Alumni Spotlights
Meet Our Alumni
Learn more about our unique alumni in the spotlights below.
Q&A with Chelsey Pon, '15
During my time at Virginia Tech I was narrowly focused on a career in industrial design, with preference for the healthcare and sporting goods industry. This led me to a medical device design and research consultancy for the first few years after graduation. While I learned a lot from that experience, I quickly realized that a traditional role in industrial design wasn't for me, and I soon became burnt out. I also wasn't passionate enough about the field to uproot my life for more opportunities in other cities.
What’s remarkable about the education cultivated in the Virginia Tech Industrial Design program is its foundation in design thinking, beyond just the hard skills of industrial design. My education and research experience allowed me to adapt my skill set and transition into user experience and digital product design. I don't want to imply that this career transition was easy -- it wasn't. It involved a lot of self-advocation to convey how my skills could apply to a different context. But with all that being said, I'm really happy I made the switch to product design.
I have so many unforgettable memories from college, but there's just something uniquely special about being under those pyramids in studio. We arguably spent too much unproductive time down there; however, the laughs and connections we built were totally worth the sleepless nights.
From what I've seen, heard, and experienced, students can be so focused on getting a job -- totally understandable. But, what I often think is overlooked are the people and relationships behind those opportunities. The network you build and how you treat people is far more important than simply landing a job. Networking is more than just outreach when there's a job opportunity. Having worked closely with our alumni community, I can attest that we have an incredibly altruistic group of humans who have a wealth of knowledge. Build relationships with them, and when a role opens up in their network, it might just be them reaching out to you.
I swear that I do other things, but one of my major efforts in my free time is the Virginia Tech Industrial Design Advisory Board (IDAB). I co-founded the advisory board with my friend and former VTID classmate, and we're really proud of how much the board has grown and accomplished throughout the years. We're well aware that we don't acknowledge these successes enough. Among other initiatives, we run an annual mentorship program that has resulted in student post-grad employment; we helped raise over $18k to support VTID students; we've run research projects to provide actionable data for the program; and we've organized multiple alumni reunions to reconnect our community. We know that VTID is special and is nothing without its community, so as volunteers, we do what we can to ensure that everyone still feels a part of this community, even if they’re on the other side of the world. Shameless plug: learn more about the board at vtidab.org.
Jenny McElligott, '16
By far by biggest influence from my time at Virginia Tech was my professors. Everyone was amazing, kind, encouraged exploration and discovery and unique ways of thinking. I have to shout out Deb Sim, Simone Patterson, Jennifer Hand, Eric Standley in particular for pushing my development as a young artist.
My husband, my family and my coworkers who are immensely talented. On a technical side, the movies and videogames I play that are using the same programs I do. It's hard to not analyze how they did x, y and z and try out new methods for myself.
It's been a journey! Before starting at my laser cutting job I took a job at Philmont Scout ranch in New Mexico as part of their housekeeping staff. Once that wrapped in August I started as a laser cutter/designer/engraver/carpenter at a small business in Maryland. After a few years I was ready for my next challenge and while I was job searching I attended a lecture by NASA visualizers at a nerdy conference. About two years later the timing worked out I was able to land at NASA working for the Conceptual Image Lab at Goddard Space Flight Center. 3 and a half years later and I still can't believe how lucky I am to work with such an amazing group. Over the last several years I have evolved into the lab's environment artist (using Unreal Engine, Gaea, Substance and Maya), so most of my projects now concern moons, exoplanets, earth science. Working on animations re: James Webb Telescope science results are some of the most fun!
Art never stops surprising me, and there's always a way to improve. As you can imagine, my artwork leans heavy into science and math and programming which was something I'd never really done before. I was always naturally an artist but leaned into that field because math wasn't my strong suit! With my current work I get better at all of those fields everyday, because they are inextricably linked. I get a mental workout every day and I love it.
It's hard to pick one, but a standout was taking the laser cutting elective with Eric Standley. I discovered I had a talent for it, and it led me to my first art job right out of school, which I felt extraordinarily lucky to get.
Put yourself out there! I might not have found out about my current job if I didn't drop into a random lecture at a convention. You never know what you'll discover by getting out there and having fun. I'd also say that rejection is hard, but it's a big part of becoming a professional artist. Take no's in stride and accept critique and learn from those experiences.
I miss The Armory, having a walkable downtown so close to class, and my professors!
I recently joined my local art society, so I hope to learn from and volunteer with a lot of amazing local artists! I love playing with my parakeet, hanging out with my husband and getting into DC with him for lectures and museum dates, I play videogames and love to spend an evening at the movies. And of course, art experiments with new mediums to push my NASA work further. I've also been working on improving my public speaking by talking to students about paths they can take in the art world and advocating for STEAM careers as a whole.
Brian Krause, '01
Virginia Tech played an enormous role in shaping not just my career, but who I am as a person today. It helped shape the way I think. The School of Architecture taught me to appreciate the details of good design and understand their significance in the built environment. There is an energy and sense of community that every Hokie possesses that is a big part of who I am today.
My family is my greatest source of inspiration. My father’s work ethic, my mother’s always positive attitude, my brother’s fearless entrepreneurial spirit, and my wife’s creativity and thoughtfulness inspire me every day. Above all, the inquisitiveness and joy of my three children motivate me to succeed, driving me to provide them with the best life possible.
My career in the built environment began with three summer internships in construction management, where I developed a love for seeing projects come to life. After graduating in 2001, I joined Turner Construction Company, the nation’s largest builder, where I discovered a passion for improving the construction industry through technology. This journey led me to deliver the commencement speech at the Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture in 2013, where I discussed the industry’s evolving landscape. In 2015 I was presented with an opportunity to lead the growth and implementation of Virtual Design and Construction at Clark Construction, one of the largest U.S. owned general contractors, near my home outside Washington, DC. I could see that Clark wanted to do something different. This role evolved into the founding of Coda, LLC in 2019, a digital advisory firm where I now strive every day to change the way the world is built through the intelligent use of technology and data.
I have a deep passion for the built environment, especially the thoughtfully crafted details at the intersection of materials. I’m equally driven by the process – the collaboration, the teamwork, and tools that come together to create a cohesive, well-designed, well-built building.
My fondest memory is the time I spent studying architecture abroad with professors and colleagues in Italy, France, Switzerland, and Spain. Immersing myself in the rich history, culture, and architectural details of these regions shaped my understanding of the built environment and broadened my perspective on design.
- Value your relationships, both professional and personal, and always make time for the important people in your life.
- Strive for operational excellence. Master your craft.
- Commit to continuous improvement every single day.
The three things I miss most about Blacksburg are the energy of Hokie football, the fun times with friends in downtown Blacksburg, and the intense yet rewarding camaraderie filled late nights in the Architecture lab.
Outside of work, my greatest joy comes from spending time with my wife Alysia (also a Hokie) and our three children, Heaverly, Xander, and Gage. I love helping them grow and enjoy coaching their sports. Personally, I cherish an early morning run at 4:45 AM, which gives me a moment of solitude to reflect, energize, and prepare for the day ahead.
