Excerpts from the Spring 2025 issue. Clockwise from top left: art by Farhin Puspita, Aryan Manas, Joshua Wong, Shaday Anderson, and Thais Mendez.
The student-led undergraduate literary journal Utopia Parkway is accepting submissions for the Spring 2026 issue through end of day Monday, March 9. Accepted contributions will be published in the printed journal and on the journal’s website.
The journal accepts a wide range of visual art, including photography, illustration, animation, comics, and more. If you’re excited about it then please submit it!
Photos provided by Catherine Cavallo, Sabrina Castro, Fatema Tuz Zohora, and Kristy Caldwell.
On May 12, the undergraduate literary journal Utopia Parkwaylaunched its Spring 2026 issue in the Q-Side Lounge. The event began with an introduction from editor in chief Randy Vilchis and co-editor Catherine Cavallo, both graduating Design BFA students. In attendance were President Frank Wu and Provost Patricia Price, who took photos with the student editors. Each contributor received a copy of the 106-page publication, which features a wraparound cover illustration by Catherine Cavallo and Joshua Young. The event included readings from several creative writing contributors, including Charles Jacobus and Anna Radford (pictured), and a slideshow of visual art from the issue. Thank you to everyone who participated!
If you’re interested in becoming involved with the journal as a student editor, email one of the faculty advisors to be added to the mailing list: Ryan Black at [email protected] or Kristy Caldwell at [email protected]. Everyone on the list will be contacted before the first meeting of Fall 2026, where you’ll have a chance to learn more about the role.
Everyone is invited to the launch event of the Spring 2026 issue of Queens College’s undergraduate literary journal, Utopia Parkway. Physical copies will be available to browse, and student editors and faculty advisors will be on hand to answer questions. This year’s editors include Design majors Randy Abel Vilchis (editor in chief) and Catherine Cavallo, Design minor Lucila Gonzalez, and recent Design BFA graduate Joshua Young. Faculty advisors are Ryan Black (English) and Kristy Caldwell (Design). Read about the current editors here.
The Spring 2026 issue includes visual art contributions from design students Ching Laam Lo, Yubin Kim, Catherine Cavallo, Lucila Gonzalez, Verna Fong, Patsy Escotto, Sharon Whinston, Elena Leung, Jigdrel Dhendup, Randy Vilchis, Benjamin Cruz Sanchez, Jeanette Manmohan, Fatematuz Jahura, Michelle Huh, and Bonnie Chen.
The event will include a slideshow of all visual art from the issue and feature readings from several creative writing contributors. It’s a great opportunity to see what the journal is all about and meet students from other creative disciplines.
Look out for these among your Fall 2026 course offerings! This post will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
City Myth by Seoyoung Lee (used with permission).
Visual Worldbuilding (new course!)
Course Title: DESN 370 (003) / VT: Special Topics in Design — Visual Worldbuilding Day & Time: Wednesdays 1:40pm–5:30pm Course Code: 28955 Classroom: KP263 Instructor: Kristy Caldwell (questions? [email protected])
What makes a fictional place feel real? In this course, we explore how imagined worlds take shape through visual details—environments, objects, signage, materials, and other evidence of everyday life. These details can form the foundation for a variety of visual storytelling and communication design projects.
A world can be a whole universe or a single room. Through visual research, exercises including sketching and short reflective writing, and applied projects, you’ll develop a purposeful approach to building worlds informed by place, culture, and social life.
By the end of the course, you’ll create a blueprint for your own fictional world along with a set of finished pieces that show how it works in practice. Final pieces can connect to illustration, animation, or other communication design work, and you’ll be encouraged to tailor your approach to your own interests and strengths.
Animation Hotline
Course Title: DESN 370 (005) / VT: Special Topics in Design — Animation Hotline Day & Time: Tuesdays 2:00pm–5:50pm Course Code: 40306 Classroom: KP263 / Hybrid Instructor: Dustin Grella No prerequisites – All majors welcome – Permission of instructor required
Animation Hotline is a web-based series of micro-animations that use crowd-sourced voicemail messages for content. People call an open phone line and leave a message on any topic — a story, an observation, a poem, whatever they want. Those messages get selected and animated, usually in a single day, using whatever experimental technique best fits the story. The project has screened at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals, MoMA, and has been featured in the New York Times.
