"My style is taking unexpected materials and transforming them," says Caroline Mae Heidenreich (B.F.A., fashion, 2009) as she tugs at the ripstop nylon wrap worn by student model Shiloh Smith (B.F.A., painting). Soon Smith is zipping on a moped down the corridors of Alexander Hall, gauzy garment billowing behind him to fabulous effect. The moment is part of a photo shoot documenting Mae's collection-in-progress FLY, the culmination of her work as SCAD Alumni Atelier Ambassador 2021. "Mae fills the room with light," says Smith. "As soon as she put me in the clothes, I felt uplifted."

While a SCAD undergraduate, Mae created a senior collection of gowns made from military parachutes, mosquito netting, and hand-painted canvas that earned her the Jeffrey Fashion Cares New Talent Award. From 2013-2021, she worked as creative and executive assistant for Madonna, creating costumes for the Madame X Tour. When Madonna posted a video of her son David Banda wearing a Mae Couture dress to Instagram earlier this year, it scored two million views. "Madonna is an idol of our lifetime who believed in me and helped me believe in myself," Mae says.

Mae is carrying that spirit forward. As a 2021 SCAD Alumni Atelier ambassador, she has mentored students, led virtual classroom workshops, and aligned with SCAD SERVE so that sales of her work will benefit the local community. During the new academic year, Mae's capsule collection will be exhibited at SCAD FASH in Atlanta, while her epic oil paintings — emphasizing themes of higher consciousness and "the self as light energy" — will be featured in Savannah at Alexander Hall.

SCAD students Shiloh Smith and Emma Calverley model Mae, with assitance by Beckham Lin (far left) and Ann-Hammond Gift (far right).

Caroline Mae Heidenreich:

I'd always wanted to be an Alumni Atelier ambassador, but working full-time meant my schedule didn't allow it. I stayed in touch with President Wallace, sending her updates about my work, and she connected me with Alumni Atelier director Tiffani Taylor. Then there was an opportunity for me to become one of the first digital Alumni Atelier ambassadors during winter quarter 2020-2021. Now I'm here in Savannah, completing my work in person. I had so many transformational experiences as a student at SCAD that being back in Savannah, a place where I learned so much, feels so right.

The ability to connect with students and classrooms virtually was eye-opening. I began mentoring a student who is now one of my assistants, Ann-Hammond Gift. Ann-Hammond was a fashion major who switched to a painting major, and I was a fashion major who now paints on garments, and I love the energy that's come from that connection, and from working with talented, hardworking students, including Beckham Lin (B.F.A., fashion) who has also been an invaluable assistant to me.

For my Atelier, I found a massive, 66-foot parachute and realized, I can paint on this, this can be my canvas. Some of the garments are silk. The aim with the reversible pieces is for them to be black and white on one side and really colorful on the reverse. The language you see on the garments, like the word FLY, is about spreading your wings. That's symbolic in Andean shamanism, where you travel above the tree tops and truly see from a higher perspective. I paint it and flip it, so the mantras face the body. The repetition of the word LIGHT means the collection recognizes my light within myself and the light within others.

I love the feeling of one-of-a-kind work. Big corporate designers are what everybody is trained to think fashion is. As an artist, I want to make things that can't be mass produced. Even when we make a pattern and cut it out a hundred different ways, it's never going to be the same. Let art be art.

SHOP MAE COUTURE

Zoélie, a game created by SCAD students, has been awarded 1st Place in the Best Gameplay category at the Intel University Game Showcase 2021. From among 20 leading university-level game development programs, SCAD eclipsed the other finalists to win the competition's top award. The national competition was livecast on the Intel Twitch channel during Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2021.

"I'm incredibly proud of this win by SCAD and Zoélie," said SuAnne Fu, SCAD chair of interactive design and game development. "It represents our leading position as the preeminent destination for students working towards creative careers in the gaming industry."

Zoélie is an action puzzle platformer that tells the story of a young girl exploring her town of La Colina with her imagination-powered quilt, Sueño. The coming-of-age tale follows her fantastical journey as she confronting life changes through her imagination.

This game was created in collaboration by SCAD students in the interactive design and game development, animation, visual effects, and sound design programs. Zoélie was featured in the panel "The Making of Zoélie" at SCAD Gaming Fest 2021.

