Personal Narrative
I am a devoted faculty member whose accomplishments meet the standard for sustained excellence as outlined in the tenure and promotion criteria set by my department and the University.
My research and creative practice focus on investigating visual storytelling. Amid the acceleration of information overload, engaging with an audience has become increasingly challenging. Therefore, the importance of visual storytelling in communication has grown significantly, as humans process visual signals faster than text and prefer information that has been organized into stories. Storytelling in a multimedia format enhances narrative literacy. Among the aspects of visual storytelling, I concentrate on story-making and visualization, aiming to craft unique messages, improve clarity, and evoke emotional responses.
For two decades before joining UNT, I was an award-winning design leader helping brands tell their stories to global audiences. Joining UNT in 2018 allowed me to expand my investigations from professional practice into research and teaching. My areas of expertise include strategic branding, design, illustration, and painting. They form a unique body of work, informing one another and working together in multi- or cross-disciplinary projects. Below are highlights of my creative practice:
Design for social impact
Part of my professional practice is dedicated to serving the community. For example, I co-initiated a labor trafficking awareness campaign with a non-profit organization, exploring alternative approaches to ineffective awareness campaigns that perpetuated stereotypes, oversimplifications, and the misconception of “ideal victims.” The project not only provided a non-profit organization with useful tools but also received scholarly and professional recognition, including a conference presentation/proceeding and acceptance into the American Graphic Design Awards.
Multi-disciplinary collaboration
Collaboration is an important part of my work. I was a collaborator of Faces of Dallas, a multi-media choir concert that was part of the 2019 Soluna International Music and Arts Festival. This collaboration involved the work of over 30 professionals, including musicians, composers, poets, and designers. As the creative director, artist, and designer for the project, my works were recognized by international competitions, exhibitions, and conference presentations.
Client work
I have worked on brand strategy, design, and illustration for international brands, startups, cultural institutes, and non-profit organizations, including Total Wine & More, Xnito, and Verdigris Ensemble.
Painting
My paintings deal with subjects of humanity and the environment and they regularly won top awards internationally and nationally.
Since joining UNT, my designs and illustrations have been accepted or awarded by more than 25 national and international competitions or exhibitions, including Graphic Design USA, Beijing Design Week, and American Illustration. My paintings have received awards in national and international exhibitions, including the American Watercolor Society annual exhibition and Watercolor USA, where I have won a historic three “best of show” awards (Link 1, 2, 3).
I have presented at international conferences, including Design Principles and Practices, and delivered a keynote presentation at the International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction (VINCI) in Shanghai. Additionally, I have lectured at respected institutions such as Renmin University (China) and SMU.
Currently I am working on a chapter in the book “Linking Art for Biocultural Conservation, Restoration, and Communication” (Springer) exploring story creation and visual storytelling to promote biodiversity.
As a professor, I incorporate a unique form of visual storytelling into each class I teach. For example, in sophomore “Image-Making and Color Theory”, the focus is on storytelling with visual signals on a single page, while “Publication Design” emphasizes sequential storytelling. I teach principles, processes, systems, concept generation, and problem-solving rather than stylistic formulas. The works of my students have received awards in top student design competitions, such as the Gold Medal in Graphis New Talent. My average score on the Student Perceptions of Teaching (SPOT) is within the 15th percentile of the college.
I have served the community, the design industry, and CVAD in various capacities. For instance, I have been a board member for non-profit organizations such as the Visual Art Society of North Texas (VAST). I have actively supported K-12 art education, including a video workshop for Go van Gogh by the Dallas Museum of Art. Within CVAD, I have served on 9 faculty search committees and been a member of the DEI Council and the Research Infrastructure Committee. Notably, I spearheaded the revamping of the Communication Design’s graduation exhibition to showcase all students’ achievements rather than a selected few.
I am proud to be a member of the faculty at the University of North Texas. I am, have been, and will continue to be committed to the success of Communication Design at UNT.