Jamie Ousley, '98
I began at Virginia Tech as an Architecture major. Fortunately/unfortunately, I wasn't very good at drawing, and after a semester I switched to Music, what I felt I had to do with my life (and what I was good at!) I had been playing music since I was 5. I was one of the only bass players at the time, so I got to play in every ensemble every semester: Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, the Jazz Vocal Group, and at nights I got to play gigs with my professors. They introduced me to jazz and really got me started down my life path.
Jimmy Carter is my hero; what a great man and role model. He is the first president I can remember as a young boy, and he was from the south, like me.
I went to University of Miami for grad school and started working and playing a lot throughout south Florida. A semester after I completed my doctorate, opportunity knocked, and I started teaching at Florida International University. A few promotions later, I'm now a tenured professor at an R1 school which allows me to fully pursue my career as a jazz bass performer, recording artists and educator. I recently had performances at Carnegie Hall & Lincoln Center and was a Fulbright Specialist to Costa Rica.
Especially with jazz, I love the conversational aspect of improvisation.
If I'm being honest, the parties... some of which even got named, such as "Night of the Frosted Spectacles."
Listen louder than you speak.
- 24-hour pizza deliveries
- 24-hour grocery stores
- the Drillfield snowball fights
I serve on the board of directors for the Miami Jazz Cooperative and still enjoy throwing good parties!
Dylan Amick, '13
When I think about how my time at Virginia Tech influenced me as an artist, the first thought that comes to mind is Randy Ward’s voice exclaiming to my class, “BE BOLD!” I studied production design and directing in the theatre department during my time there, and to this day when I start a new project, I remember Randy’s maxim to us all. At tech, I was always empowered to have an opinion; to collaborate through responses. It was a very hands on program, I worked on over 40 productions in seven semesters in various capacities. I was encouraged to try anything, and it taught me to look at finding opportunities as a skill in and of itself.
Another mentor during my time there, a director named Bob McGrath, told us that to make great art, you had to "go into your dark room.” You have to do the thing that scares you. My time as a creator there taught me to take risks and be dangerously vulnerable. Virginia Tech constantly challenged us to impress each other and ourselves, and that energy has influenced everything I work on.
I graduated in Fall of 2012. I started in 2009 but finished early for financial reasons, so in my heart, I’m class of 2013.
I believe in the cycle of inspiration. When I made the late decision to pursue college, when I got serious about wanting to tell stories at a professional level, I got inspired by other artists. At first it was the greatest hits for theatre nerds: Augusto Boal, Brecht, Tennesse Williams. Now as I focus more on film my inspirations have shifted to arteurs like Julie Ducournau, Jordan Peele, and Rod Serling. I’ve always found my inspiration in other artists because I hope to one day be that inspiration for other artists.
There is a Salinger quote that sums it up perfectly for me: “ Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them—if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to oer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.”
After college I moved to New York and worked as a freelance lighting and video technician for theater and live events. Probably 15 or 20 of us from the classes of 2011-2013 all moved to the New York area at the same time and having that small community was life changing. Several of us started a theater troupe, Critical Point Theater; we produced original plays and a series of podcasts - one of them picked up an award from the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation for excellence in sci-fi storytelling, so that was a big moment to win something named after a personal hero. At the same time I was working for off Broadway and regional theaters as a technician; I eventually took a job at the Juilliard school in their production department as the video supervisor.
After almost 5 years at Juilliard, and a short stint at the PBS affiliate WNET as an associate producer, I left New York and followed my now wife to California for her medical career. In Los Angeles, I have shifted my focus from theater to film. I have produced several short projects since moving out here in 2020, and continue to tell original stories and create films as a writer/director.
I love them both because stories bring people together. Beyond allowing us to phone-in conversations by summarizing plots and exchanging quotes out of context, stories really help you find people who see the world like you do - often people who share the same values. I love working in entertainment because it is a collaborative environment. Virginia Tech engrained a passion for collaboration in me. Building towards a common goal, especially without ego, is a wonderful feeling.
One of the most important memories from Tech was January 2011, the week before classes started that year. I had been selected to direct a student production, Dog Sees God by Bert Royal, in the Theatre 101 blackbox as the first production of the season. Our opening was so early in the year that we spent the week before classes started doing nothing but rehearsing the show. Among my friend group, it often became this game of chicken to see who would come back the earliest or stay the longest during a break. Getting to spend that time with a cast and crew that I had been able to pick, getting to focus solely on the project we were making - it was an incredibly formative experience for me as an artist. Nothing compares to the feeling of being all in on a project, looking around you, and seeing the entire crew is as invested as you are.
Consume everything: movies, books, plays, lectures, museums, stories from strangers, first-time experiences. This is a time to soak up as much as you can and react to it. I believe there are two ways to learn about art - by practicing making it, and to study the work of other artists. One of our primary jobs as creatives is to communicate a vision of our ideas, and a fast way to learn how is by deepening your palette of references and opinions.
On a more practical level, take classes outside of your major. Meet the other departments. Diversify the time you invest in your interest because you should have more than one. Actively try to become someone you would think was interesting.
Working in Squires Studio Theater. I spent so much time there, saw a lot of great plays there, and it remains one of the most interesting theaters I have ever been in.
Late night DX runs.
The triangle of a crowd that would form on Draper Rd between the Rivermill, Sycamore Deli, and Shesha at night during a Boogieburg show.
I always struggle with this question because I am the kind of singular-focused person I just warned people against becoming. The truth is I live and breathe storytelling, when I am not working on my own I am seeking out new ones. My wife and I love to travel. I moved out to California so hiking national parks and talking about how a dry heat feels different have become a big part of my life. We also have a cat that we let dominate our life and conversations; highly recommend.
Most of the volunteering I do is with labor groups, I think organized labor is something we should all be talking about. Especially in the entertainment industry where sketchy practices easily become the norm. My goals right now are working towards my first feature and continuing to make art with my community on my own terms. Artists are laborers and my hope is to always own my own work.
Theatre
I grew up in a family of Hokies. Both my mom and my dad graduated from Virginia Tech so the idea of Ut Prosim: That I May Serve was instilled in my sister and I from an early age. Service to others is a big part of my life. As a student at Virginia Tech, my professors created an environment that encouraged me to learn, take risks, and play. I have continued to take all of that with me into my career.
There was a VHS tape called "Barbie Birthday Party at Walt Disney World Epcot 1994" that I watched all the time as a kid. During the show, it took a behind the scenes look on how a staged musical production honoring Barbie was put together at Epcot. I think that's what gave me "the bug" for theatre. I wanted to create things and be a part of something similar to that. To this day, I think about that show often and it continues to drive my passion for working in theatre. It was campy, over the top, and glamorous and those are my inspirations I take with me everyday.
I first became interested in wigs after watching a Youtube styling tutorial when I was 16. Cut to me being in a community theatre production of The Little Mermaid and styling a wig for Ursula. I always knew I wanted to work in theatre so I decided to pursue an acting degree at Virginia Tech.
During my first weeks of classes, my costume design professor and mentor Jane Stein pulled me aside and told me that I could pursue Wig Design as a career. I was skeptical at first but then we set out and planned independent study classes that catered to wigs and makeup for my four year track at Virginia Tech. She allowed me to play and learn anything and everything that I wanted. Not only was I acting in shows, but I was also designing wigs for Mainstage Shows, designing costumes, working in the costume shop, running shows on crew, and even working on 6 Broadway National Tours during my time at Tech. Jane helped get me my first summer stock gig during my sophomore and junior years and that was my first introduction to working in professional theatre.