After studying the local customs and mythology, the student development team chose South America as the game's setting, specifically Buenos Aires Province. Emphasizing the cultural importance of the bond between siblings, Zoélie's sister Sofia is a key character.

More than half of Zoélie's production was created remotely during the pandemic. By March 2020, Zoélie was already running on Perforce, with a dedicated Discord server host communications about the project. SCAD students continued to work as a team across different national and international time zones. Scrum meetings were held daily; the whole team met at least twice a week.  

"Zoélie is one of the biggest projects that we've created," said Su Anne Fu. "Its creation involved dozens of students from a wide array of different degree programs in a workflow environment of real-time development. As a game, Zoélie is absolutely gorgeous, and it's a great to play, as recognized by this Intel award. I'm full of admiration for what our students accomplished under the guidance of our faculty leads, professors Jack Mamais and Cyril Guichard. It's wonderful that Intel has recognized their work."

Congratulations to the Zoélie team!

Lead Gameplay Designer:
Ben Brook

Lead Systems Designer:
John Washington

Lead Narrative Designer:
Phillip Corrado

Narrative Designer:
Nathaniel J.L. Cartwright

Lead Programmers:
Vincent Aliquo
Gabriel Tobias

Character Programmer:
Kuan Xue

AI Programmer:
Oscar Painvin

Lead Concept Artists:
Julia Nguyen
Sammy Suen

Concept Artists:
Sanda Gavriliuc
Brice Morgan
Holly Owens
Zach St. Amand

Lead Character Artist:
Mackenzie Blackgoat

Character Artists:
Michael Mauro
Taan Tuchinda
Anushay Qureshi

Lead Environment Artist:
Nick Levene

Environment Artists:
Rodney Burton
Dixon Dubow
Kellan Dwyer
Bernardo Gullo
Tyler Klimek
Mercedes Khumnark
Santiago Medrano
Stephanie Owens
Mike Relleva
Gianna Rockwell
Courtney Vogel
Amanda Wood

Lead Animation and Rigging:
Tiffanni Blevins

Lead VFX Artist:
Zachary Taylor

Technical Artists:
Rachel Howard
Maxwell Mecimore

UX:
Julia Myers
Megan Tkac

Sound Supervisor:
Franco Tamasco

Sound Designers:
Cal Eidson
Collin Peck

Voice Cast:
Kelly Washington - Zoé/Sophia
Nathaniel J. L. Cartwright - Chonkers
Haden Ezekiel Felix - Patty
Phillip Corrado - Fernando

Meet Zoélie!

​

Petra Richterová is ready to rumba.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem has named SCAD professor of art history Dr. Petra Richterová as one of 12 exceptionally talented Scholars-in-Residence in its 2021-2022 cohort. This fellowship will facilitate the completion of Dr. Richterová's scholarly book project "Rumba: A Philosophy of Motion," illustrated with over 100 original photographs taken by the author in Cuba and the U.S. from 2001 until today. She will begin her six-month residency at the Schomburg Center in September of this year, before returning to teach at SCAD in 2022.

"My book project explores Cuban rumba, a unique Afro-Cuban dance and music complex that represents the foundation of contemporary Cuban popular culture," says Richterová, who holds her doctorate in the history of art from Yale, where she studied under renowned Afrocentric historian Robert Farris Thompson. "As a Schomburg Fellow, I'll research parallel performance and visual art traditions in north, west, and central Africa. I'll study the Schomburg holdings, and look at historical and theoretical considerations and the latest scholarship in the field and really dig in."

As a Scholars-in-Residence Fellow, Richterová will have access to the research collections and resources of the Schomburg Center, the preeminent repository for materials related to the history and cultures of peoples of African descent. "As the Schomburg moves prudently toward reopening its full range of resources and programs to the public, we are thrilled to welcome this new class of Fellows," said Brent Hayes Edwards, Director of the Scholars-in-Residence program.

"The work I'm doing is interdisciplinary and deals with many different cultures," Richterová explains. "I'm examining the African roots of the rumba complex from the perspective of dance. My research will focus on Afro-Cuban ethnomusicology, gesture in African art, and traditional African dance. The project is anchored in my Spanish fluency and twenty years of fieldwork in Cuba, including three full years of living in Havana. I am also proficient in French, which will be essential to reading Francophone literature on African dance and art. Specifically, I'll be looking at Sahara’s Imazighen [Berber] peoples, Nigeria’s Yoruba [Lucumí], Efik/Efut [Carabalí], Dahomey [Arará], Kongo civilizations, Mali’s Mande populations as well as the Banta of Liberia and Sierra Leone [collectively known as Gangá in Cuba]."

