012; M.F.A, visual effects, 2017) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Nathan Koga (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009)  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Jason Koh (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016)  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Harrison Kracht (B.F.A., film and television, 2021) May December
Ryan Lang (M.A., visual effects, 2010)   Nimona
Jasper Laur (B.F.A., photography, 2023)   May December
Colin Lechner (M.F.A., sound design, 2014)  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Eric Leidenroth (B.F.A., computer animation, 1998) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Frederick LeMaster (B.F.A., animation, 2005)  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Yesenia Lomeli (B.F.A., production design, 2022) May December
Alison Looney (M.F.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Landon Lott (B.F.A., film and television, 2010)  Killers of the Flower Moon
Rosana Lucia (B.F.A., film and television, 2019)  May December
Kerrin Major (M.A., luxury and fashion management, 2013) Oppenheimer
Paul Martinez (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008)  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Brenden Mascherino (B.F.A., film and television, 2024) May December
James Masino (B.F.A., animation, 2019)   The Holdovers
Ian Matta (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017)  Napoleon
Carly Maurer (B.F.A., film and television, 2018) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Gray McDonald (B.F.A., film and television, 2022) May December
Aaron McGriff (B.F.A., animation, 2005)   Elemental
Jack McMillan (B.F.A., writing, 2022)   May December
Gabrielle McMullan (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Connor Meccay (B.F.A., fim and television, 2021) May December
Julia Moran (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)  May December
Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Silswarup Patel (M.A., visual effects, 2022)  Barbie
Anthony Peznola (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) May December
Mikaela Pfeifer (B.F.A., animation, 2017)  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Brittany Piacente (B.F.A., animation, 2012)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Thitaphon Piraban (M.A., visual effects, 2022)  Barbie
Boyce Powell (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2017)  May December
Leah Ralph (B.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Sasha Rangel (B.F.A., film and television, 2021) May December
Clint Rea (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016)  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Stephanie Reiken (M.F.A., production design, 2023) May December
Caleb Rice (M.F.A., film and television)  May December
Nicola Rinciari (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Thomas Rodgers (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) May December
Gal Roiter (B.F.A., animation, 2006)   Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 
Ashutosh Rokade (M.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Jiacan Ruan (B.F.A., animation, 2021)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Joey Rudzinskas (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) May December
Davies Rushing (B.F.A., animation, 2019)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Colleen Ryan (B.F.A., film and television, 2024) May December
Valentina Sanchez (B.F.A., film and television, 2023) May December
Hope Schroers (B.F.A., visual effects, 2021)  Elemental
Kevin Sears (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007)  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Ryan Setzer (B.F.A., film and television, 2023)  May December
Nic Sievers (M.F.A., visual effects, 2005)  The Creator
Caitley Symons (M.A., fibers, 2023)   Killers of the Flower Moon
Michael Tanzillo (M.F.A., visual effects, 2008)  Nimona
Sommersill Tarabek (M.F.A., film and television, 2017) Nimona
Tennyson Thompson (B.A., film and television, 2018) May December
Terner Thompson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018)  Barbie
Becki Tower (M.F.A., animation, 2008)   Elemental
Kenzie Uhr (B.F.A., film and television, 2022)  Killers of the Flower Moon
Rachel Ussery (B.F.A., film and television, 2020) May December
Maia Vota (B.F.A., film and television, 2024)  May December
Ella Ward (B.F.A., sequential art, 2018)  Barbie
Douglas Westurn (B.F.A., film and television, 2019) May December
Kylie Wijsmuller (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017)  Elemental
Alasdair Willson (B.F.A., broadcast design and motion graphics, 2008) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Jillian Wilson (B.F.A., film and television, 2022) May December
Kyle Winkelman (B.F.A., computer art, 2003)  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny; Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Solomon Ching Yu Wong (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Kiersten Yahn (B.F.A., visual effects, 2020)  Barbie
Bryan Yentz (B.F.A., film and television, 2010)  Elemental; Oppenheimer; The Creator
Matt Yocum (B.F.A., sound design, 2015)   American Fiction
Claire Yu (B.A., production design, 2023)  May December
Sophia Yu (B.F.A., animation, 2015)   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

If any names are missing from this list, please email [email protected] and they will be added. 

With SCAD deFINE ART 2024 in full flower, it is time to gather At the Edge of Superhumanity. On Wednesday, February 28, artist Cao Fei joins art historian and curator RoseLee Goldberg for the SCAD deFINE ART 2024 keynote conversation at 5 p.m. in Trustees Theater.

