Happy fall from VCU Brandcenter! Check out our newsletter for the latest news, alum spotlights, student work and more
WHAT’S UP AT BRANDCENTER
Brandcenter was ranked the #1 graduate program in the U.S. for the second consecutive year in The One Club for Creativity’s 2025 Global Creative College Rankings. Read more on our site.
Alyson Gaiser (Strategy, 2018) joins as Visiting Professor of Practice, and Micah Berry joins as Associate Director of Technical Training. These newly created roles are part of the Brandcenter’s continued effort to evolve with the industry, giving students direct access to top talent and hands-on experience with emerging tools, technologies, and ways of working. Read more about Alyson and Micah.
We field this survey every other year, and the more alums who participate, the better the data. It’s as quick and easy as we could possibly make it—it should take you less than 5 minutes to complete! We hope you will participate, and we’ll share the results later this semester.
Thanks to Stacy Thomas (Strategy, 2001), Allison Schneider (Strategy, 2021), and their team at Good Run Research for helping us with this study again.
Our latest edition of SIXTY has hit the shelves. Huge thanks to all our alumni who contributed plus KT Schaeffer (Art Direction, 2001), Creative Director, and Diana Ojibway (Art Direction, 2002), Designer in Residence, for all their hard work. See the digital version here.
IN MEMORIAM
Don Just
Brandcenter mourns longtime faculty member Don Just. While his career spanned banking, advertising, and leadership at the highest levels, Don often said his years teaching Brandcenter students were the most fulfilling of his life.
Associate Director Ashley Sommardahl (ST, 1998) tells us, “What made Don so special is the way he connected with students. He could push them further than they thought possible, while at the same time giving them the confidence to succeed. His Colonial Village case study was a rite of passage for hundreds of Brandcenter students, as were last-minute ‘curveballs’ during Business of Branding class presentations. From Don, our students learned to have grace under pressure in an industry where nothing ever goes as planned. Our students were so lucky to have learned from him and his memory lives on through their success.”
The family requests that those wishing to honor Don’s memory make a donation in his name to the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Katie Tiambeng (Copywriting, 2016)
Alum Katie Tiambeng, 34, passed away peacefully on March 28 after living with metastatic breast cancer for nearly four years. She was a beloved daughter, sister, friend, and member of the Brandcenter community, and if she didn’t offer to let you sleep on her couch at some point, it’s only because you hadn’t met her.
Gifts in Katie’s memory can be made to the Prospect Park Alliance, a place that brought her much comfort and community during the nine years she called Brooklyn home.Thank you to alum Emily Hovis (CW, 2016) for sharing this remembrance of Katie.
ALUMNI NEWS & SPOTLIGHTS
Nick Kaplan (Copywriting, 2008) launches Another Thing
Kaplan recently launched the independent agency Another Thing, and they are making waves with work for brands like Shake Shack, Planet Fitness, and Mike’s Hot Honey. We caught up with him to talk about the new shop, plus takeaways from his time in the industry and advice for emerging creatives. Read more on our site.
Jennifer Palacios (Strategy, 2007) in Adweek 50
Palacios, head of strategy at United Talent Agency (UTA), has been recognized on Adweek’s annual list of industry leaders making an outsized impact. In her seven years at the agency, Palacios has helped bring in clients like Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, Progressive, and Eli Lilly, while growing UTA’s strategy division by 67% last year. Her work bridges culture, inclusivity, and brand strategy. Read more on Adweek.
Greg Greenberg (Copywriting, 2006) chats with Little Black Book
As a long-time creative force at TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Greenberg reflects on 14 memorable years shaping iconic Apple campaigns. From AirPods choreography in Bounce to the immersive Submerged film for Vision Pro, he shares how craft, continuity, and mentorship remain at the heart of his creative philosophy. Check it out at Little Black Book.
Depop: Where taste recognizes taste
Kelley Barrett (Copywriting 2020), KatieDiNardo (Art Direction, 2020), Payal Pereira (Strategy, 2021) and team at Uncommon Creative Studio create new work for Depop. Watch the spot on LinkedIn.
Capri Sun: Solstice Pouch
Nithya Charles (Art Direction, 2025), Henry Coffey (Copywriting, 2025) and team at Mischief knocked it out of the park with these 15 inch, limited-edition Capri Suns for the longest day of the year. This was Nithya and Henry’s first project at Mischief and got a ton of press love. See USA Today coverage here.
Chris Colliton (Experience Design, 2012) / ECD at Zulu Alpha Kilo
Congratulations to Chris on the new position. Watch him make the announcement on Breaking and Entering.
We have a new directory on the site spotlighting alum agencies and consultancies! If you’re an alum with an agency or consultancy in the advertising and branding industry, and we don’t have your information, please contact Ashley at [email protected] to have your company listed. Browse the directory.
NYC Alumni Happy Hour: 10/9, 6-8 pm
Generously hosted by Publicis Groupe – hope to see you there! Register here.
Ads for Rats
This guerilla marketing campaign featured rat-sized billboards on the streets of NYC and earned the student team a second Black Pencil from D&AD. Read more on our site.
Production Master Class
Student ideas meet professional production power. Read more about the program and see the incredible spots made with the generosity and talents of the Richmond production community. Interested in joining the fun this year? Contact Chair of Art Direction Tom Scharpf (AD, 1998) at [email protected].
Stay in touch
Alumni can update their info with Brandcenter here and join the Alum LinkedIn Group here. If you have new work or news to share, please reach out to Associate Director Ashley Sommardahl at [email protected].