A widely published Africanist whose classes at SCAD, highly popular among students, include Art and Spirituality (ARTH 342) and Dancing the Diaspora: Critical Approaches to African and Afro-Atlantic Art (ARTH 796), Richterová is also an acclaimed director, cinematographer, and photographer. As a Scholars-in-Residence Fellow, Richterová will receive a stipend and the use of a private office at the Scholars Center at the Schomburg Center in Harlem.

She views the work that will be facilitated by her Schomburg Fellowship as wide-ranging. "Digitization of research tools has made it possible to create an ultimate product from the project, with various interfaces, and I'm hoping after I complete my book to make a documentary," she says.

Black-and-white photo (above) by Jose Sandoval, taken in Havana, shows Dr. Petra Richterová with one of Cuba's greatest rumba dancers, Bárbaro Ramos Aldazábal, principal dancer of the legendary rumba ensemble, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas.

Banner (color) photo of Dr. Petra Richterová by Sarah Escarraz.

SCAD is pleased to announce the launch of a digital art exhibition showcasing the legacy of Savannah painter, educator, museum founder, and civil rights activist Virginia Jackson Kiah, Ph.D. "'Live Your Vision: An Online Exhibition" is on view now at the SCAD Museum of Art website.

"Live Your Vision" brings together a wide range of Kiah's figurative works, from casual self-portraits to regal military portrayals to life drawings. Using an array of media — oil, watercolor, and graphite on supports including canvas, Masonite, and paper — Kiah captured the essence of family, friends, celebrities, and strangers alike. Individually, these portraits are acts of attention, focus, and dignity. Taken as a whole, the exhibition reflects Kiah's deep belief in humanity and the vital role of inspiration and creativity in re-envisioning our future.

"Virginia Jackson Kiah believed in the power of creativity, imagination, and dreaming to change the world," says SCAD MOA curator DJ Hellerman. "Her artwork is an important record of what she cared about and paid attention to. Her collection of portraits shows deep engagement with her community and her skill as a portrait painter.  Dr. Kiah donated her collection to SCAD so that future generations could be inspired to 'live their vision.' This online exhibition is intended to offer anyone who can access our website an opportunity to do the same."

Born in 1911, Kiah grew up in Baltimore, and spent her formative years working alongside her parents at voter registration drives and other community-based, political activation events. Kiah was a trained portrait painter and arts educator, but as a young artist she was prohibited from entering museums and exhibiting her work solely because of exclusionary and racist practices. Committed to creating spaces of open access, she opened the Kiah Museum as a "museum for the masses" in 1959, just eight years after moving to Savannah.

Kiah had a close, decades-long relationship with SCAD and cared deeply about creating a positive and accepting environment for students to learn and create. In 1986, SCAD awarded her an honorary doctorate of humanities. A year later, she was appointed to the SCAD Board of Trustees where she would serve until 1997. Interested in fostering young artists' work, Kiah created the Kiah Painting Endowed Scholarship, which is still active today.

In 1993, honoring Kiah's lifelong dedication to creating equity in the arts and support for emerging artists, SCAD renamed a prominent SCAD Museum of Art building in her honor. That same year, Kiah donated a selection of her paintings and drawings to the museum. In her donation letter, she explained, "It is my desire that the Kiah collection serve as an inspiration to future artists so that they, too, may live their vision."

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Virginia Jackson Kiah, Ph.D. (b. June 3, 1911 - d. Dec. 28, 2001) was an artist, educator, civil rights activist, museum founder, philanthropist, and nationally acclaimed portrait painter. She studied portraiture at the Philadelphia Museum School of Art and, in 1931, she graduated with honors. Kiah continued her studies at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Art Students League of New York. In 1950 she received her master's degree from Columbia University. Her work was exhibited at the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Baltimore Women's Civic League; the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh; the first National Council of Negro Women's Conference; the Eggleston Galleries, New York; and the SCAD Museum of Art.