Cao Fei is internationally regarded as one of the most influential and innovative Chinese artists of her generation. Known for her compelling storytelling, the SCAD deFINE ART 2024 honoree works across a variety of mediums from live-action films to the Metaverse, and genres from documentary to science fiction. Her groundbreaking work explores the impact of social and cultural change on people, particularly citizens of China, and their lived realities and dreams.

The keynote conversation is in connection with the artist's solo exhibition At the Edge of Superhumanity at the SCAD Museum of Art, an immersive mixed-reality installation that blurs distinctions between the terrestrial and the cyber, the familiar and the futuristic. Reflecting on highlights of Cao Fei's career, the conversation will contextualize the works on view, including the artist's approach to unearthing the past, engaging with the present, and imagining the future.

Cao Fei (b. 1978, Guangzhou, China; lives and works in Beijing) has presented solo exhibitions at venues including MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome; UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; Serpentine Galleries, London; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong; K21 Düsseldorf, Germany; MoMA PS1, New York; Secession, Vienna; Bonnefanten, Maastricht, the Netherlands; and Tate Modern, London. Her work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions and major biennials and triennials worldwide. In 2021, she was awarded the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.

A world-renowned art historian, critic, and curator, RoseLee Goldberg is the founding director and chief curator of Performa. Launched in 2004 to create a highly visible public platform for contemporary art and performance, Performa has changed public and academic perceptions of performance art with its exciting citywide biennial, groundbreaking commissions, publications, and original arts broadcasting platform. Performa has inspired the establishment of performance departments in cultural institutions around the world. 

In celebration of the university's 45th anniversary, SCAD will also present alum Lavar Munroe (B.F.A., illustration, 2007) with the SCAD45 award, honoring his prolific interdisciplinary practice and rising acclaim.

Please join us for a memorable and momentous conversation on this especially deFINE occasion!

Cao Fei

Banner image: Cao Fei, "MatryoshkaVerse," 2022, double-channel HD video, 16:4.5, color, with sound, 37 min., 38 sec. Courtesy of Sprüth Magers and Vitamin Creative Space. © Cao Fei, 2023.

"If I wasn’t certain that it would make me unemployable, I would definitely only design in green," wrote Aarushi Menon during her junior year at SCAD in 2022. Reminded of that claim now, the freelance designer at mighty book publisher Penguin Random House cracks up, pointing to her recent "divorce" from the color that once dominated her work.

In shocking pinks and riotous reds, Menon’s iterative designs for the forthcoming Elizabeth Agyemang novel Heart-Shaped Lies (Delacorte Press, 2024) demonstrate her commitment to excellence across the chromatic spectrum. Such diversity was inevitable in Menon’s daily operation.

Unsued design outtake for a book by Penguin Random House author Elizabeth Agyemang. 

"I’m designing all day on InDesign and Photoshop while everyone else does the hard work of production coordinating," Aarushi says with affection for her PRH colleagues. "When I’m doing book cover designs and I’m not able to figure something out, I’ll still throw green on it and then I’m like, Okay, now I can see where things are supposed to be!" 

Less than twelve months after graduating from SCAD, Menon (B.F.A., graphic design, 2023) has received the IDA Emerging Graphic Designer of the Year Award. She has also gotten nods from World Brand Design Society, Young Ones TDC, and GDUSA. As the trophies and books begin to compete for space on her mantlepiece, she looks back at where she was just a few years ago.

"I found out about SCAD from a visiting recruiter while I was a secondary student at Garden International School in Kuala Lumpur," she says. "I came to Savannah to study illustration because I wanted to draw children’s books." That trajectory changed when she learned about photography and typography as graphic design elements. "The variety helped keep me motivated, and I switched majors."

Professor Stuart Fano taught Menon in major curriculum course Production for Print and Digital Environments (GRDS 358). "Aarushi brought a keen problem-solving intelligence and attention to detail to each of her projects," he says. "She displayed a passionate curiosity that resulted in excellent work that raised the standard in the whole class. I’m so pleased to see she is already having a positive impact and meeting with success in such a distinguished industry."

Menon remembers "loving the analog feeling" of bookmaking in Fano’s class. Tactility inspired her Unsplash and Texturelabs-assisted "365-Day Poster Design Challenge" project, which impressed her senior designers at Penguin Random House. It helped that her portfolio included speculative covers for Colin Dickey books including Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places (Viking, 2016) that she developed while taking Typography II: Information and Media (GRDS 353) with graphic design professor Michael Whitney.

