The Latest Shoutouts: Westphal Student, Faculty, Staff & Alumni Achievements
Celebrate the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design in this round-up of recent accomplishments.
November 9, 2020
Faculty & Staff Shout-Outs
Executive Director of the Lindy Institute for Urban InnovationHarris Steinbergwill receivethe 2020 John Frederick Harbeson Award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Philadelphia).The Harbeson Award is presented annually to a long-standing member of the architectural community and is intended to recognize their significant contributions over their lifetime to the architectural profession and its related disciplines. The recipient of this award will have distinguished themselves throughout their career by their contributions to the architectural profession, the American Institute of Architects, the education of the architectural community, and their contributions to the Philadelphia community at large.
Design & MerchandisingAssistant Teaching ProfessorChrisBaezaandDepartment of Design adjunct facultyBeth Quinnsubmitted an abstract for the Sustainable Innovation 2021: Accelerating Sustainability in Fashion, Clothing, Sportswear & Accessories 23rd InternationalConference,hosted by the The Centre for Sustainable Design in the UKin March 2021.The abstract wasaccepted to be turned into a full paperand presentation.
Assistant Professorof Urban StrategyAndrew Zitcer co-wrote the report "Financing Creative Placemaking" alongside colleagues from the Lindy Institute. Hepresented on the reportit at the ArtPlace Summitin October.
Art & Art History adjunct faculty memberRami Georgehas work featured in the exhibitionat the Center for Contemporary Arts & Culture (Portland, OR).You can view the work remotely via the virtual gallery
NickJushchyshyn,AssistantProfessorof Digital Media, was quoted in an Oct. 20Communications of ACMstory about how virtual reality is being developed to augment remote working environments.
Jason Schupbach,Dean of Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was interviewed in an Oct. 21PBSNewshourstory about how an Arizona mining town is reinventing itself as an arts destination.
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Art & Art History ProfessorJen Blazinaexhibitsa new body of work at the, whichopenedNovember1.HabatatGalleries willrepresenther at the fair.Jen’snew work on display is a series based on toy irons she had as a child—eachpiece life sized. The work is made of cast glass, cast bronze and cast aluminum.
Toby Seay,Professor of Music Industryand director of theDrexel AudioArchives, was quoted in an Oct. 27Broad Street Reviewarticle about a bid to preserve the building that once housed Philly’s famed Sigma Sound Studios..
Student & Alumni Shout-Outs
“Sons of Ra,” a video game created in Drexel’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio in theExCITeCenter, was featured on the Oct. 26 episode of NBC Sports Philadelphia’s “FTW Philly.”Watch the segment
Two Architecture students were featured at the Community Design Collaborative’s presentation of their Design AID project for creating outdoor learning spaces.Adeniyi A.Onanuga, now in the second year of the 2 + 4 program, submitted an entry on his own, andKiera Townsend, in her fifth year of the 6-year program, worked with her colleagues at SMP Architects. Learn more and see the Virtual Guidebook
Fourth-yearArchitecturestudent JeremiahDiBease is funded by the Charles Peterson Fellowship Program as an intern at the Athenaeum.
Brodie Bauman, anArchitecturestudent, was quoted in the November issue of AmericanCraft magazine that mentioned his involvement with Tiny WPA, a nonprofit design studio, maker space and fabrication workshop in West Philadelphia.Read the story
Sarah Christy (MSArts Administration‘20) was promoted to chief operating officer at the International House of Philadelphia.Sarahjoined the International House in March of 2014 and has served in several capacities, most recently overseeing all public programs in the role of director of programs and managing director of Lightbox Film Center.
Sharon Leonard Kiefer (Design‘86) was appointed as curator of exhibitions at Perkins Center for the Arts in the Collingswood and Moorestown, NJ locations.Sharonwill also remain the executive director of Gallery 50,Inc.and executive director at ARTC and Strobe in addition to her new role.
ChristiannaF.Labuz (Music Industry‘08), a talent buyer for Live Nation who books bands at City Winery Philadelphia, was quoted in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the challenges facing indoor concert venues. Although indoor venuesare allowed toopen at limited capacity, the restriction on the sale of food and beverages presents a major challenge, with beverage sales making up the bulk of revenue for concert venues.
Sarah K.Mettin (MSArts Administration & Museum Leadership‘20) was named artistic associate of Metropolitan Ballet Company in Jenkintown, PA.