Created with code and inspired by traditional art and design, the new media major at UNC Asheville is built for curious creatives and fearless innovators.
Why Study New Media at UNC Asheville?
Student and Alumni Spotlight
See how New Media students used virtual reality to share local African American History
Rayven Van Kalker graduated from UNC Asheville in 2019 with a BA in New Media, concentration in animation, and a BS in Chemistry. After graduating, she continued to work on personal projects for her storyboard portfolio and became a story intern at Pixar Animation Studios. She currently works as a professional story artist in the film and animation industry and is based in Los Angeles, California.
Rayven Van Kalker, Class of ’19
Santiago Bonillo is a 2019 New Media graduate who took his skills into the public sector. Using the skills learned through the web & interactive design emphasis area, Santiago has managed websites and content creation for a number of nonprofits and government entities. He currently works in the US Senate Placement Office assisting Senators and committees to fill a myriad of roles in Congress. Santiago also develops graphical content for the Senate Sergeant at Arms. He is currently working towards a master’s in public administration.
Santiago Bonillo, Class of ’19
Mallory Evans is currently working as a lead front-end designer/developer for an advertising agency in Tampa, FL. She spends her day-to-day working on web projects for various national brands. She has over 5 years of experience in the field, with a focus on UX/UI design and accessibility. Mallory loves to visualize information, making it easy for people to understand complex concepts. She graduated from UNC Asheville in 2018, majoring in New Media with a double concentration in Video Art and Interactive Media.
Mallory Evans, Class of ’18
Anitra Griffin is pursuing her Master’s in Information Technology with a concentration in human centered design at UNC Charlotte. She also works full time at Wells Fargo as a front end developer in her team. She feels her experience in the New Media department has prepared her to meet the hard deadlines in her sprints.
Anitra Griffin
Clara Murray works remotely as a full-time Freelance Animator, Illustrator and Designer. Having spent her first few post-grad years as a Junior Designer for Adult Swim Digital, Clara has since worked as Lead Creative for Back to Oz (a music video for Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine), Background Designer for HBO Max’s Buster & TJ, and more. Clara has also been working collaboratively with LA-based creative power group [REDACTED EMOTIONS] since January 2021 doing claymation and compositing for the web series The Ember Knight Show. Present-day, Clara is working directly with artists and musicians on a handful of music videos, and will soon be traveling to LA to work on a stop-motion animated pilot.
Clara Murray
Leslie Frempong is a photographer, videographer and designer with a passion for visual storytelling and transforming vague ideas into eye-catching creative solutions. She has a demonstrated history leading art direction for various projects, along with overseeing creative development and design processes. She developed a strong interest in media and advertising, garnering 15+ invitations to speak at national & international conferences over the last 5 years.
Leslie Frempong
Caleb Spradlin is a software developer for NASA’s Data Science Group located at Goddard Space Flight Center. Past and current work has included developing machine learning models, developing GPU-accelerated high resolution image data structures, developing software to collect and manage remote sensing data, and creating advanced interactive dashboards and visualizations for remote sensing data. Scientific applications of this work include using machine learning in mapping and analyzing physical systems on Earth, crater detection on Enceladus, and classifying black holes.
Caleb Spradlin
Emmanuel Figaro is a photographer and videographer based in Asheville, NC. His creative tools of choice are a camera and computer and he enjoys creating portraits of other people and filming videos that visually inspire others. Through his New Media degree he also found an appreciation for creating in graphic design and motion graphics. He loves to laugh and incorporate humor into many of his projects.
Emmanuel Figaro
New Media Outside the Classroom
By studying theory and through practical projects, students learn to explore and articulate emerging forms of art, design, and communication. Not only do new media majors master state-of-the-art tools and software, but they also learn how art, media, and culture affect each other and society.
Opportunities to Intern at Top Media Companies
Beyond the classroom, students find inspiration from renowned visiting artists and guest speakers, and they can get a head start on their careers through internships in art and design. Past new media internships have included design for the North Carolina Arboretum, Black Mountain College Museum and Arts Center, Plum Print, The Center for Native Health, marketing for Bounty and Soul, San Diego Padres, Asheville Tourists, Dolo Digital, graphic design for USDA Forest Service, Asheville Art Museum, the Collider Asheville, WNC Magazine, SnapAV, Marketing for Lifescale Analytics, film editing for MacNeice Films, multimedia and web coordination for Sensible City LLC, videographer for Bike Monkey Magazine, Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS), Appalachian Wildlife Refuge and others.
Organizations & Events
Students can also get involved with the New Media Arts Council (NewMAC), a student-led organization that provides peer mentorship to students entering the program. The department also hosts an annual juried student exhibition showcasing student work that experiments with new forms of narratives.
Study Abroad
Our mission is to promote a comprehensive understanding of media art, history, and culture on a global scale. To achieve this, we provide annual faculty-led short-term study abroad intensives that satisfy new media degree requirements. Additionally, we advocate for semester-long study abroad opportunities for new media students via the UNCA Study Abroad Program.
Meet the Faculty
New media faculty at UNC Asheville have expertise in animation, directing, screenwriting, filmmaking, art, design, virtual reality production, coding, and much more. Here to mentor you as you learn, experiment, and grow into your full potential, our faculty encourage serious play, self-discipline, lifelong learning, and community service. Small class sizes and frequent interactions with faculty is one of the things that makes the UNC Asheville experience unique.
Victoria Bradbury
Chair and Associate Professor of New Media
| Office: 310 Owen Hall |
| Phone: 255-7132 |
| Email: vbradbur@unca.edu |
Pamela Miller
Administrative and Program Support Staff
| Office: 215 Lipinsky Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6432 |
| Email: pmiller4@unca.edu |
Curt Cloninger
Associate Professor of New Media
| Office: 311 Owen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6553 |
| Email: ccloning@unca.edu |
Ashe Cosette
Lecturer of New Media
| Office: 318 Owen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 255-7201 |
| Email: acosette@unca.edu |
Lei Han
Professor of New Media, Interim Dean of Graduate and Special Programs
| Office: 313 Owen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6291 |
| Email: lhan@unca.edu |
Christopher Oakley
Associate Professor of New Media
| Office: 317 Owen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6561 |
| Email: coakley@unca.edu |
Kenny Michaud
Production and Lab Manager
| Office: 315 Owen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6498 |
| Email: kkmichau@unca.edu |
New Media Degree Careers & Outcomes
Graduates of the new media bachelor’s degree program are ready to move on to careers in interactive design, animation or video, or to pursue graduate studies. Whether your dream career is in marketing, journalism, or tech, your skills in digital literacy, design, communication, web development, animation, video, digital fabrication, and coding make you an adaptable and desirable candidate to a range of potential employers.
From software development to climate research to experimental art, our graduates have become leaders in some of the fastest-growing fields of our time — some even founding their own companies in the digital media space. Our alumni have held titles such as art director, digital media specialist, animator, graphic artist, storyboard artist, social media manager, game designer, videographer, and more at top local and global companies including Pixar, Skydance Animation, EA games, Cartoon Network, Anthroware, Wells Fargo, and Slate.
Related Programs
Let Your Creativity Shine in UNC Asheville’s New Media Major
Explore, create, and innovate in the Bachelor of Arts in New Media program at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Dive into animation, interactive media, and video art and design with faculty support as you prepare for an exciting career in the evolving world of new media.
Contact Us
| New Media Department |
| Phone: 828.350.4567 |
| Email: vbradbur@unca.edu |