During that time, I connected with a wig designer out of New York City and he also became a mentor. When I graduated in the Spring of 2020, theatre and live events were non-existent. I decided to spend that year of shutdown attending a cosmetology school to continue to hone my craft. In August of 2021 as I finished my cosmetology program, theatre started to come back and I designed my first regional production of Jersey Boys and the rest is history. Since then, I have worked all over the country and have designed wigs and makeup for over 40 regional productions. I recently moved to New York City and am looking forward to seeing where my journey takes me next.
I love getting to tell people that "I play 'dress up' for a living". I love that theatre is live, in the moment and ephemeral. I love the spontaneity of it, I love the way a show can move and speak to an audience, and I love the stories we get to tell. I get to help transform actors into their characters on stage. My favorite moment is putting a wig on an actor in the dressing room and seeing them truly become their character.
My fondest memory was winning the experience to be on the field for Enter Sandman at the Virginia Tech vs. Clemson football game in the fall of 2017. Feeling the stadium shake and hearing the roar of a sold out game was amazing!
Say "Yes, and!" to any and every opportunity that comes your way. Take advantage of every opportunity as this is your chance to grow and learn.
Macados, walks across the Drillfield, and football games.
Some of my interests outside of work include spending time with my family, going camping, seeing Broadway shows, and cooking.
Graphic Design
Virginia Tech was the last college I toured when I was a junior in high school and even though it was 8 hours away from home, I knew it was the one. Over my 6 years there, I learned what community meant and learned how to love myself. Even now if I'm far away from Virginia and see someone in Hokie gear, I make an effort to introduce myself.
My mentees inspire me the most. They humble me on the daily but also push me to think about design as a teaching mechanism. Knowing how to design is hard but knowing how to teach good design is even harder.
I'd define my career path with one word: networking. All the jobs I've worked were made possible because of the friends and coworkers I made during college and beyond. Get yourself out there and new doors will open up for you.
Nowadays I'm in Product Design but the number one thing I love about it is the focus on users and customers. I love to say that my job is easy because all I have to do is listen to what people complain about and create design solutions to solve those complaints.
Adopting my beagle baby boy back in 2009! I picked him up from the Christiansburg animal shelter and he was a great party dog.
Learn to love your mistakes and embrace being wrong. Over the years you'll learn more from what didn't work than what did work.
The scenery. It's easy to take those mountains for granted when you wake up to them everyday but everytime I come back, my jaw drops thinking how lucky I was to go to such a beautiful college. But also the curly fries at The Cellar.
Decompressing after work with a puzzle or a LEGO set is unmatched. Anything that promotes relaxing is interesting to me.
Music
Virginia Tech was the first place I felt I could call home. I grew up in a military family, so the word “hometown” was always a bit unfamiliar for me. While Virginia Beach has grown into that hometown role, my time in Blacksburg gave me an idea of what it felt like to be settled somewhere. My time in the music department at Virginia Tech showed me what it really felt like to create an environment for students that was welcoming and encouraging, while still striving to exceed expectations. I aim to do that in my current position at Appalachian State University.
My father was my first musical inspiration. He just recently retired from the United States Navy Band Music program after 32 years. The folks who currently inspire me are my students each and every single day. It’s not work when you get to watch people grow and excel right before your eyes.
Following my undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech, I completed a Master of Music in Music Performance degree at the University of Miami. That was followed by many auditions and a freelance career performing with regional orchestras, directing a nonprofit arts organization, and starting my own lesson studio. I completed my Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2018 and have been teaching at Appalachian State since the fall of 2021 in a full-time position.
Its ability to communicate nonverbally (and verbally, I suppose!) across different languages.
Performing with Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Be flexible and patient. Don't worry so much about what your degree says. My undergraduate degree had concentrations in Music Education and Music Performance. An older thought process would imply that those degree meant I would be a band director or a professional orchestral musician. I felt like my degrees certainly trained me for that, but it took another seven years for me to figure out and succeed at what I truly wanted to do. Life takes a bunch of unexpected turns, some that feel absolutely devastating, but all of that is just an opportunity to zoom out and see that maybe what felt like the end of your dream was just a step in the right direction.
The campus, the community, and Mike’s Burgers! I miss that place every time I come back into town.
I’m a huge sports fan, which is sometimes a little strange in my field. I follow mostly Washington, D.C. teams and have been taking in all of the soccer happening this summer. I also really enjoy hiking and the outdoors, in general. My wife and I just celebrated our first anniversary in Banff, Canada, where we hiked through canyons for about a week.
Virginia Tech was a very special place throughout my time there, and it still holds a lot of great memories to this day. One of the many things that Virginia Tech influenced me on was highlighting the sense of community. During my time on campus from 2006 to 2010, there was always a sense of communal belonging and connection that each person shared. Virginia Tech showed me that each person that comes into your life has a special reason for being there and helps you become the person you want to be. We often are a product of our environment, and at Virginia Tech, that environment helped influence me to pursue my future and career at a higher level.
One of the things that truly inspires me as a musician, teacher, and mentor for young students is watching others teach at a high level. With trumpet performance often existing as a personalized endeavor, there are thousands of ways to say something to someone that may help them in their journey. The way one person interprets a statement about how to perform something or help them fix an issue may be completely different from the person next to them. I am always inspired watching master teachers from all over the world connect with performers and be able to skillfully guide them through their musical journeys - even if their interactions is only for a few moments.
Seeing how people teach in both one-on-one lesson settings to full audiences in a masterclass can truly be one of the most rewarding and inspiring things for me as a young professional in my field. Watching these events between teacher and student enables me to think differently about my own pedagogical approach and how I may better be able to reach my students and help further them in their own careers and musical journeys.
When I began my journey at Virginia Tech in 2006, my career goal was to become a high school band director. I wanted to share and create the same love for music and the sense of comradery that I felt during my middle and high school band classes. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I added an additional trumpet performance component to my degree. It was through this path that led me to where I am today. When I graduated Virginia Tech in 2010, I was lucky enough to secure a teaching assistantship position at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami (FL) for my masters. There, I was given the opportunity to work one-on-one with collegiate undergraduates teaching them trumpet. This is where I fell in love with teaching. When I left Miami, I went on to pursue my Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. This program allowed me to focus on the refinement of my teaching abilities as a pedagogue and continue to refine my own personal performance. That degree and path allowed me to make my career in higher education as a trumpet professor.
Today, I am the Associate Professor of Trumpet and Associate Director of the University of Utah School of Music. I have been here since the Fall of 2017 and could not love what I do more. Being able to see students and young musicians discover their own passions and see growth in their performance is one of the most special moments of my job.
I feel in love with music in high school where I was able to have a voice in something that wasn’t my own. Music serves each person in so many different ways and often functions as a binding agent for cultures and communities all over the world as a universal language. Music brings people together, and helps those who don’t always have a voice express their ideas and feelings in new ways. Being able to perform and share music with others, and helping others find their own voice, will always be something that is special to me and one of the many reasons why I love music.
