M.F.A. in Graphic Design - University of Memphis
Professional Affiliations: AIGA - the professional association for design, ACE - Association for Communication Excellence. USASBE - United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, SAEE - Society for Arts Entrepreneurship Education
Jessa Wilcoxen came to Millikin in 2016 as an Associate Professor to launch the Arts Technology major after successfully building the Graphic Design track at Greenville University. She served as the Department Chair of Arts Technology and Administration from 2017 to 2022 and in 2022 became Millikin University’s first Director of the School of Art and Creative Media. Wilcoxen has also taught in design and interactive media at Arkansas State University and at the University of Memphis. She has been the director of the Media Arts Center at Millikin University since 2017. She is currently serving as Interim Dean for the College of Fine Arts.
Wilcoxen earned the designation of USASBE Teaching and Learning Scholar in 2019 for her creation of Millikin Creates, a student run media firm (AT 321) that completes arts technology works for clients. Throughout Jessa's academic career she has mentored students through many American Advertising Awards (ADDYs®) competitions with students earning 91 ADDYs® for their work in digital art, branding, editorial design, animation, photography, and videography. She has been invited to lead workshops at national and international conferences on a range of topics within Arts Technology, Arts Entrepreneurship, Design Thinking, and Visual Communication. Wilcoxen also has served as a program assessor for Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s Entrepreneurial Studies major, and has been hired for several years to judge professional visual communication pieces for ACE - Association for Communication. She recently served as the Co-Chair for the USASBE Creative and Arts Entrepreneurship SIG (Special Interest Group) and has board leadership roles on the board for AIGA. St. Louis as Education Chair and later Mentorship Chair where she launched initiatives such as the new annual AIGA St. Louis Mentor Match program and the AIGA St. Louis scholarship. design entries in the national organization, Association for Communication Excellence's Critique & Awards program.
In additional to her career as an educator and administrator, Jessa’s professional career has led her to create web, mobile, and brand experiences for clients through her company, Creative Spark. She has been employed as a designer, animator, and front end website developer for multiple advertising agencies and entrepreneurial start ups. A few of the client accounts she has worked on include: FedEx, Homewood Suites, Harvard Medical School’s Division of Clinical Informatics, Morgan Keegan, Beatty Hill Architecture, and Landau Uniforms.
Professional Portfolio: www.creativspark.com
MillikinCreates: @millikincreates Instagram Facebook