In this course, students work as a production team to build their own branded project using the Animation Hotline model. The class will develop an original identity, select messages from the voicemail archive, and produce 12–16 short animations over the course of the semester. The full arc is covered — concept development, brand building, animation production, sound design, post-production, and public release.
This is not a traditional animation class. The production needs designers, illustrators, programmers, sound artists, writers, editors, social media strategists, and project managers. You don’t need to be an animator to have a real role on the team.
The course is offered as a hybrid class — QC students work in person in KP263, students from other CUNY colleges can participate remotely. This is a working production studio, not a lecture. Expect to collaborate, make creative decisions, and ship finished work.
The course is led by Professor Dustin Grella, whose animated work has screened internationally and who has collaborated with Lars Von Trier, Amazon Studios, and the Intrepid Museum.
To request permission, email [email protected] with a brief note about who you are, your major, and what you’d bring to the team. Students from other CUNY colleges may enroll through ePermit via CUNYfirst. The Fall 2026 ePermit deadline is August 21, 2026.
“Voices of Harlem” by Alliima Belton, Spring 2025Calligraphy by Oliver Siedlik, Fall 2025
Lettering & Calligraphy
Course Title: DESN 370 (004) / VT: Special Topics in Design— Introduction to Lettering & Calligraphy Day & Time: Thursdays, 10am–1:50pm Course Number: 28954 Classroom: KP481 Instructor: Amy Kim Delahanty
New to typography, or already love letters? Unique and beautifully crafted lettering makes for stand-out portfolio pieces and is a useful asset for a multitude of projects. In a digitally saturated field, handskills are becoming increasingly rare and valuable. Calligraphy is perfect if you’re looking for a break from the screen, and interested in learning a meditative practice to enhance your design process.
This is a beginner-friendly course for letter enthusiasts that are looking to express themselves through hand-crafted letterforms. This is not a type design course that results in a digital font, but rather explores the artistry and bespoke qualities of hand-drawn lettering and calligraphy. We will study them separately, and you will leave the course with a solid understanding of the difference between calligraphy, lettering, and typefaces.
You can expect a variety of exercises and projects that progressively build hand skills with various tools and mediums. Lettering projects will combine analog and digital techniques, whereas calligraphy work will all be completed by hand. Supplies are provided for in-class work (pens, ink, paper, iPads).
AI x Design
Course Title: DESN 370 (006) / VT: Special Topics in Design — AI x Design Day & Time: Mondays 1:40pm–5:30pm Course Code: 40308 Classroom: In person Instructor: Danne Woo
In the rapidly evolving landscape of design, generative AI stands at the forefront, offering groundbreaking possibilities and posing new challenges. This course is designed for design students seeking to explore the potential of AI in the creative process. Students will delve into a comprehensive exploration of various AI tools, including Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, DALL-E, MidJourney, Stable Diffusion, Eleven Labs AI, Runway ML, and others, learning to integrate them into design workflows.
The course combines theoretical learning with hands-on projects, enabling students to not only grasp the functionalities of these tools but also understand their practical applications in real-world design scenarios. As they progress, students will be encouraged to develop a critical perspective on the use of AI in design, particularly focusing on the ethical considerations such as bias, authorship, and the societal impact of AI-generated content.
Through lectures, workshops, guest speaker sessions, and collaborative projects, students will gain a nuanced understanding of how AI can augment, transform, and sometimes challenge traditional design methodologies. The course culminates in a final project where students will apply their learned skills to create comprehensive design works that reflect their mastery of AI tools and their thoughtful engagement with the ethical dimensions of AI in design.
Catherine Cavallo (‘26), a current senior in our Design program, was recently selected for an invite-only event, Launch Your Creative Career with Adobe in NYC. Catherine and 64 other attendees met at the Adobe Office in Times Square this November. The event focused on networking, career readiness discussions, information on the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship Program, as well as creative fun for talented and career-minded students from all over the NYC area. Professor Amy Fortunato sat down with Catherine to learn about her experience and the impact it has made.
