School of Media Arts & Design Faculty & Staff

Thomas is currently an Associate Professor of Graphic Design...

Thomas is currently an Associate Professor of Graphic Design and leads the Graphic Design Program. He joined the faculty in 2003 as an adjunct instructor, and became a full-time professor in 2014. His teaching philosophy is based on the idea that creativity is not boundless; in the graphic design profession, success comes in a series of steps. Although creativity is important, a clearly defined research is the key to solving design problems. Without a true understanding of the limitations and criteria of a defined problem, the best creative solution cannot be reached. Thomas received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Concentration in Graphic Design from MSUM in 1995. He continued his education at the University of North Dakota, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Arts with a Concentration in Mixed Media Graphic Design. He has won 24 Ad Federation of Fargo-Moorhead ADDY Awards, District Case VI Gold and Bronze Awards for Excellence In Marketing Communications, and the Microsoft Business Solutions Excellence Quality Services Award.

Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson is a filmmaker and media arts educa...

Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson is a filmmaker and media arts education researcher. K-Nelson’s films have screened at festivals in Asia, Europe, North America and Australia, at venues including the Walker Art Center, the D.C. National Museum for Women in the Arts, NYC’s Anthology Film Archives & the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. Her work has received awards, including the ICDOC Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography, Ann Arbor Film Festival’s Griot Editorial Best Editing Award, and the UFVA Award of Merit for Documentary Filmmaking. K-Nelson was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and Bush Artist Fellowship. The Carnegie Foundation named her the 2014 Minnesota CASE Professor of the Year. K-Nelson is a co-founding member of EDIT Media (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching Media). Her research interests include accessible filmmaking, inclusive films, media arts education, and education leadership. K-Nelson is Professor of Film at Minnesota State University Moorhead.