Oct 15 - Oct 18, 2022
UCDA Design Conference
Hyatt Regency Tamaya
1300 Tuyuna Trail
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico 87004
United States of America
Storytellers: UCDA Design Conference
Humankind has historically sought out unique ways of getting things done. We share new ideas and adopt behaviors from communities and influences beyond our own. Blending of cultures, history, and ideas is shared, quite simply, through storytellers.
Storytelling is the purest form of connection. And as creatives, we’re tasked to tell the stories of our institution. We want these to resonate, to be authentic, to create an emotional connection with alumni, with students, with our surrounding communities. A lifetime of convergent moments becomes the fabric of our institution’s identity.
The 52nd annual UCDA Design Conference is hosted on the ancient lands of the Tamayame people and nestled at the foot of the Sandia Mountains—an area rich in storytelling. Sample a broad range of experiences and see what the heart of New Mexico has to offer. Come together to trade stories with your peers. Listen to the dynamic lineup of speakers. Return home inspired and ready to craft narratives that will deepen your institution’s brand.
Unlike recent UCDA Design Conferences, the schedule and setting are different this year. We will meet in the mornings and evenings giving you blocks of time in the afternoon to explore New Mexico and all the activities the Tamaya resort has to offer.
Main Stage Presentations
Concurrent Sessions
Pre-con Workshops (Add-ons)
Bonus Content
Benefits of Attending
Every year, we look forward to connecting with our design community at the conference where we take an in-depth look at the issues and trends in design and communication communities, both in and out of educational institutions, and gain inspiration to spark our creativity and improve our collaborations. The UCDA Design Conference is an incredibly important event for UCDA and it’s one of our favorite ways to celebrate all of you. It will have main stage and breakout session speakers, the annual UCDA Design Awards, and the UCDA Foundation’s auction.
EDUCATION
Specially curated main stage and breakout sessions over four days that cover the gamut of work you do, plus additional content happenings throughout the conference.
NETWORKING
UCDA is your people. It's time to connect and share stories with the folks who do what you do so you can charge your creative battery.
INSPIRATION
Get inspired by the stories of others in your field, and by the award-winning work in the UCDA Design Awards Show.
Convince Your Boss
Tired of online meetings and need some inspiration? UCDA has you covered. Connect with your design community in person at the 2022 UCDA Design Conference!
Use our Convince Your Boss letter to advocate for your professional development by attending the Storytellers: UCDA Design Conference.
2021 UCDA Design Conference attendees (photos by Matthew Lester).
Who Should Attend
- Communication professionals at all levels of their careers
- Designers in communications, marketing, alumni relations, and development
- Newcomers to the profession
- Creatives who would like to connect with their peers across the country
Conference Pass
The Conference Pass gets you access to all the scheduled conference activities, programming (main stage and breakouts), and meals except the pre-conference workshops/add-ons where pre-registration and an additional fee are required.
Left to right: 2021 UCDA Design Awards Show; Design Pod presentations; and getting creative during a hands-on activity (photos by Matthew Lester).
Registration
Be sure to log in before you click the Register button to take advantage of your UCDA member or emeritus discounted pricing.
| CONFERENCE PASS (all prices in USD) |
Regular | Early Bird (by Aug. 1) |
Trust Us* (by May 1) |
| UCDA Member (Professional, Associate or Faculty) Become a member |
$1,150 | $1,000 (save $150) |
$850* (save $300) |
| UCDA Partner Member (e.g. GDC members) Call the UCDA Home Office to register as a Partner Member |
$1,300 | $1,150 (save $150) |
$1,000* (save $300) |
| Non-member/Subscriber | $1,450 | $1,300 (save $150) |
$1,150* (save $300) |
| Student | $500 | $450 | $400* |
| UCDA Emeritus Member Must be logged in to see this rate when registering |
$500 | $450 | $400 |
*Don’t know the speaker lineup? Haven’t heard what workshops are being held? It doesn't matter since you already know UCDA puts on a stellar and relevant program! Take advantage and save!
| SINGLE-DAY PASS (all prices in USD) |
Regular | Early Bird (by Aug. 1) |
| Saturday, October 15 | $450 | $400 |
| Sunday, October 16 | $450 | $400 |
| Monday, October 17 | $450 | $400 |
| Tuesday, October 18 | $450 | $400 |
Register here for single-day passes
| ADD-ONS (all prices in USD) |
Attendee | Non-attendee or Guest |
| Pre-Con: Hot tips for InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop | $65 | $85 |
| Pre-Con: Linocut Landscapes: A Printmaking Workshop | $65 (SOLD OUT) | $85 (SOLD OUT) |
| Guest Meal Pass (includes all meals that are part of the conference programming) | N/A | $200 |
| Carbon Offset (1-1/2 tons of credit) | $20 | $20 |
See UCDA’s cancellation policy.