"Curious, passionate and hard-working, Changran Du is the ideal SCAD graduate student," says professor Melissa Kuperminc, Du's thesis chair. "Her empathetic spirit is a hallmark of her work, and her innovative projects are gaining notice in the greater design community."

This year, the International Design Awards (IDA) honored Du (M.F.A., graphic design) with the IDA Gold Award for her speculative exhibition catalog, 'When Dada Meets…' created in Kuperminc's graduate level class Design Research, Analysis, and Discourse (GDVX 701). Du's award-winning catalog is comprised of three books, held together with a belly band, that explore how Dada principles influenced Surrealism, Constructivism and DeStijl. "The innovative format for an exhibition catalog, along with Changran's attention to design and detail, make this project stand out," says Kuperminc.

The GDVX 701 assignment was to create an exhibition catalog and design accompanying collateral including posters, banners, and badges, and write a research paper examining visual communication theories from 1900 to present.

Du explains her process: "While doing research, I was fascinated by how Dada was influencing and being influenced by Constructivism and Surrealism and De Stijl. They all have their own language, yet are in dialogue with Dada. The title 'When Dada Meets…' came to me naturally, because Dada is for me like a person—you meet someone, you should shake hands."

An interior spread of 'When Dada Meets…' reveals type bleeding past edges of pages. "I wanted to make it very loud," Du says. "I went to the SCAD library and scanned in typefaces from 1920s art books, then transited them into my computer, traced them, created a vector, and made my own interpretive typography. That page says WHEN CHAOS MEETS HARMONY, which is my central theme."

The catalog also contains hidden design details: "The cover is actually two pages folded over, so you can open the space slightly, and when you open it up you see the solid red color inside." Du used matte, 10% gray paper to "create a feeling like back in the day" and avoid bright white gloss.

In her superb essay in her process book, Du analyzes the collaboration between Dadaist Kurt Schwitters and De Stijl artist/designer Theo van Doesburg. "To think about those artists actually hanging around together and having these revolutionary ideas is just amazing," she says. "I'm following in their footsteps and going through a similar process collaborating at SCAD."

Originally from Xiamen, China ("a pretty fishing city") Du attended Sichuan Fine Art Institute in Chongqing before coming to SCAD Atlanta "when I knew I needed to keep improving."
 
"At SCAD, even though my major is graphic design, I've leaned into the digital world, embracing motion media and UX design," Du explains. "Professor Kuperminc has taught me fundamentals and theory-based knowledge, the history of layout design and branding. Professor Holly Quarzo taught me the digital base, and with SCAD providing resources, I'm integrating those two together."

Du also acknowledges professor Peter Wong for pushing her to submit her own work into competitions. (She won an IDA Bronz award in 2019, and was named a 2019 AdobeEDU Top Talent.) This summer she is a design intern at the Atlanta headquarters of Rooms To Go. She will graduate from SCAD at the end of 2021, having completed her graduate thesis on how innovation in graphic design can support dementia patients emotionally and psychologically.

In addition to her conscientious work, Du is not averse to fun.

"As soon as I found out I won the IDA award, I grabbed my roommates and friends and we went to Hot Melody on Buford Highway to celebrate."

Visit Changran Du!

"Key light" is a photography term describing the most important light source used in creating the form of a subject. The "key" idea also references problem-solving, unlocking, and deciphering.


The SCAD Key Light Alumni Photography Challenge 2021 was created by President Paula Wallace to provide a platform for alumni of the university's award-winning photography program. President Wallace asked a select group of graduates — each recognized for their unique gifts of design and execution — to take inspiration from the current SCAD FASH exhibition Albert Watson: The Light Behind the Lens. (When discussing his work, Watson often speaks about the importance of positioning the key light.) A team of judges, including professors, curators, and Watson himself, evaluated the photographs, providing feedback and awarding standout works.

"With this challenge, I can see the creative energy in the photographs," said Albert Watson. "It was clear the students set out to make a statement."

This presidential initiative challenged the graduates to consider Watson's work and expert use of light as a point of departure to achieve their own visions. Nineteen SCAD photography alumni participated in the Key Light challenge.

Through in-person and virtual tours of Watson's exhibition at SCAD FASH, these alumni engaged the museum as an educational and archival resource for projects that paid homage to Watson's keen eye and mesmerizing work. The challenge provided a unique opportunity for these accomplished alums to interact with the prolific master of photography. Each artist received an honorarium upon completion of their work. Key Light is representative of President Wallace's ongoing dedication to engaging alumni through providing creative opportunities, exposure and recognition.

