MIAD Values Recognition Award: Matthew Stricker

MIAD President Jeff Morin and Matthew Stricker

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) has announced the March recipient of the MIAD Values Recognition Award. Matthew Stricker, Associate Director of Student Services, received nominations for his phenomenal support of the MIAD community and its values, particularly his commitment to Kindness and Inclusiveness.

“Matt has the innate ability to make others feel seen and he advocates for everyone to feel like MIAD is their home,” said one nominator. “He leads with empathy and vulnerability, something I have learned a lot from.”

The MIAD Values Recognition Award (VRA) celebrates faculty and staff who consistently model MIAD’s values of courage, integrity, kindness, community, innovation and inclusion. After employees nominate a colleague for the award, a committee made up of faculty, staff and previous VRA winners convenes to vote on the month’s recipient. Awardees receive a $250 prize.

From his role as a Resident Assistant while attending MIAD all the way to his current position as Associate Director of Student Services, Stricker keeps students at the forefront. “For me, it’s given me a really solid perspective on the needs of our students,” he explains. “Especially when it comes to what gets them out of their shell and what gets them excited … I make sure that when people are walking down the hallways, they’re seen.”

An illustrator himself, Stricker connects with students over art. “I academically advise first-year students,” he says. “That’s one of my other favorite parts of my job–being able to talk to them about their career aspirations and what they’re excited about.” Traveling to conventions across the United States to sell his horror- and eldritch-inspired work, Stricker has connected with many well-known industry professionals. During COVID, he organized a Creativity Series with some of his industry connections, who joined students virtually for interviews.

An advocate and community builder, Stricker’s dedication and empathy help MIAD students feel seen and heard. “Matt embodies this quality in all that he does,” said another nominator, “whether it is checking in on you between his incredibly definitely-busier-than-most schedule, leading a meeting rooted in discomfort and disarray, or showing up to make sure that you have an extra player in a situation that you feel ill- prepared for.”

Learn more about MIAD’s Values Recognition Award or nominate a colleague at miad.edu/vra.