TWO WAYS TO REGISTER
1. Online
Click the "REGISTER" button at the right to register online. You will be able to register for the conference as well as any optional activities (add-ons) including pre-conference workshops, publication swap shop, guest meal pass, and more.
2. Call Us
Call us at 615-459-4559 and we can register you by phone. Please have your payment information available.
The 2021 UCDA Design Conference offered opportunities to meet both inside and outside the meeting room (photos by Matthew Lester).
VOLUNTEER
Be sure to indicate “yes” on the Conference Registration form and a volunteer coordinator will be in touch. For more information, contact the UCDA Home Office at 615-459-4559, or email info@ucda.com.
INSIDER TIP: GET YOUR REGISTRATION COVERED
Budget tight this year? Apply for one of the professional development scholarships which cover your registration cost. Voila! You’ll only have travel and lodging to deal with.
SCHOLARSHIPS
UCDA recognizes the importance of lifelong learning and, as a result, proudly supports members through the dedicated funding of the UCDA Foundation professional development scholarship program. This program provides opportunities for members to attend the UCDA Design Conference. Two types of scholarships are available: Professional Development Scholarship and Elevating Black Design Voices Professional Development Scholarship. Both of these scholarship programs cover the registration cost for the conference.
Scholarships are funded by the UCDA Foundation and again this year a grant from the Julius Friedman Foundation.
Deadline: July 15
[Professional Development Scholarship: Information and Application]
[Elevating Black Design Voices Professional Development Scholarship: Information and Application]
2021 UCDA Design Conference attendees (photos by Matthew Lester).
Sponsors and Exhibitors
Looking for a powerful way to introduce your product or service to graphic designers in higher education and at educational institutions this year? Make plans now to join the University & College Designers Association for its annual UCDA Design Conference! Interested in exhibiting at the UCDA Resource Center at the conference or becoming a sponsor? Contact UCDA at info@ucda.com or 615-459-4559 to learn more!
Conference Chair/Co-Chair
Anna McBrayer, Art Director, Marketing and Communications
Fort Lewis College
Sean Payne, Executive Director of Public Relations and Marketing, College Advancement
Ogeechee Technical College
2021 UCDA Design Conference attendees (photos by Matthew Lester).
Travel
GETTING TO ALBUQUERQUE
Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is located near downtown Albuquerque and is 27 miles southeast of the Hyatt Regency Tamaya.
Alvarado Transportation Center (Amtrak) is located in downtown Albuquerque. Amtrak’s Southwest Chief line runs through the heart of New Mexico with a stop at the Alvarado Transportation Center. Other stops on this line include Chicago, Kansas City, Flagstaff, and Los Angeles.
CAR RENTAL
Because the Hyatt Regency Tamaya is a resort property, we recommend renting a car or carpooling with other attendees for the best experience.
If you do not drive, the hotel does offer plenty to do in your downtime, and it has several food outlets on-site as well at their neighboring Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel, just a short shuttle ride away (including a casino, restaurants, lounges, a food court, and bowling alley).
INSIDER TIP: RENT A CAR
We recommend renting a car because the hotel is a resort property. This gets you to and from the property, as well as a way to explore the region, including Albuquerque and Santa Fe.
CARBON OFFSETS
For $20, you may purchase and offset the carbon created by your travel. Participants will receive a luggage tag and will be purchasing 1-1/2 tons, no matter the distance.
Details
CONFERENCE SITE
The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa, located 20 miles northwest of Albuquerque and 50 miles southwest of Santa Fe. Experience a completely unique and authentic journey into the ancient lands of the Tamayame people. Nestled on 550 acres of the Native American Santa Ana Pueblo between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande River, Tamaya is steeped in over one thousand years of rich history and culture. See the hotel’s COVID-19 updates and what to expect at the hotel during your stay.
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa
1300 Tuyuna Trail
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico, 87004
505-867-1234
INSIDER TIP: BOOK YOUR ROOM EARLY
UCDA has a limited room block at the conference hotel, so you are encouraged to book early. Plus, when you book within the UCDA room block, the hotel will waive the $34 daily resort fee!
Nestled on 550 acres of the Native American Santa Ana Pueblo between the Sandia Mountains and the Rio Grande River, the Hyatt Regency Tamaya is steeped in over one thousand years of rich history and culture (photo courtesy of The World of Hyatt, and Tadson Bussey).
