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My name is Lingyi Kong, a designer, educator, and creative technologist currently teaching communication design at Parsons. I am honored to self-nominate for the position of Emerging Professional Director on the CAA Board. My practice focuses on building systems that integrate creative technology with platform development to support more equitable, future-oriented art&design education and professional communities.

In my view, innovation in art and design does not happen in isolation; it is built within communities that are critically engaged, resourced, and structurally connected. Over the past year, I have contributed to AIGA and Design Incubation by developing tools, workshops, and public programs that support early-career practitioners navigating structural inequities. As a peer reviewer and presenter at Design Incubation Colloquia, SECAC, and CBAA, I have shared research on AI integration in design education and the methodological hybridity essential to our field—studio-based teaching, colloquia, and collaborative critique.

In this moment of accelerating transformation driven by AI and emerging technologies, artists are often structurally excluded from shaping the conversation. Yet I believe this absence is not only a dilemma—it also presents an opportunity for meaningful change.This gap reflects a systemic lack of access to resources, support, and shared language for those in the visual arts. Through my roles across organizations, I have worked to address this imbalance—reducing inequality, clarifying the role of creative practitioners in AI discourse, and expanding access to knowledge and tools.

I view platform-building not merely as infrastructure, but as a long-term, strategic act of care—one that acknowledges systemic disparity, fosters participation, and elevates emerging voices. In times of disruption, CAA is uniquely positioned to provide continuity, critical reflection, and shared direction across the arts and humanities. If selected, I hope to contribute by strengthening CAA’s open-access initiatives, co-developing cross-institutional resources for early-career artists, designers, and scholars, and advancing the integration of creative technologies into knowledge-sharing platforms, pedagogical practices, and public-facing programs. My goal is to help shape inclusive, actionable frameworks that ensure CAA remains a vital commons for the next generation of cultural practitioners.

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I am a PhD candidate (ABD) in the Department of Art History at Pennsylvania State University, specializing in Italian Renaissance sculpture. My dissertation examines Michelangelo’s work for Pope Julius II to gain a deeper understanding of the sculptor’s role within the artistic environment of the time. This project has received support from the Kress Foundation and Penn State’s Department of Art History. I am expressing my interest in standing for election to CAA’s Board of Directors. If selected, I would be committed to graduate student and early-career advocacy, with a focus on professional development, pedagogical training, and interdisciplinary outreach to other professional organizations. Joining the board will ensure that these emphases have a voice and are part of conversations at CAA’s highest level.

At Penn State, I strive to be an advocate for graduate students, serving in leadership positions and organizing and participating in research and pedagogy programs. I have aimed to promote collaboration among graduate students across disciplines and to bridge the gap between graduate students and their faculties through dialogue and instructional training.

I served as president of Penn State’s Graduate Student Association for Visual Culture. I was also elected graduate student representative to the art history faculty, serving as a liaison to the department and voicing my colleagues’ concerns during department meetings. Additionally, I organized an interdepartmental graduate student roundtable for Penn State’s Consortium on Early Modern and Medieval Studies, creating a space for professional development and research opportunities. In addition to organizing this event, I promoted pedagogical training for graduate students. As part of this effort, I earned an Associate-Level CIRTL Teaching Certification. My teaching experience as a graduate student instructor of art history courses has also brought me closer to understanding students’ needs and the need for pedagogical training not just at one’s home university, but across the discipline of art history. CAA can provide disciplinary guidance and resources to teachers, ensuring that they teach students the foundational knowledge and standards needed to succeed.

As a member of the Board of Directors, I would put my commitment to advocacy into action by promoting graduate student professional development and supporting early-career scholars. I hope that my experience and mission to impact graduate students and early-career scholars make me a qualified candidate for the position.

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As a proud CAA member and professional committee co-chair, I am honored to be a candidate for the Emerging Professional Director position on the CAA Board of Directors.

Since joining the CAA Museum Committee in 2022 and stepping into the Chair role in 2023, I have collaborated with an incredible team to develop resources and programs. From a resource guide for museum professionals to conference sessions and networking events, a museum-focused podcast series to the review and revision of seven professional practice guidelines, these efforts deepened engagement across museum communities and supported knowledge-sharing. This year, as Co-Chair, I supported our leadership transition and improved documentation to ensure continuity for future committee members, and I hope to apply my committee experiences to support CAA and its constituents.

Beyond CAA, I am the Director of Learning & Engagement at the Everson Museum of Art, maintain a visual arts practice, and serve as the Co-Chair for Fundraising with the Tang Contemporaries. As an art museum educator, leader, and artist, I bring a multifaceted perspective on issues facing art history, arts, and museum professionals. As a former DEAI Coordinator and student dis/ability union researcher, I bring experience with policy development and advocacy around accessibility, equity, and inclusion.

