Prof. John Gurney brought KU students to Illuxcon at the GoggleWorks! 🎨🖼️ They dove into the world of imaginative realism—where classical painting meets the impossible, giving shape to mythic histories, future worlds, and everything in between.
The department recently hosted its annual David Bullock Return of the CD Grads event, welcoming back two mid-level designers whose careers exemplify the diverse paths students can take after graduating from Kutztown. This year’s speakers included 2013 graduate Kelsey Kovalik and 2018 graduate Becki Murray, who shared their stories of entering and navigating the design industry.
Kelsey, the first presenter, walked students through the various agencies she has worked for and her progression into her current role as a Creative Director at Base Beauty in NYC. She highlighted a number of projects from over the years, including HomeGoods’ “House of HomeGoods” campaign featuring beautifully redecorated vacation rooms styled entirely with items from HomeGoods. Other projects included quick-and-dirty advertising, such as “Get Caught in Swarovski,” and more recent work, like “Mizz Korea,” where Kelsey and her team created strong, beautiful art direction for an emerging skincare brand. Linked here is Kelsey’s portfolio page to see more of her work.
Becki offered a different perspective, landing at Smith Design in New Jersey shortly after graduation. With a bold, illustrative style, she has created packaging for renowned brands like Sesame Street toys (including a full brand guidebook for future designers) and SPAM with limited-edition flavors like Figgy Pudding or Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs & Ham. Linked here is Becki’s portfolio for more work.
Despite their contrasting paths, both alumni offered valuable advice, especially for those interested in advertising, branding, or packaging. Their processes demonstrated that skills such as photoshoots, revised sketches, and multiple rounds of changes carry over directly into industry projects.
A Q&A followed their talks, giving students the chance to ask thoughtful questions about career growth, creative development, navigating the job market, and how to stand out. Both speakers credited the department for helping them get to where they are today. Events like this remind us as students how valuable it can be to not only hear great advice about the industry, but to hear it from people who had the same projects and the same professors, making it all the more personal. Even if you can only attend part of an event, making the effort to show up and taking away a few pieces of advice can help in unexpected ways further down the line. I highly encourage everyone to not only check out Kelsey’s and Becki’s work, but to consider attending next year’s event if you have the chance.
As a final note, I want to thank Kelsey and Becki for speaking this year. Creating this year’s poster and blending both of your styles was a fun challenge! The advice you shared was not only helpful and honest, but I think it gave students a clearer understanding of the many paths students can take and how each can lead to its own form of success.
On September 10, 2025, more than fifty KUCD Communication Design students rolled into New York City for a full-day creative adventure. Seniors had first dibs on the trip, with a handful of lucky juniors grabbing the remaining seats. Three groups — Interactive with Professor Miller, Graphics with Professor Tienken, and Advertising Design with Professors Doll-Myers and Starkey — spread out across Manhattan for a day packed with agency visits, alumni reunions, subway navigating, and creative inspiration.After leaving Kutztown at 7:00 AM sharp, the buses pulled into lower Manhattan around 10:00 AM. Two groups hopped off at Varick Street (accidentally leaving one student in the bus bathroom for a hot second — don’t worry, they were rescued quickly), while the third group headed uptown to their first stop. It was the kind of energetic, slightly chaotic, very “NYC” start that set the tone for the whole day.
Ad Squad: From Coffee Chats → W+K → Ogilvy → Chelsea Market
The Advertising Design group, led by Professors Doll-Myers and Starkey, began the morning with an impromptu coffee shop meet-up with KUCD alum B. Nicholson from Publicis PXP. The conversation offered students candid insight into agency life and reinforced that the transition from KUCD to NYC is both achievable and exciting. Their first official visit was Wieden+Kennedy, a globally recognized ad agency best known for its iconic work with Nike. Students were welcomed by a creative director — who, in a fun twist, happened to be a former high school classmate of Professor Starkey — making the visit feel especially personal. During the session, students heard from an art and copy team that shared behind-the-scenes insight into campaigns they’ve produced for major brands including McDonald’s and Ford. They spoke candidly about concept development, pitching ideas, and what it takes to build culturally resonant work within a fast-paced creative environment.
NYC Navigation 101
From W+K, the group walked to Houston Street to catch the 1 train downtown. For some students, it was their first subway experience — complete with quick door-closing drama (Ella nearly missed her chance to jump on), umbrella maneuvering in the rain, and the challenge of keeping a group together on busy city sidewalks. Throughout the day, students photographed OOH ads, signage, and environmental graphics to use later as mockups or source material. They also made their way through the Oculus, taking in the architecture and visual design that fills the space.
