UIW School of Media and Design

SMD students we are so excited to welcome you back to campus this Fall! Two more weeks 🥳😊

SMD Student Spotlight ⭐️

Hello my name is Valeria Villarreal. This fall semester I will be going into my fourth year here at UIW. I’m currently pursuing a bachelors of science in fashion management with a concentration in merchandising a minor and business administration and a minor in sustainable studies. Throughout my time here at UIW I’ve been a part of the office of admissions working as a student Ambassador as well as an orientation leader over the summers. I’m also part of Campus Engagements team red working as a social media coordinator. I also served as a senator for our student government association representing the commuter students. As of today, I continue to pursue all of this, including my job outside of school working at Tecovas. Tecovas has provided me with many learning experiences specifically within the merchandising department. From creating engaging product displays and learning how visual presentation work. I’ve developed a deeper appreciation for the strategy behind retail merchandising. This experience has reinforced my passion for the fashion industry and continues to prepare me with skills and confidence to pursue a successful career in Fashion merchandising!

UIW3D students and faculty helped bring 100 million years of Texas history to life this summer! 🦖
In celebration of the Witte Museum’s 100th anniversary, the team created two original animated displays for the Adventures in Texas Deep Time exhibition: an immersive underwater scene and an Acrocanthosaurus making its way across ancient mudflats.
Every element was created from scratch—requiring months of creativity, collaboration, technical skill, and hard work. We’re proud to see the talent of UIW3D featured in this milestone exhibition!

SMD Student Spotlight! ⭐️

Hello my name is Eli Cohen and I am a SMD student here at the UIW. My major is Communications with a concentration in Media & Culture! I currently serve as Vice Chair for the City of San Antonio Higher Education Student Advisory. I provide strategic counsel to San Antonio Mayor and City Council on higher education policy matters, develop initiatives to increase enrollment and improve graduate retention rates, and I lead meetings with a subcommittee to ensure progress on our goals. I am also a tutor at the UIW Writing Center, where I provide individualized tutoring in reading comprehension strategies and academic writing skills to university students. Additionally, I have been hired as the Executive Assistant at SteamAnalytics.ai. I serve as a strategic partner and operational lead, which includes managing aspects of digital presence, content production, and business operations. Most recently, I have earned the position of Marketing Director, which includes the same genre of work as my Executive Assistant position. This coming school year, I will also be serving as an officer for three different UIW student organizations. I will be President of Hillel, UIW’s Jewish student organization. I will be in charge of leading chapter operations, member recruitment, and event programming. This also means that I will be responsible for growing membership and building an engaged campus community. I will also be serving as Vice President of Lambda Pi Eta, the National Honor Society for Communication Studies. I will be getting to support chapter operations, event coordination, and member engagement, as well as support the President with strategic initiatives and assuming leadership responsibilities when needed. Lastly, I am going to be serving as Scholarship Chair for the Kappa Sigmq Rho-Upsilon Chapter. I have the opportunity to maintain the academic record of our brotherhood, coordinate group tutoring, and promote scholarship opportunities throughout the chapters.

SMD Communications Internship Spotlight! ⭐️

Hello! My name is Declan Williams and I’m a Communications Major. I played football here at UIW for the past two years and I’ve always wanted to step into a coaching role after my playing years come to an end. I’m doing a Career Readiness Internship here at UIW with the football team to learn what the daily routine of a college football coach looks like. I shadow the coaches throughout the day and help out in any way that I can. I’ve always loved the game of football so seeing it from a coach’s perspective is very interesting and fun for me!

Students meet your Faculty & Professors for 3D Animation and Game Design for this Fall! Can’t wait to see you all so soon! ❤️🖤

Graphic Design students meet your Faculty & Professors for this Fall! We are so excited to meet you all & start designing! ❤️🖤

Are you interested in a Graduate seminar in Visual Communication? Starting in October on Tuesdays from 6pm-10pm, learn how images make meaning! Contact Dr. Zazil Reyes Garcia for more information.

Graphic Design students meet your Faculty & Professors for this Fall! We are so excited to meet you all and start designing! 🖤❤️

Interior Design students meet your Faculty & Professors for this Fall! We can’t wait to see you all in our classrooms, one month away!! ❤️🖤