Cross Connections 2024 – Event Committees

Posted by: Ping

To ensure the event’s overall success, Cross Connections International established the following committees:

Cross Connections-2024 Curatorial Committee
Developing the event proposal and guidelines, designing promotional materials, creating a budget, securing funding, as well as collaborating with museums, selecting international participants, organizing webinars, securing a jury, maintaining communication, and adhering to the event timelines.

  • Ping Xu, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, UTRGV
  • Elena Macias, MFA, Professor of Art, UTRGV
  • Marcelo Ramirez, Chief Exhibition Curator, International Museum of Art & Science
  • Deyanira Ramirez, Executive Director, Brownsville Museum of Fine Art

Cross Connections-2024 Global Peer Review Committee
For evaluating and selecting the gold and silver awards of the Design Education Recognition Awards
by alphabetical order

  • Jeffrey Ward, DMA, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA
  • Constance Cortez, Ph.D., Professor of Art History at School of Art and Design, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA
  • Marijke Dirickx, MVA, Head of Visual Design & Professor of Design, LUCA School of Arts, Belgium
  • Feiman Chang, Ph.D., Department Chair of Visual Communication Design at National Taiwan University of Arts , Professor of Visual Communication Design at NTUA, Taiwan, and the 10th Executive Director of the Taiwan Society of Basic Design and Art

Cross Connections-2024 Global Advisory Committee
Overseeing global communication and collaboration for the Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition and Competition, and seeking funding for campus exhibitions at respective institutions.

  • Jeffrey Ward, DMA, Dean of College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA.
  • Robert Grame, MFA, Associate Professor and Area Head of Design & Visual Communication, Associate Dean of Peck School of the Arts, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, USA.
  • Marijke Dirickx, MVA, Head of Visual Design, LUCA School of Arts, Belgium
  • Jorge Brandão Pereira, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer of Graphic Design,
    Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal.
  • Albert Young Choi, Ph.D., Founder and President Emeritus of United Designs Alliance,
    Professor of Communication Design, Hanyang University, Korea.
  • Feiman Chang, Ph.D., Chair and Professor, Department of Visual Communication Design,
    National Taiwan University of Arts, Taiwan.
  • Shih-Chien Chan, Ph.D., Chair and Professor, Department of Digital Media Design,
    Ming Chuan University, Taiwan.
  • Lu Zhao, Ph.D., Professor of Visual Communication Design, Dean of College of Digital Media,
    Vice President of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, China.
  • Fan Zhuo, MFA, Professor of Urban Design and Associate Dean of College of Urban Design,
    Central Academy of Fine Arts, China.

Cross Connections-2024 – Global Coordination Committee
For managing communication and collaboration with the curatorial committee of the international exhibition and competition, and overseeing the installation of the exhibition at their institutions.

  • Ed Pogue, MFA, Professor of Art and Director of School of Art and Design, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA.
  • Mark Stammers, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA.
  • Robert Grame, MFA, Associate Professor and Area Head of Design & Visual Communication, Associate Dean of Peck School of the Arts, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, USA.
  • Marijke Dirickx, MVA, Head of Visual Design, LUCA School of Arts, Belgium
  • Jorge Brandão Pereira, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer of Graphic Design,
    Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal.
  • Seiji Ikeda, MFA, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, USA.
  • Ben Dolezal, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, The University of Texas at Arlington, USA.
  • Ting Wang-Hedges, MFA, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Oklahoma State University, USA.
  • Matthew Derezinski, MFA, Professor of Visual Communication at Truman State University, USA.
  • Linh Toscani, MFA, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, California Polytechnic State University, USA.
  • Alexandria Canchola, MFA, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, USA.
  • Natasha Rodriguez, MFA, Academic Director, Design Department at University of the Americas of Puebla, Mexico
  • Esteban Martínez P., MFA, Secretary of Extension, Faculty of Design at Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico
  • Po-Shu Teng, MFA, Senior Lecturer of 3D Modeling and Animation, Ming Chuan University, Taiwan.
  • Ou Sun, MFA, Senior Lecturer of Urban Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts, China.
  • Xin Liu, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, China
  • Ya Xuan Liu, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, China.
  • Hong-Wei Ren, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Digital Media, Sichuan Fine Art Institute, China

Cross Connections-2024 – UTRGV Internal Work Nomination / Selection Committee
For selecting top 30 UTRGV entries for the CC-2024 juried exhibition and competition.
by alphabetical order

  • Karla Castillo, Graphic Design Manager, UTRGV Department of Marketing & Communications,
    American Advertising Awards (ADDYs) – Jury of Rio Grande Valley Competition
  • Clara J. Choi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design, UTRGV
  • Robert Gilbert, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, UTRGV
  • Kimberly Selber, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication, UTRGV
  • Ping Xu, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, UTRGV

Cross Connections-2024 – UTRGV Exhibition / Installation Committee
For accommodating the CC-2024 installation at UTRGV Visual Art Gallery and coordinating the exhibitions at IMAS and BMFA.
by alphabetical order

  • Robert Gilbert, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, UTRGV
  • Jesmil Maldonado, MFA, Director of UTRGV Visual Art Gallery
  • Gina Palacios, MFA, Associate Professor of Art, Associate Director of School of Art & Design, UTRGV
  • Ed Pogue, MFA, Professor of Art, Director of School of Art and Design, UTRGV (Committee Chair)

Cross Connections-2024 – UTRGV Website Committee
To promote the international event, Cross Connections 2024, the UTRGV Website Committee is responsible for creating the official event website.

  • Russell Dove, MCS, Web Developer III, Web Designer, UTRGV
  • Ping Xu, MFA, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design, Web Designer, UTRGV
  • Emanuel Sanchez, Web Design Assistant, UTRGV
  • Alicia Vazquez Segovia, Web Design Assistant, UTRGV