UCDA : connecting, inspiring, and supporting a creative community in education

UCDA Creative Summit 2026

Speakers

Speaker: Nicole Fansler
Speaker Nicole Fansler
Nicole Fansler is a creative director and brand strategist who combines strategic clarity with visual storytelling to help higher education brands reflect the boldness and thoughtfulness of their institutions. As Creative Director, Brand Strategy & Stewardship at Oberlin College, she leads the college’s brand evolution by translating complex ideas into …

Nicole Fansler is a creative director and brand strategist who combines strategic clarity with visual storytelling to help higher education brands reflect the boldness and thoughtfulness of their institutions. As Creative Director, Brand Strategy & Stewardship at Oberlin College, she leads the college’s brand evolution by translating complex ideas into cohesive, design-focused systems that are authentic and meaningful. She believes in the power of creative courage, helping institutions articulate who they truly are and empowering teams to express that identity with confidence and craft. Nicole is committed to ensuring creative work has a voice at the leadership table, where brand and design shape culture, alignment, and long-term impact.

Full Description
Speaker: Michelle Lipira
Speaker Michelle Lipira
Michelle Lipira is a seasoned design professional with nearly two decades of experience spanning mobile, consumer hardware, and digital product design. She began her career in mobile design at Motorola (back when the Razr was still cool) before going on to shape the visual and industrial design of the iconic …

Michelle Lipira is a seasoned design professional with nearly two decades of experience spanning mobile, consumer hardware, and digital product design. She began her career in mobile design at Motorola (back when the Razr was still cool) before going on to shape the visual and industrial design of the iconic GoPro camera—work deeply informed by her passion for travel, sports, and adventure. For the past six years, Michelle has been a key contributor to the Adobe Fonts team, where she has led and collaborated on initiatives spanning typography systems, font discovery, and AI-driven creative workflows. She is currently focused on the generative text capabilities of Adobe Firefly, bringing a forward-thinking perspective to the intersection of typography and artificial intelligence.

Full Description
Speaker: Nitashia Johnson
Speaker Nitashia Johnson
Nitashia Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist, photographer, filmmaker, and educator based in Dallas, Texas. She is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and holds a BFA from Texas Woman’s University, an  MAT from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA …


Nitashia Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist, photographer, filmmaker, and educator based in Dallas, Texas. She is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and holds a BFA from Texas Woman’s University, an  MAT from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from The University of Texas at Dallas. Johnson currently works as a Digital Media Specialist in a university setting while maintaining an active freelance practice in photojournalism, filmmaking, design, and creative arts education. Her photographic and film work has been featured in major national and international publications, including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, and D Magazine.


At the core of Johnson’s practice is a belief in art as a transformative force,one capable of healing, preserving memory, and creating pathways for change. In 2019, she founded The Smart Project, a Dallas-based nonprofit after-school program serving youth artists and aspiring mentors across North Texas. Through photography, digital media, and visual storytelling, the program empowers youth to discover their voices, build creative confidence, and engage meaningfully with their communities. Johnson’s commitment to mentorship and leadership continues to shape her work as both an artist and educator.


Her long-term photographic series, The Self Publication Series, challenges stereotypes placed on the Black community by centering beauty, dignity, and lived experience. What began as casual portrait-making evolved into a powerful book series, now expanding into a forthcoming short documentary project following past participants as their stories unfold. Johnson’s recent projects include The Beauty of South Dallas, a visual archive documenting the rapid socio-economic transformation of a historic neighborhood, and The Faces That Face, a documentary project addressing environmental injustice in West Dallas and the resilience of communities impacted by industrial pollution.


In Body & Earth, Johnson explores the often-overlooked relationship between Blackness and the natural world. Working across photography, ink transfer, wood, fabric, and sculpture, she uses Black muses to embody the elements.

Johnson has received numerous honors for her work, including being named one of the first artists selected for the Sony Alpha Female Creator-in-Residence program in 2019, serving as the inaugural recipient of the Juanita J. Craft House Artist Residency Project in 2020-2021, participating in the Talley Dunn Gallery Equity in the Arts Fellowship, and receiving the Artist Disruptor Award from The Center for Cultural Power. Her short films have been recognized and featured in Communication Arts Photography in 2022, 2023, and 2025. Through storytelling, education, and community-centered practice, Nitashia Johnson continues to create work that preserves history, amplifies voices, and makes space for collective healing and growth.





Full Description
Speaker: Mathias Reed
Speaker Mathias Reed
Mathias Reed is passionate about storytelling that creatively connects audiences with ideas and experiences. As Director of Marketing Strategy at Oberlin College, he leads integrated marketing efforts that advance visibility, enrollment, and engagement. From coordinating multimedia campaigns to cultivating content governance and social strategy, he works at the intersection of …

Mathias Reed is passionate about storytelling that creatively connects audiences with ideas and experiences. As Director of Marketing Strategy at Oberlin College, he leads integrated marketing efforts that advance visibility, enrollment, and engagement. From coordinating multimedia campaigns to cultivating content governance and social strategy, he works at the intersection of concept and creative execution. With more than a decade of experience across arts, education, and media, Mathias is committed to cultivating creative teams that make a difference.

Full Description
Speaker: Steven White
Speaker Steven White
Steven White is Virginia Tech’s Daily Doodler and produces original daily art and illustration content for the university’s official daily email. He is a self-taught sketch artist, painter, and location sketcher and has kept a pocket sketchbook for more than 20 years. In addition to his daily content responsibilities and outreach …

Steven White is Virginia Tech’s Daily Doodler and produces original daily art and illustration content for the university’s official daily email. He is a self-taught sketch artist, painter, and location sketcher and has kept a pocket sketchbook for more than 20 years. In addition to his daily content responsibilities and outreach activities, Steven supports an annual advancement calendar campaign, Giving Day fundraising, and makes an original “Doodle” submission for Virginia Tech Magazine. Steven produces a "Doodle" every day that Virginia Tech publishes its daily university-wide email and has produced more than 1,200 original pieces of art since becoming the full-time “Doodler” in 2020. In 2022, Daily Doodles received a gold CASE Circle of Excellence award.


The Daily Doodle Archive can be visited at news.vt.edu/doodles.

Full Description