Three honorees were selected as outstanding submissions in recognition of their interpretation of the iconic photographer's distinctive style, use of shadow and light, and creative vision.

The honorees are: Emily Earl (B.F.A, photography, 2007) for "Moonbather"; Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter (B.F.A. photography, 2019) for "Untitled"; and Shine Huang (M.F.A, photography, 2017) for "Tinker, Chef, Fish." As recognition for their work and selection, each artist was awarded an additional $2,000 honorarium. All photography submissions from the "Key Light" challenge, including video of the alumni master class interaction with Watson will be showcased on scadfash.org/key-light-challenge.

Michael James O'Brien, associate chair, SCAD photography: "All the artists who submitted were winners. We were so thrilled to see such creative and beautiful work from these talented artists from SCAD's top ranked photography program, and who I have also had the privilege of mentoring. Albert's in-depth commentary and his recognition of the accomplished SCAD alumni work made this challenge especially successful."

"I appreciate the premise of this challenge; create like one of the greats, but make it your own," said honoree Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter. "Having my work in front of Albert Watson's eyes is still a little surreal to me, but it's one of the reasons I'm so grateful to SCAD for providing these types of opportunities. You won't get them anywhere else."

"Moonbather," Emily Earl (B.F.A., photography, 2007, Savannah, GA), 2021.

"Untitled," Sequoyah Wildwyn-Dechter (B.F.A., photography, 2019, Atlanta, GA), 2021.

"Tinker, Chef, Fish," Shine Huang (M.F.A, photography, 2017, Shanghai, China), 2021.

See more work from the SCAD Key Light Alumni Photography Challenge 2021.

"At SCAD, we embrace collective genius and connection," said SCAD President and Founder Paula S. Wallace during this year's commencement. These aspects combined at a ceremony where President Wallace was aptly on hand to distribute popsicles to newly minted alumni.

Friday was a tad warm, Saturday nice and breezy. Both days lifted the spirits of the SCAD graduating class of 2021. Ceremonies in Savannah and Atlanta featured the in-person awarding of diplomas, as well as virtual features including a commencement address by Dan Levy. The award-winning writer, actor, director, and producer encouraged the more than 3,300 graduates to "always follow through."

"If you have an idea for something, in whatever form of the arts it is, if you have that painting that you have in mind, and it gets tricky and you are given that crossroads, 'Do I give up or do I keep going?'–always keep going," Levy said.

Keeping with SCAD's commitment to utilize the best aspects of all media, the university presented a digital commencement for all graduates, providing students and audiences around the world with a front-row seat to the momentous occasion. Following the digital ceremony, the Presentation of Degrees ceremonies took place at socially distanced, outdoor, in-person events in both Atlanta and Savannah, where faculty representatives called the names of graduates as they strode across the bespoke, radiant stage. Balloon sculptures by Jason Hackenwerth (M.F.A., painting, 2003) added to an atmosphere of well-earned fun.


After fifteen months of restrictions, the reality of togetherness brought a palpable frisson to the ceremonies. As President Wallace said: "'Once a Bee, Always A Bee'—our hive ever uplifts you!" Congratulations, SCAD Class of '21.

Revisit SCAD commencement 2021.

Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, her mother a graphic designer, Zachra Pradipta (B.F.A., user experience design) was determined to pursue a creative career from a young age. When she applied to SCAD, her parents encouraged her to travel across hemispheres and achieve her dreams in Georgia.

As a SCAD student, Pradipta won an Indigo Award in 2020 for Lupa, a device based on a magnifying glass that uses AR technology to provide unique learning opportunities for children at the Savannah History Museum.

Today, she is poised to turn her tassel on May 29, 2021 with her fellow SCAD Bees before beginning her career as a UX designer at Amazon.

“Zachra is a wonderful designer and leader,” says chair of user experience design BC Hwang. “As the president of FLUX, our UX design student club, she propelled our program forward and continued to further her own talents as a designer.”

Zachra Pradipta:

When I left home for SCAD, I thought I was going to study to become a painter and fine artist. That all changed with a conversation with Chris Feliciano (B.F.A., user experience design, 2020) my first week in Savannah.

