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Faculty

Fashion and Apparel Design faculty and student work on a sewing project together.

Our faculty, who inspire our students and graduates, are innovators. They have a long tradition as passionate, intelligent and dynamic educators who are working artists and designers. But they are now also known for having transformed the essence of learning by ‘unlocking the curriculum’. In doing so, they reinvented the college beyond course descriptions and disciplines to offer a contemporary, integrated experience that blends personal context, research, practice, the traditions of ‘making’, and interdisciplinary critique and design.

“We are a community of innovators. We are artists, designers, educators, writers and scholars committed to our students, to fueling industry, transforming our communities, and defining our culture. As active and accomplished professionals, we are the creative engine that shapes MIAD’s curriculum, centered on the rigorous preparation needed for a successful creative life. Learning at MIAD is the result of the synergy of teacher and learner. It’s a collaboration grounded in intellectual inquiry and research, critique and assessment, working alone and in a community of creative professionals. Our students learn to persist, ask better questions, and think independently while mastering a discipline. It’s our privilege to nurture this process and mentor talented individuals as they turn their passion into their profession. MIAD’s students, faculty, staff, and broader community partners are bonded by a deep commitment to the creative process, a respect for the unique contribution of each of our voices, and our passion for making. That’s why we choose MIAD. That’s how we make MIAD.”

News

Meet Kas Cook and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Calvin Sazerac

Cas Kook ’26 (Animation Track in Illustration) is a Dean’s List student from the Greater Chicago area and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. “Project Calvin Sazerac” is about Calvin Sazerac, a seasoned barkeep, who creates new cocktails for his favorite regulars. When he is challenged to meet the demands of a picky saloon patron, he creates something life changing.

Meet Mac Bronnson and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project MENd

Mac Bronnson ’26 (Communication Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Milwaukee and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. MENd – No Bro Left Behind is a men’s mental health app that is not designed as a mental health app.

Meet Cyrill Reyes and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project NECROZOIC

Cyrill Reyes ’26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from the Greater Chicago area. My thesis is game concept art and visual development of the world of NECROZOIC, a prehistoric fantasy that retells the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Meet Bailey Staerkel and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Stitched Together

Bailey Staerkel ’26 (Fashion and Apparel Design) is a Dean’s List student from Vancouver, Wash., and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. My thesis, Stitched Together, is an exploration of Gothic horror through fashion, taking classic horror archetypes and reinterpreting them into a collection of fully realized couture looks.