During most of my time at Virginia Tech I participated in the Marching Virginians. So, many of the memories and experiences that I still cherish and remember about Virginia Tech are tied to that ensemble and the awesome things that they allowed me to experience. Despite the countless memories with Marching Virginians, one memory stands about above others. At the first home football game against ECU in September of 2007 - the first home game after April 16, 2007 - I can vividly still remember standing on the field with the Marching Virginians awaiting the arrive of the football team through the tunnel as “Enter Sandman” blasted in Lane Stadium. The thunderous roar of the crowd and shake that was felt on the ground from the entire stadium jumping with all their strength was one of the most intense feelings during my time at Virginia Tech. The sense that we as a community overcame one of the worst events on any collegiate campus was both emotionally and physically moving. That is something I will neVer forgeT.
You are the only person standing in your way for what you want to become!
Being both a student at the collegiate level to now being a collegiate teacher, I have seen and interacted with numerous students at various levels of their career and growth. We often find ourselves over stimulated and over burdened with the abundance of resources, media, tools, and information at our disposal. This level of information often has students lose focus in the actual work that needs to be done for them to truly find success in their own field. I can only speak from within the musical world, but students should often prioritize the steps that are needed to find a place in the musical field that they are pursuing.
Each year, thousands of students leave other collegiate programs all over the world with the same hopes and dreams that you do. What makes you stand out against them? Did you work harder? Practice more? Were you offered positions in prestigious internships or festivals? “Yes” doesn’t always have to be the answer to each of these questions for you to find success, but knowing the road ahead of you is filled with others just like you should ignite a fire within you to ensure that you do not stand in your own way for what you want to become!
One thing I miss most about the campus and Blacksburg is the greater sense of community and kinship. I know that my time at Virginia Tech was unique in how our community came together, but each time I come back to campus or that community, I always feel that same connection and bond to each person and place. It truly is something special that I have not found anywhere else I have lived or worked.
Another aspect of Blacksburg that I miss is the feeling of ease that portion of the country provides. There has always been a sense of comfort and calm about campus and the surrounding region where nothing seems to be moving fast or in a hurry. Having lived in places like Miami, New York, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and now Salt Lake City, I miss the quiet comfort of Blacksburg and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
Finally, I would be silly for not mentioning this, but I do miss the food on campus and in Blacksburg! We were spoiled having the level of quality and quantity that Virginia Tech provided in their dining experiences. I still have flashbacks to times where I would grab a Hokie Club at the deli in West End, and then swing by the Gobbler on the way back to East AJ for some steak fries. It was a simple meal, but it was my meal and I loved it.
When I am not sitting in a practice room working on my own performance or even sitting at my work laptop doing administrative tasks for my Associate Director position, I often find myself trying to find time with others. I love getting a group of my colleagues together to head to the golf course where we can socialize and spend time enjoying the amazing outdoors we have in Salt Lake City. I also enjoy exploring some of the fantastic hiking trails and scenic viewpoints that the western side of the Rocky Mountains provide. Most of my job allows me to interact with people daily, but there is just something I enjoy about being around people and getting to know them that brings me a lot of joy and sense of renewal. I guess some may call that being an “extrovert,” but it is something that I love to do.
I look back at my time at Virginia Tech and reflect on just how lucky we were to have so many dedicated, caring, professional musicians as our teachers and mentors. I learned so much about music and how to be a professional musician that has allowed me to have the career that I have today.
As a tubist: Roger Bobo, Floyd Cooley, Walter Hilgers, Warren Deck, Sam Pilafian. I was incredibly fortunate to study with both Roger and Floyd during and after my time at VT (Roger at the RNCM in the UK and Floyd at DePaul in Chicago). Both were giants in the tuba world as musicians, teachers, and mentors and influenced me in my playing and teaching.
While completing my Masters Degree at DePaul, I started freelancing in/around Chicago. Over the last 15 years, I have had the great fortune to perform multiple times with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, and most of the regional orchestras around the Chicagoland area. I've routinely had several All-Illinois tuba/euphonium students each year and this January, 4 out of the 8 tubas were my private students. I have also had multiple students selected as Finalists and Semifinalists in the International Falcone Festival. Currently, I am the Applied Instructor of Tuba/Euphonium at Elmhurst University and have also previously taught at VanderCook College of Music and North Central College. Since 2018, I have been Principal Tuba of the Wintergreen Music Festival at the Wintergreen Resort in Nelson County, VA.
The fact that music can connect with other humans in a way that words simply cannot, whether it be amongst the performers on stage or with the audience, its a shared moment that you can only truly experience live.
Its hard to pick just one. But my last semester, I took a class with Dr. Jim Sochinski called MAIL (Musical Analysis in London) where we studied several major works and went to London during Spring Break to hear them all performed by top ensembles in London. After each performance, we would meetup and discuss. Then we came back and each gave a 45-min presentation for our final. We all ended up going to several extra concerts and museums that week as well as attending Palm Sunday services in Westminster Abbey.
There was also the time that Quantum Brass went to Switzerland...
Get up early, practice in the biggest room you can as often as you can, LISTEN to the greats of your instrument (and other instruments), ask questions in the practice room and make statements on the stage.
Mike's Burgers, having a piano accompanist in every lesson (thanks, Dr. Crone!), and most of all the people -- the friends I made and the mentors I was so fortunate to learn from!
After suffering a stroke in 2019, I made huge lifestyle changes and got really into cycling. I really enjoy biking in/around VA when I'm back in the summer.
Interior Design
Day 1, I had no idea what interior design was all about. Like many, I thought I was headed into a world of residential design. By the end of the first year, I was so profoundly obsessed with the range of interior design and determined I was going to pursue commercial interiors. That's exactly what I did for the first 10 years of my career and it helped shape who I am today.
My team and my clients inspire me daily. Of course, there are many artists and designers who inspire me in my work but it's the daily drive to make the lives of our clients better and the ideas my team brings to the studio that encourage me to be my best.
After a grueling search for a job during a terrible economy I landed a job with Gensler in DC. It was my dream job at the time and to be honest, I am eternally grateful. I stayed there for 10 years learning all I could about design, construction, firm structure, marketing, and the like. After the birth of my first child, I decided it was time to start my own studio focusing on residential design. I grew it slowly during naptimes and evenings until my second child headed to kindergarten. At that time and ever since, I have continued to grow my firm with more intention and currently, I direct a multi-disciplinary design studio in Richmond, VA, focusing mainly on luxury residential design that is made up of 7 incredible people.
I love the service aspect of our business. Perhaps the words Ut Prosim: That I May Serve connected with me over the 4 years at VT. We are service providers first and artists second (with a VERY narrow margin between the two).
- Late nights in the Wallace Hall studio when we were so tired but so incredibly happy at the same time
- Summer study abroad - specifically our night in Basel at the Birds Eye Jazz Club
- Getting an A- on my final project during the first year and getting my project displayed in the infamous Wallace Hall display case
- (too many to put to 1)
Experience as much as you can about the design world. Whether it's a shadow opportunity, internship, travel experience, volunteer position, gallery visit - do it. Interior design has many paths and each experience layers into your design perspective.
My colleagues, the Blacksburg landscape, and Monday burger night at Rivermill.