DISCOUNTED HOTEL RATES
To secure your room, book online at tinyurl.com/ucda-tamaya or contact the hotel directly at 505-867-1234 and mention the UCDA Design Conference to receive your room at the rate of $229-$239 (rooms within the UCDA block have the $34 daily resort fee waived which includes: free Internet access; 24-hour fitness center access; yoga and aerobic room; two complimentary bottles of water daily; resort recreation and activities including horseshoe pits; golf bag storage; self-parking; tennis and basketball courts (balls and racquets provided); bicycles and helmets; nature/jogging trails with fitness stations; daily nature walks; separate adult/quiet pool; outdoor games; and cultural activities).
The deadline to receive this rate is September 3, (extended until September 16), based on availability. The rate is also available two days pre- and post-conference, based on availability. After that date, rooms may be available at the previaling rate.
The hotel stay is not included in the conference registration fees. You are responsible for making your own hotel reservations. Room blocks may fill before the hotel deadline and have sold out the last few years, so please make your reservation immediately to ensure the discounted rate and availability.
Located at The Stables of Tamaya, Tamaya Horse Rehab was established in 2012. Through adoption and re-homing, they strive to help a horse live out a full, cared-for life. Visit The Stables during your stay at Tamaya, or schedule a trail ride to experience the horses firsthand (photos by Tadson Bussey).
“At the heart of New Mexico beats the pulse of a vibrant city. In Albuquerque, diverse cultures, authentic art, and dynamic traditions have helped shape our centuries-old story. No matter your interests, the city has countless opportunities for you to explore. Sample traditional New Mexican cuisine that takes minutes to make and hundreds of years to prepare, experience world-class museums, stroll along Central Avenue under the vintage neon glow of Route 66, or soar high above the city in the hot air ballooning capital of the world—a sight sure to change your perspective.” (photos by Tadson Bussey)
With legendary history and culture around every corner, Santa Fe’s art scene spans from traditional to contemporary and is home to Meow Wolf Santa Fe. Its award-winning cuisine is as eclectic as it is sumptuous, and with countless experiences to encounter, you’re sure to uncover something different about yourself when you visit.
GUEST MEAL PASS
A guest meal pass gets your guest access to all of the event-sponsored meals and breaks including Saturday night’s opening mixer and dinner; lunch and dessert reception on Sunday; breakfast on Monday and Tuesday; and the closing reception of the UCDA Foundation Auction on Monday.
UCDA FOUNDATION AUCTION
Each year we ask our members, speakers, sponsors, and anyone in our profession to submit items to be auctioned off during the UCDA Design Conference. Funds collected are used for the foundations' scholarships programs.
Objects made by our members including photographs, paintings, drawings, prints, posters, jewelry, ceramics, weavings, cards, books, etc., are especially well-received by conference attendees. Also, quirky and unusual items such as pop-up books, collectibles, and objects d'art do extremely well in the silent auction.
Items for the auction can be mailed to the UCDA Home Office, or bring them with you to the conference and turn them in at the registration desk.
You may also contribute to the UCDA Foundation outside of the auction with a monetary donation.
1. Give or pledge online at the UCDA Foundation website
2. Give using CashApp: $UCDAFoundation
3. Give using PayPal
The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa, located 20 miles northwest of Albuquerque and 50 miles southwest of Santa Fe. (photo courtesy of The World of Hyatt).
CODE OF CONDUCT
Please see UCDA’s Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy, including our Statement of Inclusiveness. We expect conference participants to follow these rules at program venues and program-related social events, along with the COVID-19 Code of Conduct (subject to change based on local requirements).
COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS
UCDA is always focused on ensuring a safe and productive conference. The CDC guidelines encourage event organizers like UCDA to follow state and local regulations on gatherings (updates on Covid-19 restrictions in all 50 states can be found here). UCDA will continually monitor the outbreak and make adjustments to the conference plan as needed. That may or may not include additional safety and cleaning measures, social distancing, and/or the wearing of facial coverings.
UCDA will work to implement this guidance, adjusting to meet the unique needs and circumstances of the local community. See COVID-19 Code of Conduct.
CANCELLATIONS
See UCDA’s cancellation policy.
Sponsors and Exhibitors
Featured Speakers
Ellen’s lifelong fascination with people and the amazing outcomes created by teams led her to work on five different continents. Her experience ranges from mediating public policy meetings to promoting international peace and friendship through cultural exchanges. She has designed and taught skill-based courses in canoeing and kayaking as well as developed and facilitated multi-year leadership programs for international teams. For 10 years, Ellen concentrated on developing high-performance management teams for the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. She is a master event planner and happiest when concocting a new experience that involves lots of people.