We had just met and he told me how much he loved the program, the work he was doing, and the professors. At that time, I knew nothing about UX design, and his enthusiasm prompted me to look into UX and reconsider my career path.

UX design became more than my major. It became my family. Professor Yee Eun Yoon was always challenging me and helping refine my process and design techniques. I credit a large part of my success today to our text exchanges, often well after office hours.

With professor Yoon’s help I understood the power of user experience and began to fully explore my professional and personal interests. That led me to a SCADpro project with Lenovo where we designed a program to promote STEM education among elementary school students. The Lenovo team gave us significant creative freedom and they had faith in us as designers.

The project turned out to be a huge professional opportunity for me. I learned a lot in terms of being a designer, working for a large company, and making crucial decisions.

As a result of that SCADpro project, professor BC Hwang helped me obtain an internship with Amazon. That internship ultimately led to a job offer. Going to work for Amazon will be an opportunity to learn from some of the best designers in the world. I am excited about the limitless possibilities ahead of me.

My time at SCAD has been incredible. From my classmates to my professors, everyone has helped me focus my creative talents and given me a career path I am excited about, one that I never imagined growing up 10,577 miles from the beautiful squares of Savannah.

Congratulations Zachra and the SCAD Class of 2021!

SCAD is proud to announce Haleemah Sadiah (M.F.A., design for sustainability, 2021) as the inaugural Catapult Fellow, sponsored by Catapult Design. This prestigious field fellowship is awarded to a recent alumnus of the university's design for sustainability graduate program.

"I am thrilled to be the first fellow, and grateful for this opportunity," said Haleemah Sadiah. "To have the chance to work with Catapult Design is a dream come true, and I look forward to using my creative skills and the knowledge I learned at SCAD to make a real-world impact while working on projects during my tenure with Catapult."

From Bangalore, India, Haleemah recently completed her master's thesis working with Jaipur Rugs on increasing the agency of women carpet weavers in the village of Aspura. During her Catapult fellowship, Sadiah will work directly with the Catapult team of designers, engineers, and business specialists to create design solutions to complex social challenges. She will be involved with an array of domestic and international projects, and explore opportunities to create momentum for social innovation projects within the Savannah community.c

"We are delighted to have Haleemah join us so that she may continue to hone her design for sustainability skills through this Catapult fellowship," said Angela Hariche, CEO, Catapult Design.

Founded in 2008, Catapult Design addresses challenges facing humanity, such as food security, water and sanitation access, quality healthcare, mobility, and climate change. Catapult Design's portfolio spans over 70 design engagements with 51 clients in 14 countries. Notable partners include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Asian Development Bank, Peace Corps, National Endowment of the Arts, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth.

"Catapult Design has long been a leader in generating social impact for underrepresented communities," said SCAD professor Scott Boylston, graduate coordinator,  design for sustainability. "This fellowship represents an amazing opportunity for our alumni to work in the field to take their first bold steps into their new careers."

The Catapult fellowship was awarded in part on the basis of Haleemah's master's thesis. "Jaipur Rugs work with about 40,000 artisans and make beautiful hand-knotted carpets, their artisans often design their own rugs, which is relatively rare to see in the craft world," Haleemah explained. "That helps to bridge the gap between artisan and organization, but there are still many challenges, like the fact that artisans and management often speak different languages, and the artisans are not educated in design management. My project was focused on building cultural competence between the artisans and the organization that they work with." Haleemah's writing advances these ideas in her essay entitled "The Link Between Organizational Learning and Cultural Competence."

SCAD's design for sustainability program is focused on preparing students to pioneer organizational change, technological and material innovation, and citizen advocacy. Learn more about the program here.

 Congratulations, Haleemah!

In a year when the art of film and the audience experience changed along with the world, SCAD continued to do Oscar-worthy work.

This Sunday, April 25, 8 p.m. EDT, the 93rd Academy Awards will be broadcast on ABC. SCAD alumni worked on nominated films including "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm," "Da 5 Bloods," "Do Not Split," "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story," "Greyhound," "Hillbilly Elegy," "If Anything Happens, I Love You," "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Love and Monsters," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," "Mank," "The Midnight Sky," "Mulan," "News of the World," "The One and Only Ivan," "One Night in Miami," "Onward," "Over the Moon," "Promising Young Woman," "Soul," "Tenet," "The Trial of the Chicago 7," and "The White Tiger,"

"In 1985, when we launched our first entertainment arts degree program, I dreamed our talented students would gain global attention," says SCAD President Paula Wallace. "It seems the SCAD family has always been destined for greatness — and golden statuettes. They bring home the hardware!"