My family (including our pup), church, and traveling are my favorite things to focus on when not working.
I grew a lot during my time at Virginia Tech. I grew as a designer, as a thinker, and as a human. Tech prepared me with a strong foundation of knowledge that I consistently use on a daily. It taught me the principles and importance of design thinking and how to leverage technology to implement.
The creative people I work with inspire me daily. My work has connected me to many, many super smart and talented people - from renown architects and industrial designers to brilliant artists, interior designers, and makers. Each one of these creative individuals loves to share their ideas, knowledge, experiences, and creative “secrets," and each of them works hard to continually improve. That inspires me to do the same.
My career path has been a journey of exploration. When I graduated, I began working for design firms in the Washington DC area where I focused primarily on interiors for workplace. The work was demanding but rewarding; and took me all over the world. After 12 years in practice, I began searching for another challenge, but one within the same industry. It was then that the furniture manufacturer, Knoll, found me. Making the transition to furniture was a great choice as it enabled me to continue being involved in the design process, just in a slightly different role. It opened doors for me to many great design firms and introduced me to the brilliant minds behind Knoll’s collection. Now I currently manage a team who consults on furniture for commercial clients across the country…and the journey is not close to being over!
I am continually amazed at how much of an impact interior design has on our daily lives. From the design of our homes, workspace, or places we go outside of those - design matters. I love the roles that color, light, texture, rhythm, and harmony play. I love furniture and the role it plays. I love the scale and the life span of interiors; I love the impermanence and the way it can change overtime as needs or styles change.
One of my fondest memories of my undergrad experience was working late in Studio with my friends. That feeling of comradery, collective creativity, and drive to meet the deadline was unforgettable. Working hard in that collaborative environment is a standout in my college experience. It was a shared experience…a true bonding moment.
Cherish these years at Virginia Tech. Rhey will be some of your fondest. Embrace curiosity and explore your interests. Stay connected to the university and always look for ways to serve: Ut Prosim: That I May Serve!
- I miss all the friends I had on/around campus while I was a student.
- I miss the excitement of Hokie football games.
- I miss the pace of Blacksburg, its restaurants, and its lively downtown scene. I always look for reasons to come back to visit!
Outside of work I enjoy traveling with my family, tackling renovation projects on my home, and designing sets for a local theatre company. I also love speaking with students within the Virginia Tech Interior Design program both on campus or when they visit me here in DC!
Industrial Design
Virginia Tech, in many ways, helped mold me into the person I am today. The diversity represented at VT opened my eyes to the world and expanded my own driving philosophies more than I could articulate at the time.
I’m inspired daily by so many people and so many things. My wife inspires me daily with her work ethic and her focused industry expertise. My daughter inspires me constantly with her unfettered curiosity. My coworkers actually make me excited to go to work, believe it or not! The next generation of Industrial Designers as well as the current lineup of faculty in the Virginia Tech Industrial Design program are extremely inspiring. My most recent visit to Blacksburg for the 25-year Industrial Design (ID) reunion was unbelievably encouraging, from the research focus of the ID program to the experiences and talent of other alumni to the unapologetic, unwavering, social empathy that current students imbue into their projects; it really blew my mind. I’m also motivated by the talent and hard work of my bandmates and friends, and my brother in the greater NC music scene.
2011 (although I started as a freshman in 2002). I took an extended hiatus from school to play music and tour with a band I was a part of.
My wife and I moved to Charlotte in 2011 and I interned and contracted for the design agency BOLTGROUP. I had met one of their Project Managers, Mike Garten through his involvement in IDSA. For the next decade, my family moved around the southeast for different reasons. Over that time, I received my Master’s Degree in Information Technology and Graduate Certificate in Project Management. For several years, I managed complex projects in the Government IT / Infrastructure space. In 2022, I got an email from my old friends at BOLTGROUP, gauging my interest in managing design projects and it was an easy decision for my family to relocate to Charlotte again, 10 years later. The most recent 2 years at BOLTGROUP have been more than amazing and a real ‘full-circle’ moment. Bridging my skills as a PM with my background in product design is a perfect fit for my skillset and also brings me a Marie Kondo level of joy.
Industrial Design allows people to connect to the things they use everyday in the most fundamental ways. I love that ID is so big and so detailed at the same time. It calls for understanding the big picture while also focusing on nuance. My role managing projects as an industrial designer allows me to use both sides of my brain equally. Half of my day is spent focusing on project details and half of my day is being immersed deeply in the creative process. Also, working at an agency like BOLTGROUP brings us the best and most diverse clients–from one-person startups, to Fortune 500 corporate clients, and everyone in between. No two days as a design manager are the same; it is extremely dynamic and keeps me on my toes.
Late nights in studio talking design, talking music, and building life-long relationships. Spending so much time with classmates (and faculty) who have shared interests while also having diverse backgrounds really propagates growth. It’s hard to put into words the amount of emotional maturity that I gained through years in design studio, not to mention an increased sense of ambition that comes out of being with inspiring designers and academics day-in and day-out.
Be curious and be open to new opportunities and perspectives. Keep your ego in check, but also keep it in your back pocket, sometimes you’ll have to pull it out at a moment’s notice. Approach design with empathy and understanding for all users throughout the life of the product. Work hard but don’t forget to enjoy it.
I miss biking around campus for hours at a time.
I miss the great small-town music scene.
I miss downtown, mostly the Cellar and Crossroads (RIP).
Family is everything. Both my immediate family and my extended family are my reason for being. Spending time building a life with them is the number one focus outside of work. I also really enjoy being engaged with the professional Industrial Design community as a whole. I’ve recently been appointed as the Communications Manager for IDSA Charlotte, and I try to stay engaged with VTID through thesis mentorship, speaking opportunities, etc. Since returning to Charlotte, music is back in my life in a big way. I’ve been playing bass guitar with an instrumental post-rock band called “…Of Sinking Ships”. Also, bikes rule.
Studio Art
I learned how to be a professional in my field. Professors, such as Jennifer Hand, Deb Sim, and Carol Burch-Brown, have made a profound impact on me. They were great mentors and advisors to my artistic practice and showed enormous generosity to me in helping me develop my artistic growth and have been very influential to me. In my own teaching, I often think of the way they were as instructors and try to model myself like them in the classroom.
Going to museums, taking walks, and looking through books are some of my biggest inspirations. Mainly those experiences inspire me because I take on the role of a collector. I photograph objects and sights that fascinate me in museums, galleries, etc., collect objects on walks or snip images out of magazines, and find amazing artworks and artists in library books that I snap photos of and save for inspiration later. Some of my favorite artists are Wangechi Mutu, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Mark Dion.
It has been a really fun ride so far. I took a few years off between undergrad at VT and grad school at JMU to work and create a new body of work. It was great having that time to develop my practice and go to different residencies. Graduate school was pivotal in allowing me a better understanding of what I was creating and conceptualizing my work. I am a stronger artist having gone back to school. Since then I have been working in my studio, participating in shows, and teaching part-time in the Art Foundations programs, first at JMU in Harrisonburg, and later at VCU in Richmond, VA.
I love the freedom to experiment with subjects, materials, images, etc., and the endless possibilities making art gives a person. It allows me to better understand the world and my experiences within that. It allows me to be the inventor, collector, maker, and story-teller, all in one.