Originally from Louisiana, Ellen now calls Durango, Colorado home, with her husband Michael and son Nathaniel. Ellen is an avid runner and whitewater paddler, and has been known to cook a righteous jambalaya.
FUN FACT: Ellen practices cartwheels several times a year so she will still be able to do them when she is ninety.
Dr. Ishani Banerji joined Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in 2020 as an assistant professor of marketing. She focuses on understanding how consumers influence one another, particularly through interpersonal communication. Her research has been published in journals such as Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes and the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. Prior to coming to Fort Lewis, she worked at the University of Texas San Antonio and Georgetown University. She earned her Ph.D. from Indiana University in 2013.
FUN FACT: Ishani is a bit of a nomad and has never lived in a place for more than five years.
Keith is a design consultant, developer, educator, speaker, and author. His work has taken him throughout North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. During his 37-year career, his clients have included Adobe, Apple, Target, Oracle, and the United Nations. He is the author of several popular titles for LinkedIn Learning, Adobe Press, and CreativePro. Find him at gilbertconsulting.com and on Twitter @gilbertconsult.
Celine is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico focused primarily on drawing and printmaking. Her work draws influence from ecology, processed-based drawing, and performance art. She is a 17th-generation New Mexican and is deeply inspired by the rhythms, patterns, and connections found in the surrounding landscape.
Celine also works as a graphic designer and illustrator and runs her own practice: Off Grid Studio. Her work as an artist is always in conversation with her design work and she enjoys being able to cross-pollinate those skillsets.
FUN FACT: Celine does tarot readings and illustrated her own tarot deck
Photographer and filmmaker, Evan is a freelancer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work is focused on commercial and editorial content for the outdoor industry. He is an avid cyclist, climber, backpacker, and snowboarder who combines his passions with creativity to craft authentic stories in the mountains.
FUN FACT: Evan has a cat named Fuji after the camera and film company.
Brandi Sea Heft-Kniffin is a native New Mexican with 20+ years of experience as a graphic designer, art and creative director, and design and brand strategist. She helps creatives “discover uncommon inspiration” and produce more captivating design concepts. She believes that every designer deserves a process that will get them past a creative block. Through her podcast, Design Speaks, online course, YouTube channel, and blog, she works to empower designers with the tools they need to stay inspired and create work that gets noticed. She is currently serving as the vice president of the New Mexico chapter for AIGA. In her free time, you will likely find her traveling, collecting inspiration, reading classic literature, discovering new music, or spending time with her husband Kenny, a video producer, and her two kiddos Jasmine and Kaden.
FUN FACT: Brandi loves to rock climb and watch documentaries.
Christiana has spent 19 years designing for hospitals, the US Army, nonprofits, and ski resorts, including 13 years developing the branding for Sipapu Ski Resort and Pajarito Mountain. About three years ago, she made the switch from art direction and design to the account side, where she’s attempting to lighten things up. With a master’s in marketing that has fueled her design career, she’s using her creativity to provide innovation in marketing the ski industry. You’ll often find her outside hiking or reading, or cooking up something delicious both literally and figuratively.
FUN FACT: Christiana once won a two-minute shopping spree through the Montgomery Ward toy department. Have a guess at the best thing she captured in two minutes...
Ellen is the Betty Cooke and William O. Steinmetz Design Chair at MICA. Ellen has authored numerous books on design processes, including Thinking with Type, Graphic Design Thinking, Graphic Design: The New Basics (with Jennifer Cole Phillips), and Extra Bold (with Farah Kafei, Jennifer Tobias, Josh Halstead, Kaleena Sales, Leslie Xia, and Valentina Vergara.) She is Senior Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. Recent exhibitions include The Senses: Design Beyond Vision, Beauty—Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial, How Posters Work, and Beautiful Users. Her books Design Is Storytelling and Health Design Thinking (with Dr. Bon Ku) are published by Cooper Hewitt. She received the AIGA Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Jenny left the corporate world where she worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including Dolly Parton, Family Guy, Harley Davidson, Phantom of the Opera, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and joined the world of higher ed marketing almost a decade ago. As the Chief Marketing Communications Officer at the University of Montana, Jenny is passionate about raising the profile of the marketing function within higher ed and modernizing the way we market to prospective students—she can talk about inbound marketing all day long. She was honored to be the winner of the 2021 eduweb Summit Award for Industry Excellence. With a strong background and passion for branding, she was a key, the driving force behind The World Needs More Cowboys campaign at the University of Wyoming and the Montana Made. Montana Making. campaign at the University of Montana. Her expertise in branding, marketing strategy, and strategic communications are frequently called upon within the higher ed marketing industry. She finds joy in building teams and helping others grow, as well as flexing her creative muscles whenever she can. Jenny is a graduate of the Reynolds School of Journalism and the University of Nevada and has a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University where her studies focused on the intersection of Servant Leadership and the marketing profession. She’s the host of “The Servant Marketer,” a weekly podcast featuring marketing leaders, marketers, creatives, academics, and entrepreneurs, and shares thoughts on how marketers and leaders can serve first at servantmarketer.co.