These alumni affirm the exceptional preparation for professional careers they received while students at SCAD, as implicitly acknowledged by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy is made up of approximately 9,000 voting members, including professionals from every facet of the business.

Let's celebrate the unmistakable creative contributions of the following SCAD alumni to this year's nominees:

Alyssa "Grizzly" Goldman (B.F.A., film and television) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Aaron McGriff (B.F.A., animation, 2005) "Soul"
Alex Shilt (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016) "Onward"
Alexander Curtis (M.F.A., animation, 2011) "Onward"; "Soul"
Amanda Beggs (B.F.A., film and television, 2008) "One Night in Miami"
Amanda Bell (B.F.A., animation, 2016) "Over the Moon"
Andrew Finley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Onward"
Andy Lin (B.F.A., animation, 2008) "Onward"; "Soul"
Andy Siravanta (M.F.A., film and television, 2015) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Annee Jonjai (B.F.A., animation, 2008) "Soul"
Becki Tower (M.F.A., animation, 2009) "Onward"; "Soul"
Ben Zylberman (M.F.A./B.F.A., sequential art, 2010/2006) "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Bess Johnson (B.F.A., film and television, 2011) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Bill Ross IV (B.F.A., video/film, 2003) "Do Not Split"
Boon Shin Ng (M.A., film and television, 2008) "Mulan"
Brian McCann (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Casey Seabolt (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Catlin Rose Scroggie (B.F.A., animation, 2015) "Over the Moon"
Charles Cronkrite (B.F.A., animation, 2012) "Over the Moon"
Charlie B. Spaht (B.F.A., video/film, 2002) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Chris Foreman (M.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Soul"
Chris Forster (B.F.A., film and television, 2013) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Christopher R. Carter (B.F.A., animation, 2016) "Soul"
Dana Hunt (B.F.A., video/film, 2006) "Greyhound"
Dasha Titlebaum (B.F.A., photography, 2005) "If Anything Happens, I Love You"
Dave Hale (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Onward"
David Seong Ng (M.A., animation, 2007)  "Greyhound"     
Dawoon Kim (B.F.A., animation, 2018) "The Midnight Sky"
Diana Chu (M.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Mank"
Diana Li (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Mulan"; "Over the Moon"
Dorien Gunnels (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Onward"; "Over the Moon"
Drew Huntley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Gabrielle McMullan (B.F.A., film and television, 2016) "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm"
Gaurav Mishra (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) "Over the Moon"
Geena Schwitters (B.F.A., television production) "Da 5 Bloods"
Hiro Ren (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018)  "The One and Only Ivan"; "Over the Moon"
Hosuk Chang (M.A., visual effects, 2008) "Soul"
Ian Steplowski (computer art, 2003) "Onward"; "Soul"
Jason Daoud (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Love and Monsters"
Jason Davies (M.F.A., animation, 2003) "Soul"
Jason Koh (Yong Kiat Koh) (B.F.A., visual effects, 2016) "Mulan"
Jen Grubbs (B.F.A., production design, 2015) “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Jenn Epstein (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Jennifer Brooks (unspecified) "One Night in Miami"
Jesse Weglein (M.A., visual effects, 2008) "Soul"
John Lockwood (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Soul"
Jonah Laird (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Onward"; "Soul"
Jonathan Nelson (M.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Jordan Rempel (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Onward"
Josh Evans (B.F.A./M.F.A., visual effects, 2011/2013) "Mulan"; "Over the Moon"
Josh Holtsclaw (B.F.A., illustration, 2006) "Soul"
Josh Matthews (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Love and Monsters"
Kayla Jane Adams (B.F.A., film and television, 2015) "One Night in Miami"
Kevin Fisch (B.F.A., visual effects, 2011) "Da 5 Bloods"