I would say my proudest moments were all art-related. However, my fondest memories center around getting food with my friends in between lectures or studios and just enjoying meals with my fellow artists and talking about life, our projects, and whatever else was going on that day.
Make friends and connections in your major. Those people are on the same ride as you, and it always helps to have a good support system in your field.
Benny's, football games, and the unbeatable summers.
I am an active volunteer in trash removal in my local streams. I began doing that around 6 years ago now, and still find it to be a really worthwhile practice. I find the most random things out there in the streams and buffer areas. I also love to go camping, and going down to the beach. I spend a lot of my free time in my studio or somewhere outdoors.
Virginia Tech influenced me in many ways, but I think the most impactful was opening my eyes to endless possibilities. My mother is from a small town, and I’m the first person in my family to go to college, so I felt limited going in and was unsure of what I was able to do. I found out very quickly that whatever I landed on, Tech had the resources to empower me to make it happen.
My family and my wife are my biggest inspirations for sure. My family's support has been instrumental in my success – I like to think that my wins are their wins too. My wife is my biggest supporter, and she inspires me not only to get better every day but also to remember to always leave room to create for myself.
I’ll try to keep this short, but my career path has been anything but typical and I primarily attribute where I am today to curiosity and networking. The world was becoming more digital everyday so naturally, for an artist, drawings and paintings turned into graphic designs and digital illustrations. And while at Tech, I worked at a student run “advertising” agency called CMS where we would create small print ads for local businesses. Super small stuff but that’s where I first experienced bringing an idea to life for someone else and it sparked my curiosity in bigger picture things like visual storytelling and creative direction.
After graduating, I moved to Atlanta and worked at a print finishing company called Henry and Co. while earning my master's at SCAD. In 2017, after focusing on art direction and working alongside brands like Coca-Cola and Mercedes-Benz, I started working at an advertising agency doing everything from design to digital illustration to storyboarding for commercials. I moved up and around a little doing a lot of design and production work in Atlanta but, in 2021, I accepted a job at an amazing (but small) creative agency in Richmond, VA, called Familiar Creatures. In 2023, after an awesome two years in RVA, I was recruited for my current position as an art director for the Washington Commanders. I’m going on my second season managing the visuals and brand for the team and I absolutely love what I do.
What I love about art is that it’s universal yet unique to everyone. A painting can mean something to one person and something entirely different to another – the same goes for a song, a movie, etc. And I think creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human and self-expression can be shown through many art forms.
That is a difficult one to answer because I have a ton of amazing memories from Virginia Tech. But if I had to choose one, it would have to be the day of my senior show at the Armory Gallery. From the amazing turnout to having all my closest friends and family there with me, and just capping off a four-year journey with a celebration like that was perfect.
1. Networking, networking, networking. Make meaningful and genuine connections, it doesn’t always have to lead to a job opportunity, but it could in the future!
2. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. The nerves will almost always be there but the more you put in the effort, the more comfortable you are in those situations.
So many amazing things but I’d have to say I miss all the cool resources that we had at our fingertips in the School of Visual Arts. I love being outdoors, going camping and hiking, so I really miss being surrounded by so much beautiful nature. And lastly, I absolutely miss gamedays in Blacksburg – GO HOKIES!
Outside of work, I love to go hiking and camping with my wife and two dogs. I also really love teaching, mentoring, and using my creative abilities to help elevate small businesses and nonprofits.
My professors were some of my biggest influences and supporters. Not only learning from them, but watching them work on their individual artist pursuits, pushed me into investing in myself. Being able to dip my feet into other majors at Virginia Tech remains to inspire my art today. Including my time spent as an Animal Science Major and Fisheries and Wildlife.
Other artists inspire me. The energy people give off when they are passionate about what they are creating is infectious. Sometimes creation can be isolating, but when I’m in a room full of artists after spending weeks painting I feel recharged and ready to explore and create.
After graduating I pursued teaching. I taught art lessons at the local galleries in my hometown, as well as substitute teaching, and held a position on the Leesburg Commission on Public Art. After moving to Utah to be closer to the mountains, I had a change of heart and started pursuing selling my own landscape oil paintings. I captured moments in time like skiing in the mountains, camping in the desert, and hiking, to explore on a canvas later. Having fallen in love with exploring and painting Utah’s outdoors, and attending gallery shows and art festivals; it made sense to make the switch. Along with painting I started learning to groom dogs under a master groomer which brought my time at Virginia Tech full circle, combining my knowledge and time spent in the School of Animal Sciences with my love of art.
No two pieces of work, even if it’s the same subject, are ever the same. It’s interesting seeing a person's perspective come to life. Even with my own work I have an idea of how it will look, but rarely does the piece I create ever look exactly like how I envisioned it, making the process so much more of a journey. Seeing people fall in love with art, you can see on their face when it clicks and it’s such a fun experience to witness.
My fondest memories were all the time spent with friends enjoying time on and off campus. I met so many motivated people pursuing their passions making it such a great environment to grow.
Find a subject that peaks your interests and gives you drive. It makes the journey in pursuing it, that much more rewarding.
Virginia Tech Football, Chicken Parmesan on campus, and the Virginia Tech Ski Team were some of my highlights.
Outside of work I love to ski with my partner, hike all year round with our dog, and camp in the deserts of Utah.
Virginia Tech gave me the space, freedom, and confidence to reimagine what was possible in the world. Between building a close community with emerging professionals across a diverse range of industries to witnessing first hand the power of uniting creative minds with technology, being able to invent the future on a daily basis was a liberating mindset that I still foster and utilize today.
2015 from undergrad with a double major in BFA Studio Art and BA Art History. Then, after an accelerated masters program, I graduated in 2016 with my Masters in Material Culture and Public Humanities.
I am inspired on a daily basis by light, shadow, dynamic lines, and bold colors that surround us in life’s everyday moments. Trying to capture that inergy in my studio space I am a firm believer that the slow moments of heightened awareness and vulnerability are when clarity and insight are formed.
After graduating in 2016, I moved to Raleigh with no full time job leads. I juggled 4 part time jobs while networking, establishing the key players in my industry, and applying to jobs in my area.
Eager to make an impact on my new local area I intentionally sought after community focused social groups and nonprofit organizations that could “catch me up” on the landscape of the city.
Years later, while working a full time corporate job, I began to integrate a consistent art practice back into my routine again. Although it had been a few years since intentionally creating new work, this break energized me and allowed me to re-enter into my craft with a new mindset. As I learned how to balance my art practice with a full time W-2 job, I moved into a public facing art studio in 2020 at Artspace where I create and sell original art, art products, and creative experiences to community members, private collectors, retail shops, and corporate organizations.
In 2021 I co-founded a weekly podcast called Level Up Artists where we talk to artists, leaders, and art professionals to demystify the creative process and unpack how they define ‘success’ as a career minded artist.
Expanding into large scale murals in 2023, I am proud to bridge the gap of art accessibility with large scale work and move forward in my art career.
Rewarding in so many ways, I am proud to have a creative career where I am able to transform life’s mundane moments into memorable experiences for my community and collector base, one piece of colorful artwork at a time.
Learn more about these projects on my website.
