To host 22 institutions worldwide for Cross Connections: International Exhibition and Competition of Visual Communication Design and Emerging Media Design, the following colleagues inside and outside of UTRGV contributed their tremendous time and effort. The Cross Connections 2024 global event would not be possible without their support and collaboration.
| Internal | External |
| Dr. Luis Zayas, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs of UTRGV, provided critical financial backing for the Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition and Competition of Visual Communication Design and Emerging Media Design. | Robert Hower, Professor and Chair of the UT Arlington Department of Art & Art History for many years, served as a Cross Connections 2024 International Design Competition Juror. He also held the position of President at the United Design Alliance from 2022 to 2023. Robert dedicated his time and effort to judging student and faculty works for the design competition. Additionally, he provided a design webinar for the CC-2024 design festival. |
| Dr. Jeffrey Ward, Dean of the UTRGV College of Fine Arts, provided critical financial backing for Cross Connections 2024. He is also a member of the Cross Connections 2024 Global Advisory Committee, offering effective curatorial suggestions, and a member of the CC-2024 Global Peer Review Committee, tasked with evaluating multiple design educators to select and award Cross Connections 2024 Design Education Recognition Awards to three scholars. | Chien Hwang, Head of Creative at Gusto, San Francisco and former Executive Creative Director of TBWA Greater China, served as a Cross Connections 2024 International Design Competition Juror. With experience on the London International Awards jury, he contributed his time and expertise to judging student and faculty works for the design competition from around the world. |
| Ed Pogue, Director of the UTRGV School of Art and Design and Chair of the Cross Connections 2024 UTRGV Exhibition/Installation Committee, provided crucial financial backing for Cross Connections 2024. He also supported the Cross Connections 2024 Webinar Series and arranged logistics for the exhibition between Brownsville and Edinburg. | Robin Landa, Distinguished Professor of Graphic Design at Kean University, served as a Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition Juror. With extensive experience judging the One Show Awards and HOW awards, and having authored 26 graphic design books and articles, she provided her expertise and experience to the judging panel for the Cross Connections juried exhibition. Additionally, she delivered two webinar presentations for the CC-2024 design festival. |
| Ping Xu, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design at UTRGV, serves as the Cross Connections 2024 Curator and Designer of the Cross Connections 2024 Promotional Package. This includes designing promotional materials such as posters, billboards, flyers, web site, exhibition book, winner announcement files, and video editing for composite videos and webinar presentations. Ping Xu oversees curatorial activities and many more tasks related to the event. He is also a member of the UTRGV Work Selection Committee tasked with nominating UTRGV student works for participation in the Cross Connections International Exhibition. | Kent Lu, Chief Creative Officer & General Manager at Bates Advertising, Shanghai, served as a Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition Juror. With extensive experience judging the One Show Asia Awards for multiple years, he provided his expertise and experience to the judging panel for the Cross Connections juried exhibition. |
| Elena Macias, Professor of Art at UTRGV and a member of the Cross Connections 2024 Curatorial Committee, facilitated and coordinated the event between UTRGV and international institutions in Mexico. Additionally, she managed communications and coordination between UTRGV and its partner museums, IMAS and BMFA. | Marcelo Ramirez, Chief Curator of the International Museum of Art & Science and member of the Cross Connections 2024 Curatorial Committee, helped IMAS co-host the exhibition with UTRGV. He provided museum space, facilities, and a three-month timeframe for the international exhibition at the International Museum of Art & Science. |
| Robert Gilbert, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design at UTRGV and a member of the Cross Connections 2024 UTRGV Internal Exhibition/Installation Committee, facilitated communication and coordination between UTRGV and its partner museums, IMAS and BMFA, and assisted with the transportation of exhibition materials. He is also a member of the UTRGV Work Selection Committee, responsible for nominating UTRGV student works for participation in the Cross Connections International Exhibition. | Deyanira Ramirez, Director of the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts and member of the Cross Connections 2024 Curatorial Committee, helped BMFA co-host the exhibition with UTRGV. She provided museum space, facilities, and a three-week timeframe for the international exhibition at the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art. Additionally, she extended an invitation to the Mexico Consulate General in Brownsville for the exhibition’s opening reception at the museum on April 9, 2024. |
| Gina Palacios, Associate Director of the School of Art and Design at UTRGV and Associate Professor of Art, served on the Cross Connections 2024 UTRGV Exhibition Committee. She facilitated communication between UTRGV and three North American institutions for their participation. | Marijke Dirickx, Program Head of Visual Design at LUCA School of Arts, Belgium, serves as a member of the Cross Connections 2024 Global Advisory Committee and Global Peer Review Committee, tasked with evaluating multiple design educators to select and award Cross Connections 2024 Design Education Recognition Awards to three scholars. Additionally, she is the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at LUCA, responsible for submitting student work from LUCA School of Arts. |
| Russell Dove, Webmaster and Web Designer at UTRGV, is responsible for crafting the web design for the Cross Connections 2024 event. He dedicated significant time and effort to designing and finalizing the event website. | Dr. Jorge Manuel Lopes Brand, Professor at the School of Art & Design at IPCA, served as the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at IPCA, overseeing the submission of student work from IPCA. |