Stop 2: Ogilvy — The Ian McDonald Visit
The next major stop was Ogilvy, where students met Ian McDonald (KUCD ’25). Just one year earlier, he had been on this same field trip as a senior; now he was welcoming KUCD back as a member of Ogilvy’s creative team. Ian and the Ogilvy staff offered extremely candid insight into workflow, opportunities for recent grads, multi-platform campaign development, and what creative directors truly look for in student portfolios. Students remarked on how real, honest, and encouraging the entire team was.
Chelsea Market → Creamline → A Well-Earned End to the Day
All groups reunited at Chelsea Market to wrap up the day. Many students followed Professors Doll-Myers and Starkey to Creamline, where fried chicken sandwiches and milkshakes were the faves. There was one last stop at Pearl River Mart before heading back to the bus. And yes, several students and faculty had 8 AM classes the next morning.
Graphics Group: Design, Inspiration & Big-City Visual Culture
Professor Tienken’s Graphics group spent their day exploring some of NYC’s most iconic visual culture destinations.
They began at the Whitney Museum, where students observed how contemporary art, public installations, and environmental design shape the visual experience of the city. Next, the group visited The One Club, where Education Director Jenna Brandvold shared information about student programming, competitions, and opportunities for emerging designers. The group then heard from designer and cultural voice Rich Tu, who shared insight into one of his most high-profile recent projects: being commissioned by FIFA and the NY/NJ Host Committee to create the official 2026 FIFA World Cup poster for New York and New Jersey. His poster incorporates iconic elements from both states — including a stylized Statue of Liberty and a patchwork soccer ball symbolizing the global community coming together — and students were inspired to see how his conceptual thinking translated into such an international campaign. Afterward, the group walked the High Line, taking in murals, architecture, and city typography along the elevated park. Their final stop was Printed Matter, a haven for artist books, zines, and experimental print culture. Reaching Chelsea Market, the group carried with them a blend of observations, inspiration, and new perspectives gathered across the city.
Interactive Group: Immersive Tech, Digital Magic & an Alum Leading the Way
Professor Miller’s Interactive group spent the day exploring the future of digital experience and emerging technology, guided first by KUCD alum Emma Smith. The morning began at G&A, where Emma introduced students to the studio’s approach to interface design, digital branding, and collaborative workflows within a professional interactive environment. Hearing directly from a recent alum helped students envision their own paths more clearly. Next, the group visited Rockwell Labs, where students saw firsthand how architecture, storytelling, and technology blend to create immersive spatial experiences. The afternoon concluded at Mercer Labs, an experimental art museum filled with projection, sound, motion, and sensory installations. Students left with a deeper understanding of how interaction design engages space, movement, and emotion. Like the other tracks, the Interactive group also rode the subway and walked through the Oculus, observing real-world UX: wayfinding systems, screen-based communication, public art, and human behavior. They closed out their day at Chelsea Market, where some grabbed tacos, others opted for sushi, and a few picked up souvenirs before reconnecting with the full KUCD group.
Why These Trips Matter
These trips are more than just field experiences — they’re transformational. Students meet alumni, see real studio environments, hear honest advice from working professionals, and begin to imagine themselves in those roles. For many, it was their first time stepping inside a major agency or immersive tech lab. For others, it offered clarity about the direction they want to pursue. For Professor Doll-Myers, the day also brought back memories: “When I was a KUCD student, these field trips were what inspired me the most — I was determined to find my way into the city and into a large agency, and I did just that. These trips made it feel possible. I want our students to feel that same sense of possibility.”
Shoutouts & Big Thanks
KUCD extends heartfelt gratitude to the professionals and hosts who made this day possible:
Wieden+Kennedy NYC
Contacts: Megan Glenn, Karl Lieberman (Global CCO)
Ogilvy
Contacts: Maddy Schlesinger (Early Talent Development), Ian McDonald (KUCD ’25), Amy Carton (title pending)
The One Club, Jenna Brandvold
Rich Tu
Rockwell Labs
G&A
Mercer Labs
Printed Matter
Alumni: B. Nicholson, Emma Smith, and Ian McDonald
A huge thank-you to:
Professor Miller for organizing the bus and securing funding.
Art & Design Department for covering transportation.
Professors Tienken, Starkey, Miller, and Doll-Myers for organizing and leading the day.
Our KUCD students for being respectful, curious, engaged, and for asking thoughtful questions everywhere they went. You represented KUCD well.
Eleven students, associate professor Dannell MacIlwraith and associate professor Summer Doll-Myers attended the American Advertising Awards Thursday, March 13, at Cedar Crest College in Allentown. Communication Design students received 20 awards, including Best in Show, five Gold and 14 Silver Awards. All gold Addy winners will automatically be entered into the national Addy Awards.
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