Art, to me, encompasses the human experience. Love, sadness, excitement, curiosity, passion, grief, longing, helplessness – art has the power to bridge human connection across cultures, regions, and generations, making individuals feel connected and less alone. Artists are culture makers in a society and their voice has the power to define a moment.
Pushing the boundaries of creative control, one of my fondest memories was designing my Senior Studio exhibition and assisting exhibitions at the Moss Arts Center. Brining a creative vision to life from start to finish is a uniquely rewarding experience and one that energizes me still to this day.
Learn more about the 2025 exhibition, Taking Control.
Collect as many experiences and skills as you can! Whether it is in class, through a club organization, during an internship, or in your free time with friends, every experience and skill that you develop has the possibility to serve you down the road. So no matter if they are “on track” with your degree or not, if you feel energized to pursue it – follow that passion. There is a reason your curiosity is drawn toward that experience and the purpose for it may only make sense when you are looking backwards at your trail of life.
1. I miss the late night basketball games with friends at War Memorial Gym
2. I miss the walkable community lifestyle that Blacksburg creates. Having your learning centers, workshops, housing, friends, gym, restaurants, and sports stadiums all within walking distance? That is (unfortunately) a rare experience!
3. I miss the opportunity to unpack a curiosity during a semester course, internship, or independent study with limited commitment long term but all of the resources available to you! It was through these short term experiences that I filled my toolbox with skills and insight that I still use on a daily basis as I wear the many hats of being an art business owner.
Carrying on the sense of community that I built at Virginia Tech, I have grown roots in Raleigh North Carolina since moving here in 2016. I have built strong friendships through my weekly volleyball league and intentionally stay connected with nature every chance I get. Whether it be kayaking, making trips to the beach, hiking in the mountains, or embracing the walking trails around the North Carolina Art Museum, connecting with nature is a constant source of inspiration for my work.
Keeping Ut Prosim at the forefront of my mind, over the past few years I’ve also been proud to partner with several incredible local non-profit organizations!
Most notably, I partner with Healing Transitions, a nonprofit, recovery and rehabilitation facility for homeless people with alcohol and drug dependency. They believe that all people struggling with addiction (especially the homeless, uninsured and underserved) deserve services on demand – as many times as it takes – to find recovery. They never turn away anyone who’s seeking help and with a mission that is close to my heart I am proud to support their life saving work. Through financial donations, creative collaborations and volunteering at events, I support healing transitions because for many, recovery can’t wait.
Landscape Architecture
Virginia Tech changed my life in many ways. Specifically, VT helped me become much more reflective about my learning and growth. This allowed me to become a more active participant in my own learning. As a result, my relationship to the course content and my professors changed so that I became much more goal oriented, engaged, and thoughtful as a student and professional.
I am inspired by the belief that we can do better; that there is a better way and a better day. I set out to find it every morning. I hope that my friends and colleagues are there with me when I do.
I am a two time alumnus, 2000 Master of Landscape Architecture and 2006 Environmental Design and Planning. My career path has been mostly straightforward. I was inspired to become a professor when I was an undergraduate. Each of my career decisions since then has been aimed at achieving that dream. Fortunately, my career path included a stop at Virginia Tech as a graduate student. Even more fortunately, my path has brought me back to Blacksburg over 20 years later as a professor!
I love landscape architects! I like how we think, collaborate, and continually strive to balance the built and natural environments with the art and science of design.
My favorite memory was the day Patrick Miller, the department chair of landscape architecture at the time, told me that I was assigned to teach a design studio. It was my first studio and I had come to Virginia Tech to become a professor. This was a huge opportunity for me personally. It also taught me the value of trusting students, enabling dreams, and empowering others.
Put yourself and your needs as learners and young adults first. Ask for help when you need it. Find something to believe in and learn to love it even when you’re bored, tired, or it doesn’t love you back.
I love many things about Blacksburg. I love the Appalachian culture, the New River, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and all the friendly people you can meet downtown.
I like gardening, fishing, kayaking, music, and hanging out with friends and family.
Virginia Tech influenced me to be a leader who is focused on serving others rather than themselves. Throughout the programs, events, and leadership roles I was afforded I learned the valuable lesson of putting others first and everything else will fall into place.
I am inspired by my family and those who helped me get to where I am, why because without them and their continued support I would not be half of the person I am today.
My career path has been nothing like I imagined. I am still within the field of landscape architecture which is truly a shock to myself and probably my whole support system. I always knew I would make a career switch to either law or business, but alas I have not completely switched and here I am eight years later in Orlando, Florida, a place I vowed never to go to when I graduated. I believe I ended up in Orlando because that is ultimately where I needed to be, Orlando is where I would gain the most experience, where I would learn more about myself as a designer, a professional, and ultimately where I needed to go to fall in love with landscape architecture again.
I love that landscape architects are the makers and creators of the built fabric we all enjoy and are not always in the spotlight. Landscape Architecture is a field where we have to explain to the general public what it is we do on a reoccurring basis. However, I enjoy knowing that I designed a park space, or a large scale community development and can pick out all the nuisances to the projects and yet no one ever suspects that I was the designer.
One of my fondest memories of college was participating and being an influential leader within New Student and Family programs as a Hokie Camp Exec. leader and Hokie Camp counselor. I was able to play an active role in students lives while they were transitioning from high school to college and credit the leadership I was given in providing me with the best resources to give to new students.
Advice I have for current students would be don’t be afraid to be wrong or fail. Success will only come once you have attempted something and failed at. Also to be patient when you get into the workforce, don’t be so quick or anxious to have leadership, additionally responsibilities etc., learn what you can first and those things will come, the race is not for the swift but those who are patient and understand timing.
Three favorite things about campus and Blacksburg were the drillfied, the food was always top tier, and I miss the fall weather and the overall feeling you get when you see the trees turn orange and maroon.
My interest outside of work are to spend time with my family, friends, travel, workout and keep my fitness both physical and mental in the best shape possible. I also am the avid sports enthusiast and try to go to all the sporting events in Central Florida whenever they are available.
My experience at Virginia Tech was very focused on the motto Ut Prosim: That I May Serve. As a landscape architecture student, I felt a calling to find ways to serve others, the profession, communities in need, degraded landscapes, etc. So much of our profession is centered on service in one way or another, so hearing “that I may serve” throughout college was incredibly impactful to me as a human and a designer.
In school, I developed a huge interest in the remediation and reclamation of disturbed sites. As Landscape Architects, we have the ability to think about sites with the community, environment, and ecology in mind – which sets us up as thought leaders for the transformation of degraded lands. Starting in school as the National Olmsted scholar with the Landscape Architecture Foundation, I’ve spent a lot of my (extra) time researching strategies and case studies to inform how we transform coal ash ponds and landfills to benefit surrounding communities. As part of these studies, I traveled to Germany to explore how they’ve transformed waste sites of the Ruhr Region. I was able to continue this work as a Fellow for Innovation and Leadership with the Landscape Architecture Foundation. While still a side project, these bigger ideas are still a driving force in my work.
I knew in school that I wanted to begin my career at a mid-sized or larger firm so I could quickly learn the ins and outs of many different project types. During school, I was an intern for LandDesign in Charlotte, NC and have been working for them full time since I graduated. I’ve been able to explore a huge variety of project scales and types, which has helped me grow into a well-rounded designer and project leader.