Supporting emerging professionals has been a consistent throughline in my work. I have mentored through Skidmore College and Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni networks, co-chaired the Young and Emerging Professionals Peer Affinity Gathering for the New England Museums Association, and contributed to advocacy campaigns with the National Emerging Museum Professionals Network.

Ultimately, my involvement with CAA has been one of the most meaningful parts of my professional journey. Having first encountered CAA as an undergraduate, I experienced its power to convene, inspire, and advance our field. Now as an early-career leader, I hope to support communication, collaboration, and operations among membership, committees, and leadership to support CAA’s vitality. I am deeply committed to advancing equity and access, defending artistic and academic freedoms, fostering financial resilience in the wake of funding cuts, and exploring innovations that support engagement across our community. I bring strengths in project management, engagement, fundraising, relationship-building, and strategy, and through this role, I hope to advocate for the evolving needs of our community and champion emerging professional voices.

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I am honored to be nominated for a seat on CAA’s Board of Directors. As an art librarian and graduate student in Art History, I work in a hybrid space combining scholarship and public service. This duality— as both a facilitator of research and a producer of it— positions me to advocate for approaches to research, outreach, and collaboration that bridge gaps between different constituencies.

CAA has been invaluable to my growth in both librarianship and art history, from participating in panels and serving on committees to finding an engaged community of colleagues. I view directorship as an opportunity to serve an organization that has unquestionably shaped my professional path. At the annual conference, I have presented talks, served as discussant, and co-organized a panel, all through a lens of inter- and transdisciplinary art history. As co-chair of CAA’s Committee on Research and Scholarship, I bring a librarian’s perspective to critical conversations about access, publishing, and the evolving research landscape. With my co-chair, I strive to foster a committee membership that reflects the wider diversity of CAA.

Through my service with the Art Libraries Society of North America, including as chair of the New York chapter, I’ve seen the value of building connections across sectors and disciplinary boundaries. My role at The New York Public Library involves supporting a wide range of art researchers, which has given me insight into the challenges faced by scholars both within and outside traditional academia. As a public research librarian, a core tenet of my work is facilitating and maximizing access for all; a charge that cannot be achieved without networks and community support.

In a landscape that challenges organizations like CAA from multiple angles, our board and our membership will be asked to consider who we serve, how, and why. I hope to leverage my collaborative, cross-disciplinary background to strengthen our community and help the association flourish into the future.

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As Assistant Professor of Strategic Design and Management and Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Learning at Parsons School of Design, I bring over 30 years of experience in art and design education to the CAA Board of Directors. My career trajectory from museum educator to academic leader has provided me with insight into art and design education ecosystems and many of the critical challenges facing our fields.

My current research focuses on strengthening the high school to higher education to career pipeline in design for historically underrepresented populations. This work has revealed both gaps and significant opportunities in secondary design education that can strengthen career readiness. As a CAA Board member, I would advocate for policies and standards that integrate design education into core curricula, expanding opportunities for diverse students to discover and pursue careers in art and design.

Through my service on the Advisory Councils of CoDesign Collaborative and Poster House Museum, I have gained valuable governance experience and demonstrated my commitment to advancing the field through strategic leadership. I am particularly passionate about CAA’s mission to promote excellence in scholarship and practice. My vision centers on creating more equitable pathways into our fields by advocating for robust design education at all levels. I am committed to serving CAA’s membership and advancing the organization’s vital work in supporting art and design professionals and humanities scholars.

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I am honored to be nominated for the Board of Directors of the College Art Association (CAA), an organization whose mission and evolving strategic vision deeply align with my career in higher education, creative practice, and institutional leadership. As Dean of the School of Art and Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, I have worked to strengthen pathways for artists and designers through innovative curricula, industry partnerships, and a steadfast commitment to equity and inclusion.

CAA’s priorities—advocating for the field, fostering scholarly and creative excellence, and advancing diversity across the arts—resonate strongly with my own values. I bring over two decades of experience as an interdisciplinary artist and academic leader, including service on national accreditation teams and efforts to launch programs at the intersection of design, technology, and social impact. I believe CAA plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our fields by supporting both established and emerging voices across institutions, disciplines, and communities.

As a board member, I would support CAA’s strategic goals by contributing to governance practices that are future-focused, fiscally sustainable, and responsive to our rapidly changing cultural and educational landscape. I am especially committed to expanding access to the arts, advocating for contingent faculty, and exploring how AI and digital tools can amplify rather than diminish creative agency. I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the country to help CAA thrive in its next chapter.