FUN FACT: Jenny is a Cruzan.
Mike has contributed creative to over 50 college and university brands. His higher ed capital campaign work alone has helped raise over $7 billion. Prior to joining a higher ed agency—first Ologie, then SimpsonScarborough—he worked in-house at both the Da Camera Society of Mount Saint Mary’s University and at Agency ND in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications at the University of Notre Dame. Higher education clients include Cornell, William & Mary, Cal Poly, Northwestern, the University of Montana, Springfield College, the Wake Forest School of Business, Saint Mary’s College of California, Stanislaus State, the University of Tulsa, Ball State, Seattle University, and Butler University.
In 2017, Mike was SimpsonScarborough’s first creative hire and its first creative director, eventually being promoted to vice president, executive creative director. Since being brought in, the creative department has grown into a full-service agency, its creative division offering brand concepts, tactical executions, media campaigns, video, and digital.
Prior to higher ed, Mike lived and worked in Los Angeles, where he wrote over 10,000 taglines, as well as provided concepts and copy for hundreds of movies, TV shows, and interactive games, including Disney, The Simpsons, Twentieth Century Fox, HBO, and Katie Couric. Mike holds a BBA in marketing from the University of Notre Dame.
Ted Slampyak is a freelance illustrator with over twenty years of professional experience in storyboards, comic strips, and books, and spot illustrations for magazines, posters, and events. His storyboard experience includes work on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, Hello or High Water, and Terminator Salvation.
Ted lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, one of their kids, and some pets. Samples of his work can be found at http://www.storytellersworkshop.com.
FUN FACT: Ted’s comics work includes six years on the long-running newspaper strip (Little Orphan) Annie! Leapin’ lizards!
Dr. Chip Thomas, aka jetsonorama, is a photographer, public artist, and physician who has been working in a small clinic on the Navajo Nation since 1987. There he coordinates the Painted Desert Project which he describes as a community-building dialog that manifests as a constellation of murals painted by artists from the Navajo Nation as well as from around the world.
Chip’s own public artwork consists of enlarged black and white photographs pasted onto structures along the roadside primarily on the Navajo Nation. His motivation is to reflect back to the community the love they’ve shared with him over the years.
Chip was a 2018 Kindle Project gift recipient and in 2020 he was one of a handful of artists chosen by the UN to recognize the 75th anniversary of the UN’s founding. Selected artists are to generate work that contributes to the envisioning and shaping of a more resilient and sustainable future. The UN writes “...right now we are facing the greatest health challenge to the human race in a century. COVID-19 has revealed that a virus can affect not only our physical health but also our ability to cope with the psychological impact in its wake.” Thomas spent 2021 working collaboratively to create art that is a community-based response to the pandemic. He is the 2022 recipient of the UCDA Foundation Krider Prize for Creativity.
Chad “Lil Coyote” Yellowjohn is affiliated with the Shoshone-Bannock and Spokane Tribes. Yellowjohn is a self-taught artist from the age of five and began his digital craft, after graduating from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2019. His art has been featured in art shows internationally, which revolve around Indigenous issues. His artwork would not only be seen on his mom’s fridge, but can be seen throughout the Indigenous country, and has created art for supporters, leaders, musicians, groups, icons, and other creative artists like himself.
FUN FACT: Chad’s favorite Disney character is Goofy, the ultimate loving father.
Addons
Guest Meal Pass
| Price | $200.00 |
| Options | For all event-sponsored meals/breaks |
Carbon Offset (Guest)
| Price | $20.00 |
| Options | Guest |
Carbon Offset (Attendee)
| Price | $20.00 |
| Options | Attendee |
Hot Tips for InDesign, Illustrator... (Attendee)
| Price | $65.00 |
| Options | Attendee |
Hot Tips for InDesign, Illustrator... (Guest)
| Price | $85.00 |
| Options | Guest |
Event Files
Speaker Files
Date and Time
Sat, Oct 15 - Tue, Oct 18, 2022
Location
Hyatt Regency Tamaya
1300 Tuyuna Trail
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico 87004
United States of America
Map