What I love most about Landscape Architecture is the breadth of work it allows you to do. There are endless directions you can take your career, which is fitting considering we should be able to adapt to changing cultural and environmental needs. The ability to shift and change your career path in big ways without leaving the profession is incredibly important and something that isn’t spoken about enough.
I graduated with a small but mighty group of seven in our LAR studio. Some of my best college memories are studio trips, site visits, and late nights with that crew. Whether we were all squeezed into one hotel room for a Raleigh field trip or hanging out at El Rods post studio pin-up, we had an incredibly tight group that made school even more fun.
Stay curious and take risks! School is such a good time to push boundaries and explore topics that excite you. You have the rest of your career to be reigned in by client budgets, so spend these years of your life drawing weird things and exploring unusual topics.
- I miss the scenery – having mountains and hiking right at your doorstep is something I took for granted
- Being surrounded by big thinkings and change makers is something I also didn’t realize was so incredible about being on campus
- I miss Cabo Fish Taco! (And yes, there’s one in Charlotte but it’s just not the same vibe)
Outside of work, I serve on the VT Landscape Architecture Advisory board and also on the Olmsted Scholar task force for the Landscape Architecture Foundation. I spend most of my free time with my anxious Golden Retriever trying to help her overcome her fears of trashcans and manholes.
Virginia Tech influenced me to lean into my curiosities and to allow creativity to seep into every aspect of life, not just work. Ultimately, it made me a romantic.
For “Who inspires me”, I am inspired by anyone that continually dedicates themselves to learning a new craft. To becoming a beginner again. They give me confidence to do the same. For “What inspires me”, I am a sucker for books. I cannot stop collecting them. Poetry, art, photography… the list goes on and on.
My career path has been a slow build. I spent most of my summers applying to internships at known firms and getting denied. I got my first break with an internship at a local design build firm and then spent a summer working for a professor of mine. In my final year at Virginia Tech, I was approached by the landscape firm MVVA and offered a week-long trial/interview. It went well and I’ve worked there for the last 6 years.
I love the boundlessness of landscape architectur; that a site of any size has the potential to evoke wonder, joy, and excitement. As a kid, I spent my time exploring the fringes of drainage culverts and dribbling creeks while my imagination brought me to fantastical make-believe worlds. Now, I have the privilege to shape dynamic and timeless public spaces that bring this same experience (and more) to the masses. I think that’s pretty cool.
It’s impossible to look back at my time in college and not think about my studio classmates and the friendships that we developed together. Whether it was late nights in studio or cramming for exams, we learned that go fast alone, but we go further together. And there’s no doubt we have all gone far.
Be fearless. Stay curious. Know and utilize your resources. Don’t take yourself and your work too seriously. The more playful you are the more creative you’ll be.
- The buzzing energy of the studios
- The food
- The people
Outside of work, I’m an avid painter. I have a show coming up on Memorial Day weekend which I’m working towards now. When I’m not painting, you can find me at community meetings advocating for the development of local skateparks. Two years ago, I received a grant that afforded me the opportunity to travel throughout Europe while studying and taking inventory of numerous skate parks/skate spots. That research is ongoing and a true passion of mine.
Architecture
When I was a student, hearing from people who were actively working in architecture was inspiring. It made it seem like it could be done, and was not this elusive unknowable future. When you're in school, it all feels theoretical. I feel lucky to have the means to come back to school regularly and give back the connection to the working world that was given to me.
Now that I work in closer connection to the field, every day I am inspired by the folks putting their bodies on the line to build these incredible residences. I think that respect for labor should be part of what is instilled in architecture students from day one. You literally cannot get a building completed without themand they are so knowledgeable. From layout to verification to hanging level 5 drywall to operating a tower crane, these folks have specialized skills that we as architects do not need to have because of them.
I do not think it is unique to want to work on and see the direct effect of your efforts in your community. What is unique is working where those opportunities are supported. Because of that, that is a critical question to ask in interviews if community work is important to you. The next is to make sure that the community work given adequate respect. It's important that community work is not the last thing you do on a Friday afternoon. Additionally, there is no place for telling people what they need. Our community clients are the experts on what they need.
I say this every time I come back to school. Come into work humble, as questions, and push as hard as you can to get grunt work in CA. It's unlikely you're going to be asked to do the big fat marker sketch of a building right away, so start learning how to put the building together.
The other thing I always say to students is do what you're asked to do first. If you have a second proposal or interesting idea, it is always better to make sure you do what you're told to do.
Bollo's, Gillie's, and Burchard. Easy!
Throughout his career Matthew Pearson has had the honor of designing public monuments close to his heart. Matthew grew up in a military family. His father served in the Navy, and his grandfather served in the Navy and later in the Army. In 2017, the National Navy Seal Museum asked Matthew to design the first public monument to honor Navy Seals. He also designed a monument at Fort Bragg that used steel from the Twin Towers in 2021. His third and most recent monument was unveiled last week.
Eighty years ago, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in France during World War II. His grandfather was one of many who landed at Utah Beach. Pearson designed a contemporary park-style monument 500 yards from the cemetery where the fallen are buried.
“These monuments, you have to take them very seriously,” said Pearson. “You’re using architecture to carefully and thoughtfully tell a story to your fellow Americans, and that includes lives sacrificed in the name of freedom. This has to pass muster for our servicemen and servicewomen as well as civilians.” Pearson credited his Virginia Tech education in the School of Architecture as a key to his ability to understand and use different art forms and materials and appreciate how people move through space.
Virginia Tech Architecture rebuilt my sense of agency. Every day, I tap into my education there to find the discipline and curiosity to do better work.
The Peregrine by J.A. Baker. It's not a book of poems but the poetry is everywhere. There's more to see the longer you look.
There's a path I keep taking in my career. I tackle the next problem standing in the way of bringing things into reality. That often means getting your hands dirty into new disciplines, or in the spaces between disciplines where few focus. That's landed me in a unique gap where I focus on how architects build businesses, because it's a bottleneck in the way of so many architects, and so much architecture.
If I say, "the architecture of a tree." You first think of its structure, but then you remember its roots, and its leaves, and the quality of its bark, and its seasonal cycle, and its growth from tree to seed to tree, and its countless species, and its countless uses by humanity, and so on. Try that exercise on the architecture of anything. What other idea has that capacity to expand and interconnect like "architecture"?
I was back home for a few days between an internship at SOM Chicago and Blacksburg to start my thesis. For years, architecture school trained me to set goals and work hard to hit outcomes. But one morning I opened my email and saw an invite to an opportunity I didn't know existed and didn't pursue directly. I used to end interviews with the question, "What's the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?" No one asked it back, but my answer is when Professor Frank Weiner invited me to travel to Japan at the start of my thesis year. I'm grateful to Frank for selecting me for that.
Push yourself. Iterate. Iterate. Iterate.
I miss working at night in the design labs, finding books in the Art + Architecture library, and exploring the New River Valley.
My greatest joy is discovering the world surrounding us with my wife, Caitlin, and our son, Michael.
In the news
Get to know these alumni in more detail in these feature articles.
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