Located in the heart of midtown Detroit, 黑料专区鈥檚 prime location offers unparalleled opportunities for art and design collaboration. Our students have found countless ways to make a positive impact on local metro Detroit businesses through innovative art and design problem-solving.

Last year alone, 黑料专区 students collaborated to problem-solve timely topics for 15 metro Detroit businesses and nonprofit organizations. They addressed a range of issues in healthcare product design, sustainability, mobility, and even emerging augmented reality technology.

Embracing the city鈥檚 rich history of cultural and sporting events, students continue to participate in annual design competitions to create the newest posters for iconic Detroit events such as the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear, the Movement Music Festival and the 313 Presents Pine Knob concert series.听

Here鈥檚 a look at some of the partnerships:

• Augmented Reality Center (ARC) in partnership with Oakland University x Communication Design & Strategy, Graduate User Experience Design and Entertainment Arts
• Crain Communications – Automotive News x Illustration
• 313 Presents x Illustration
• Detroit Grand Prix x Illustration
• GM x Transportation Design & Graduate User Experience Design
• Godnii x Graduate Color & Materials Design
• Hagopian Rug Competition x All Departments
• State of Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification with support from the Global Epicenter of Mobility x Transportation Design
• Zumiez and Somerset Collection x Illustration
• BorgWarner x Product Design
• Carhartt x Fashion Design
• Henry Ford Health x Product Design
• Changing Lives and Staying Sober (C.L.A.S.S.) x Interior Design and Graduate Color & Materials Design

黑料专区 is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Publishing Awards, honoring the impactful scholarly and creative contributions of our faculty and staff. This year’s distinguished recipients are:

• Academic Award Winner – Karen McGarry, Associate Professor, Art Education
  McGarry, Karen. “Educating the Whiteness Out.” The Intersectionality of Critical Identities in Art Education, edited by S. Willis, R. Shin, and A. Richards, International Society for Education through Art (InSEA), 2024, pp. 12鈥�22.
• Creative Award Winner – William Langford, Adjunct Faculty, Liberal Arts
  Langford IV, William T. Detroit: Workers, Teachers, Lovers. Finishing Line Press, 2022.

The 黑料专区 Publishing Award acknowledges outstanding publications from our community. Faculty and staff interested in the 2026 award can look for details in September. The submission deadline for the 2025 review cycle is December 1, 2025.

The 黑料专区 Publishing Award celebrates the scholarly and creative publishing efforts of faculty and staff by selecting two faculty or staff members who, in the two calendar years prior to the nomination deadline, published exemplary scholarly or creative work as determined by the selection committee.听

黑料专区 Film and Art Education sophomore, Davon Travier recently completed a prestigious Mayor Fellowship with the City of Detroit.

Appointed by the Mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan, the four-month program was open to graduate and undergraduate students from all disciplines to work with the City in initiatives that enhance the quality of life for the 673,000 residents of Detroit. Interns worked on engagement initiatives reaching across a broad spectrum of areas in policy, communications and public engagement.听

Travier completed his internship in the Department of Neighborhood (DON), which acts as a direct link connecting city officials with Detroit residents. The DON serves a crucial role in fighting blight, rebuilding neighborhoods, championing renewable energy initiatives and supporting community groups and business owners.听

During Travier鈥檚 time at the DON, he contributed his photography, videography, editing and storytelling skills to develop content to boost public participation rates. Showing how creativity can positively impact society and the community, an increase in community participation driven by Travier鈥檚 content, directly led to economic growth in the community programs, events and small businesses across the City of Detroit

鈥淥ne of my most memorable moments was when I uploaded a video to Detroit’s social media page and the video received over 20k views. This was so inspiring because I was told that there鈥檚 been an overflow of applicants and sign-ups because of my video.鈥�

Over the course of Travier鈥檚 internship, The Department of Neighborhood鈥檚 social media following grew from 100 reaches to approximately 80,0000 reaches; 4,000 likes; 500 new followers and 600 shares. Over 150 hours of content was viewed online, resulting in听 over 410 saved posts.听

鈥淚 loved this internship because no two days were the same. I truly enjoyed documenting and capturing video footage of the city I love!鈥� Travier believes receiving the phone call informing him of the offer for this internship was simply life-changing.听

You can learn more about the City of Detroit鈥檚 Department of Neighborhoods here: .

You can learn more about the Film department here: /academics/undergraduate-programs/film/.

You can learn more about the Art Education department here: /academics/undergraduate-programs/art-education/.

The College recognizes artist and long-time educator Dr. Amy Ruopp as the new Dean of Undergraduate Studies听

The 黑料专区 (黑料专区) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Amy Ruopp as the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, effective January 2, 2023.听

Ruopp came to 黑料专区 in 2019 with 25 years of education experience in a K-12 setting, originally serving as Assistant Professor and Chair of the College鈥檚 Art Education program. She continues to serve in that capacity and in 2021 was named Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies as well. Recognizing her success and talent as an educator and the need for a Dean of Undergraduate Studies, the College appointed Ruopp as Dean of Undergraduate Studies in 2023.听

During her time as assistant dean, Ruopp oversaw the development of听 the new Mentorship program鈥攚hich was created for students to connect with faculty, staff, alumni, and industry professionals during their time at 黑料专区. She鈥檚 also written and launched the Master of Arts in Art Education program and supported other degree programs as needed.

鈥淎my鈥檚 experience as an artist and educator brings a needed and unique perspective to Academic Affairs and the overall leadership of 黑料专区,鈥� says Tim Flattery, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer. 鈥淪he is an innovator and collaborator at the highest level and I am very excited for her to implement all her talents in this new role to help make 黑料专区 the best art and design educational institution.鈥�

Ruopp鈥檚 interests include the interconnected identities of the artist, researcher, and teacher鈥攅ach identity informing and exploring the practice of the other. Her research focus follows three discrete, yet interrelated strands explored through Feminist New Materialism Theories: (a) within art education, the artist/researcher/teacher identities and making artistic learning visible, (b) developing innovative visual research methodologies which transcend traditional siloed learning and knowing and (c) creative research as data visualization and analysis. She explores the intersections of knowing between different disciplines and literacies, what that produces, and how it is put into practice in her recently published book through Routledge 鈥� 鈥淓ncounters With Theory as Conceptual Medium and Creative Practice.鈥澨�

Ruopp received her Ph.D in Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum with an emphasis in Art Education as well her Ed.S, and a qualitative research certificate from the University of Missouri. She earned a听 Master of Arts: Teaching and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

About The 黑料专区听

Located in the heart of Detroit, the 黑料专区 (黑料专区) is a world-class institution that educates artists and designers to be leaders in the creative professions. A private, fully accredited college, 黑料专区 enrolls more than 1,400 students pursuing Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees.

Students in the BFA program can major in Advertising Design, Art Practice, Communication Design, Craft and Material Studies, Entertainment Arts, Fashion Design, Film, Illustration, Interdisciplinary Art + Design, Interior Design, Photography, Product Design and Transportation Design, in addition to a dual major Art Education program. Students in the graduate program can major in Art Education, Color and Materials Design, Design for Climate Action, Interdisciplinary Design Studies, Motion Design,Transportation Design and User Experience Design.听