"Aarushi was an exceptional student," says professor Whitney. "Her use of type is at a very high level, as is her ability to prototype physical mockups of project finals. She now volunteers to speak to my Portfolio groups via Zoom, and is inspirational to them." 

A commitment to coaching and guidance dates to Menon's time at SCAD as a peer tutor at the Jen Library's drop-in resource center. "Being an international student myself helped me better understand the challenges of written communication for students who might not speak English as their first language," says the native of India.

That dedication to effective communication manifests in her professional process, and the fact that designing a book cover starts with the manuscript. "You read, you take notes, you highlight quotes that are visually evocative, and then you get to the sketching phase," Menon explains. "Sometimes sketching is not taking out a pen and paper and drawing, it’s sewing and pasting, or gathering images onto a Photoshop board and experimenting."

Aarushi started at Penguin Random House in 2023 executing mechanicals ("you pick up a front cover from another designer and do the spine and the back cover") for imprints including Hogarth and Del Rey, understanding the art direction ecosystem, and gradually receiving more cover assignments.

"I’ve learned a lot about the processes that go into making a book cover from [senior designer] Cassie Gonzales and other amazing designers at PRH. There is a significant amount of practical reasoning that has to do with genre and content that decides the aesthetic before you even start on a cover. You’re conveying something about not only a specific moment or event that’s described in the book, but about the overall messaging that the author is trying to impart."

Menon’s excellence may help explain why, as she says, "The desire for physical books has had such a resurgence in my generation."

Connect with Aarushi Menon!

Eunseo "Bella" So (M.F.A., sound design, 2023) is making a racket intentionally. The Foley artist, mixer and editor has been named a finalist for the Student Recognition Award by the Cinema Audio Society (CAS). On March 2, she will attend the 60th CAS Awards in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton, where the winner will receive a check for $5000. Her nuanced noises are getting noticed.

"Foley is a very cool and creative job, and it means being part of a sound design team that collaborates with other artists in the filmmaking process," So says. Currently based in Fort Lee, New Jersey, she works at C5 Sound, one of the top Foley studios in the industry.

Bella first found her way to sound design while a film major at Yong-In University in Yongin, South Korea. She began learning the unique discipline of Foley, creating original sounds to sync with moving images as a hands-on process, often utilizing odd props.

After graduating from Yong-In, she began working as a Foley mixer in Korea and "felt I was hitting a wall. I desired more knowledge. I wanted to become a master's student at the best university in America, to advance my career. Yet I could only speak English a little bit, so I was hesitant."

Her colleague Hyoenzi "Alex" Wang (B.F.A., sound design, 2022) suggested SCAD, for both its superior sound design program and the support services SCAD offers international students.

"Before I came to SCAD, I'd never gone to another country," So says. Taking ESL classes at SCAD, focusing on speaking, essay-writing, and presentation, Bella found her English improving quickly. "I met a lot of international students with different backgrounds from different countries. It really relieved my concern."

An emboldened So continued to demonstrate her Foley skills in Hamilton Hall. Soon sound design professor Jamie Baker invited her to become her teaching assistant for the course Foley Production Techniques (SNDS 322).

"Bella was a natural mentor to the students, sharing her tips and techniques on both sides of the glass in the studio," Baker says. "She is a versatile, enthusiastic, and creative sound mixer who collaborates well with the entire post sound crew as she exhibits her impressive technical chops. I am extremely proud of her nomination for the esteemed Cinema Audio Society Student Recognition Award. She is an amazing candidate."

For the Cinema Audio Society award, Bella submitted a reel of her noteworthy Foley work including live action, animation, and video game projects. This includes Pirate Lesson, an animated short film directed by Sofia Azpe (B.F.A., animation, 2021). Mixed in stereo/5.1 surround sound, the rollicking high seas adventure follows a father showing his son how to drive the ship...right into battle. "I really enjoyed working on Pirate Lesson, and I tried to deliver the characters' actions and emotions to feel as fun as possible, rather than obsessing about realism," So says. "I've learned a lot about how Foley is different in animation than for live action."

As she prepares to travel to California for the Cinema Audio Society Awards, Bella reflects on what her journey represents for herself and others. "I want other people to see what is possible. You can do this as a woman, as an Asian, and as someone with a master's degree from SCAD."

Connect with Eunseo "Bella" So.