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As an artist-philosopher and educator, I create knowledge and experiences that poeticize world systems, engaging the public—including those early in their educational journey—in critical, intimate, and creative discourse. My studio practice centers on the radicality of intimacy and ecological attunement, while my philosophical research draws from antiquity to contemporary thought, envisioning future consciousness. I view art practice, art history, and philosophy as inherently connected, and reintegrating them offers urgently needed pathways for expanded discourse. My work aligns with CAA’s commitment to diverse practices and scholarship and the evolving nature of the field.

My engagement with CAA has reshaped how I view institutions and their potential. As a member of the Committee for Women in the Arts and chair of the Feminist Interview Project, I gained insight into CAA’s structure and the possibilities for broader outreach to individuals and institutions on the margins of art and academia. In both research and teaching, I elevate marginalized voices and forgotten histories, contributing to a necessary shift in power structures.

With 25 years of experience as a higher education administrator, I bring a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing academia today. I believe higher education is in urgent need of renewal and forward-thinking leadership.

Serving on the CAA Board would allow me to step more fully into such a leadership role, representing a broad range of perspectives, not only those within institutions. I am excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of art, education, and scholarly engagement.

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Thank you for considering my nomination to the College Art Association’s Board of Directors. As an artist, educator, and activist, I have long been inspired by CAA’s commitment to supporting visual arts professionals through dialogue, advocacy, and innovation. Since my first job interview as a graduate student at the conference, I have seen the organization as an essential nexus connecting artists, educators, and scholars. The association’s support, including resources, conference panel presentations, networking, and exhibitions, helped craft my successful application to become a Full Professor of Art at Auburn University, a Carnegie-classified Research-1 institution. That success extends to my artwork, which has earned me over 26 residencies and exhibitions at the Drawing Center, NY, The Soap Factory, MN, Tomio Koyama Gallery, Japan, and the Fuller Craft Museum, MA.

Canadian-born and of Indigenous Métis heritage, I earned my MFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and have since built an interdisciplinary practice that challenges institutional boundaries while emphasizing collaboration and ecological awareness. My projects often transform public spaces into creative exchange and environmental education sites. Through PlantBot Genetics, my ongoing collaboration with artist JeU Schmuki, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Pulitzer Foundation, I have developed a model for using art for critical dialogue about sustainability and community resilience. This practice includes the creation of murals both inside and outside the classroom, and several street-based projects from an 18-foot oU-grid trailer that can bring a sophisticated multidisciplinary experience anywhere.

I have spent much of my career facilitating partnerships between students, communities, and organizations. For example, I was elected to represent the State of Alabama on the Board of the SECAC conference for the maximum of two, three-year terms. Although trained in the northeast, this experience allows me to bring an expansive perspective on how best to champion the arts, artists, and scholars in all parts of this country. In addition, past collaborations through SECAC and my research practice consistently foster shared authorship, civic responsibility, and a sense of belonging, reflecting CAA’s dedication to advancing knowledge across disciplines and creating inclusive professional networks. This advancement must include the people and initiatives in the deep south and other more unexpected nexuses for art to nurture the greatest impact creativity can impart in North America.

I always aim to add more colored crayons to the box from which the ‘arts’ draws. If elected, I would bring a pragmatic and cooperative approach to the Board, grounded in academic experience and community-based practice. My leadership style is direct and includes shared decision-making, all of which are essential to ensuring that CAA continues to reflect the evolving and constantly expanding landscape of contemporary art and education radiating across this land. It would be an honor to serve and help shape the future of this dynamic and vital organization.

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I am honored to submit my candidacy for the CAA Board of Directors. With a background in museum studies and cultural policy, I bring a global perspective and deep commitment to advancing the visual arts through strategic leadership, ethical stewardship, and inclusive engagement.

My experience spans curatorial practice, academic research, and international project leadership. Holding a PhD in museum studies, I have led interdisciplinary initiatives across Europe focused on digital transformation, collection accessibility, and sustainable development in the arts. These roles have sharpened my skills in governance, budget oversight, and long-term planning—core responsibilities of CAA board service.

In designing and coordinating conferences, I brought together diverse voices to explore decolonization, minority representation, and ethical curatorial frameworks—demonstrating my ability to build dialogue across sectors, regions, and disciplines. I am equally committed to public-facing impact, having led workshops, contributed to international conferences, and published on critical issues in museum communication and access.

I view CAA as a vital force in shaping the future of art, scholarship, and practice. If elected, I would work to advance its mission at large, support emerging professionals, and help ensure its financial resilience and relevance in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape. With a balance of strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and dedication to equity, I am eager to contribute to the CAA Board’s work in shaping a vibrant and inclusive future for the arts.

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