| Dr. Jaime Ortiz, from the Office of Global Affairs at UTRGV, provided financial backing for the Cross Connections 2024 global event and helped promote it on the UTRGV Office of Global Affairs website. | Robert Grame, Associate Professor of Design and Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at UWM, assisted in submitting student and faculty work from UWM and arranged the exhibition at the UWM Arts Center Gallery. |
| Dr. Samantha Lopez, Director of UTRGV International Student Services, provided financial backing for the Cross Connections 2024 Webinar Series. | Ran Zhuo, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Professor of Urban Design, assisted in overseeing the CC-2024 event at CAFA and arranged the campus exhibition at CAFA Museum of Fine Arts. |
| Dr. Constance Cortez, Professor of Art History at UTRGV and member of the Cross Connections 2024 Global Peer Review Committee, dedicated her time to evaluate multiple design educators for selecting recipients of the Design Education Recognition Award. | Dr. Lu Zhao, Vice President of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and Professor of Visual Communication Design, provided financial backing for Cross Connections 2024 at LAFA. Additionally, as a member of the Cross Connections 2024 Global Advisory Committee, she helped arrange, guide, and oversee the Cross Connections exhibition at the LAFA Museum of Fine Arts. |
| Dr. Kimberly Selber, Associate Professor of Communication at UTRGV and President of the American Advertising Federation Rio Grande Valley Chapter, is also a member of the UTRGV Work Selection Committee tasked with selecting UTRGV student and faculty works for participation in the Cross Connections International Exhibition. | Ya-Xuan Liu, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at LAFA, assisted in collecting and submitting student and faculty work from LAFA and coordinated the exhibition at LAFA Museum of Fine Arts. |
| Karla Castillo, Graphic Design Manager and Art Director at UTRGV’s Marketing Department, serves as a juror for the ADDY Awards Rio Grande Valley. She is also a member of the UTRGV Work Selection Committee tasked with selecting UTRGV student and faculty works for participation in the Cross Connections International Exhibition. | Xin Liu, Associate Professor of Visual Communication Design at Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts and the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at SAFA, assisted in collecting and submitting student and faculty work from the institution. |
| Dr. Chara Choi, Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design at UTRGV and member of the UTRGV Work Selection Committee tasked with nominating UTRGV student works for participation in the Cross Connections International Exhibition. | Shupu Teng, Senior Lecturer of 3D Modeling & Animation at Ming Chuan University and the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at MCU, assisted in collecting and submitting student and faculty work from the institution. |
| Jesmil Maldonado, Director of the UTRGV Visual Art Gallery and member of the Cross Connections 2024 UTRGV Exhibition Committee, dedicated her time to the installation of the exhibition inside the Visual Art Gallery of UTRGV. | Dr. Feiman Chang, Department Chair of Visual Communication Design at National Taiwan University of Arts, has been serving as the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at NTUA, assisting in selecting and submitting student work from NTUA. Additionally, she has been a member of the Cross Connections 2024 Global Peer Review Committee, tasked with evaluating multiple design educators to select and award Cross Connections 2024 Design Education Recognition Awards to three scholars. |
| Rocio Cardenas, the Contract Administrator from the Procurement Office at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, is reviewing and signing the contract between UTRGV and IMAS. | Dr. Albert Young Choi, Professor of Brand Design at Hanyang University, a member of the Cross Connections 2024 Global Advisory Committee, and the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at HYU assisted in selecting and submitting student and faculty works from Hanyang University. |
| Marci Caltabiano, Director of News and Internal Communications at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, is overseeing the promotion of the Cross Connections international event at UTRGV. | Dr. Hong-Wei Ren, the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, has assisted in selecting and submitting student and faculty work from the institute. |
| Karen Villarreal, a Multimedia Journalist in the Department of Marketing and Communication at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, reports on the opening reception at the International Museum of Art & Science and writes the press release to promote the Cross Connections 2024 event. | Seiji Ikeda, the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, dedicated his time to collecting student and faculty work from UMN and helped schedule the exhibition at The Goldstein Museum of Design, St. Paul. |
| Kara Lara, a Social Media Marketing Manager in the Department of Marketing and Communication at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, assists in managing Cross Connections’ promotional materials on social media. | Benjamin Dolezal, the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at the University of Texas at Arlington, dedicated his time to collecting and submitting student and faculty work from UTA. |
| Matthew Derezinski, Professor of Visual Communication at Truman State University and the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at TSU, dedicated himself to gathering and submitting student and faculty creations from TSU. He played a pivotal role in orchestrating the exhibition at the TSU Visual Art Gallery. | |
| | Alexandria Canchola, the Cross Connections 2024 Event Coordinator at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, has been responsible for collecting student work from TAMUCC. |
| | Johnny Maldonado, General Manager of CopyZone, provided financial backing for the Cross Connections 2024 Exhibition and assisted in finalizing exhibition materials in a timely fashion. |