Kevin McDonald (M.F.A., visual effects) "Over the Moon"
Khushnuma Savai (M.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Greyhound" 
Kiki Mei Kee Poh (M.A., visual effects, 2010) "Onward"
Kimmy Birdsell (B.F.A., sequential art, 2017) "Onward"; "Soul"
Kirsten Yamaguchi (M.F.A., animation, 2009) "Soul"
Kori Amacker (B.F.A./M.F.A., animation, 2012/2017) "Over the Moon"
Kristen Kopp (unspecified) "News of the World"
Kunal Ahuja (M.F.A., visual effects, 2012) "The White Tiger"
Kyle Hause (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "Mank"
Kyle Mohr (B.F.A., animation, 2005) "Onward"; "Soul"
Kylie Wijsmuller (B.F.A., visual effects, 2017) "Onward"; "Soul"
Lawson Bruen (unspecified) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Leslie Elizabeth Martin (B.F.A., animation, 2014) "Over the Moon"
Marc Casey (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Maribeth E. Glass (B.F.A., visual effects, 2006) "Over the Moon"
Marq Faulkner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Over the Moon"
Matt Gorball (B.F.A., computer art, 2000) "Greyhound"
Matt Kiefer (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Mulan"
Matthew Benson (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Onward"; "Soul"
Matthew Lindahl (unspecified) "Onward"; "Soul"
Matthew T. Perry (B.F.A., film and television, 2011) "Da 5 Bloods"
Max Bickley (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Soul"
Mazyar Sharifian (M.A., visual effects, 2016) "Da 5 Bloods"
Meredith O'Malley (B.F.A., animation/visual effects, 2018) "Soul"
Michael Nieves (B.F.A., animation, 2014) "Soul"
Michael Pickering (B.F.A., visual effects, 2018) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Michelle Gao (B.F.A., visual effects, 2015) "Over the Moon"
Michelle Ledesma (M.F.A., video/film, 2001) "Over the Moon"
Natalie Greenhill (B.F.A., visual effects, 2013) "Over the Moon"
Nathan Alexander (B.F.A., production design) "Hillbilly Elegy"   
Neil Helm (M.F.A., animation, 2010) "Onward"; "Soul"
Nestor Prado (M.A., visual effects, 2012) "The Midnight Sky"
Nick Bartone (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Onward"
Nick Caramela (B.F.A., sound design, 2015) "The White Tiger"
Peter Egan (B.F.A., dramatic writing, 2016) "Over the Moon"
Philip Fraschetti (B.F.A./M.F.A., computer art/visual effects, 2005/2007) "Mulan"
Rachel Boissevain (M.A., sound design, 2019) "Greyhound"; "Love and Monsters"
Rebecca Carfagna (M.A., arts administration, 2015) "Greyhound"
Rochelle Brown (B.F.A., film and television, 2009) "Judas and the Black Messiah"; "Promising Young Woman"
Sam Carter (B.F.A., video/film, 2004) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Sandro Blattner (B.F.A., visual effects, 2010) "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Sasha Ouellet (B.F.A., visual effects, 2019) "Soul"
Scott Clark (unspecified) "Soul"
Scott Englert (B.F.A., computer art, 2005) "Over the Moon"
Sean Loughran (B.F.A., visual effects, 2008) "Greyhound"
Shaun Galinak (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) "Onward"; "Soul"
Stephanie Parker (M.F.A., production design, 2015) "One Night in Miami"
Steve DiNozzi (M.A., visual effects) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Steve LaVietes (B.F.A., computer art, 1996) "Onward"; "Soul"
Steven Blevins (B.F.A., sound design, 2018) "Da 5 Bloods"; "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"
Taylor Aseere (B.F.A., animation, 2017) "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story"; "The One and Only Ivan"
Thomas J. Doolittle (B.F.A., sound design, 2020) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Timothy Preston (B.F.A./B.F.A., motion media design, sound design, 2015) "Da 5 Bloods"
Tom Fatora (B.F.A., film and television, 2014) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Walter Schneider (B.F.A., production design, 2009) "Tenet"
Wuyang Wang (M.F.A., visual effects, 2018) "Mulan"
Yolande Thame (M.F.A., production design, 2014) "Hillbilly Elegy"
Zachary Overcash (B.F.A., computer art, 2003) "Over the Moon"
Ziyan Tan (B.F.A., illustration, 2018) "One Night in Miami"

We acknowledged that, in all likelihood, this list is incomplete.
If you are aware of a name missing from this list, please email information (Name, Degree, Nominated Film) to [email protected].
Thank you.