Amy: This is such a wonderful accomplishment! You were nominated and selected in part, because you had an exceptional portfolio that was visible to the public. What advice would you have for students who are just starting to put together their portfolio, to stand out for an opportunity like this?
Catherine: Quality over quantity. Focus on 3-5 portfolio pieces that represent the work you want to do and take the time to push them further. Upload final files, but also prioritize the process by including photos and telling the whole story. Mention any roles you played, but be intentional of how you say it. Instead of simply saying you designed a poster for class, highlight your experience working collaboratively and delivering under tight deadlines. Take advantage of all the briefs your design professors give you in class. You will maximize your own benefit by treating assignments with professionalism and respect. The more “real” you treat it, the more you will get out of it. These are the main things that helped me set up my portfolio for success.
Amy: Clearly, you were prepared for what Adobe was looking for. Only 65 students were selected from schools all over NYC – how did it feel to receive the invitation?
Catherine: I felt incredibly honored to receive an invitation to the Adobe office. Seeing my name next to Adobe in that exclusive email felt surreal, and being 1 of only 65 students selected made it even more rewarding. It was a moment that really showed me that hard work does pay off, and it only inspires me to keep going.
Amy: One of the opportunities was a live Behance course – what did you learn from that part of the retreat?
Catherine: I learned that your profile details are just as important as your projects. It’s important to optimize searchability by regularly updating your information, making your URL concise, and adding keywords to your bio. Subtle changes like including your links in your email signature and social media bio will boost visibility. Promoting and engaging with other creatives is also really important. Learn to be first to start the conversation.
Amy: What is something you learned from the retreat that surprised you?
Catherine: Something that surprised me was how not-so-scary it was to network. A piece of advice that was given to me before going in was that I shouldn’t be afraid of not clicking with certain people. And don’t force it; you’ll find the right people to connect with, and it’s important that you invest your focus and time in building on that connection. The retreat as a whole taught me that to succeed as a creative–you need to engage with other creatives daily. Making potential life-long friends along the way is a bonus!
Amy: Is networking something that you feel comes easily to you? Was there anything at the event that helped ease everyone into it?
Catherine: I’m very social in my personal life and at school, but professionally, this was one of the first networking events I ever attended. I was definitely nervous in the days leading up to it, but the moment I entered the space, it sort of felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. With that mindset, it became easier for me to go up to someone and introduce myself. Within a few minutes after checking in, I had already made my first friend.
Early on, Norman Borgonia, one of the event organizers, led an icebreaker where we had to find someone we didn’t know and vote yes or no on several design “hot takes.” The one that stuck with me was, “Is artist block real?” because everyone around me immediately blurted out yes. We all agreed that no matter what type of creative work you do, burnout is real and it sucks. It was comforting to see that we all shared similar experiences, even if we didn’t come from the same major or concentration.
Amy: Were there any words of wisdom that stuck with you that you want to share with the QC Design community?
Photo: Adem Wijewickrema
Catherine: Vinny Anand, a filmmaker, shared amazing insights through his panel, “The Story of a Story.” One of the things that I took away was that storytelling is competitive. There is only room to be uniquely yourself. This directly spoke to me and my workflow because I often try to reveal some of myself through my work, whether it’s based on a personal memory, my heritage, or a conversation I overheard on the train. I strongly believe that what separates you from the next designer is your ability to share and conceptualize your own authenticity.
Amy: Looking back at the experience, what was a favorite memory from the retreat?
Catherine: My favorite moment was when it was announced that we were going to be fast-tracked into the Adobe Creative Apprenticeship Program and immediately offered to be commissioned by Adobe. People were gasping, tearing up, and texting their parents. You could really feel the energy in the room.
Another one of my favorite moments was during dinner, where I found myself reflecting about how I was now part of a group with 7 other creatives. Inside an office in midtown Manhattan, on the 18th floor, originally filled with people I didn’t know. Not only did I walk away with new connections, we had meaningful conversations and formed beautiful friendships.
Amy: Turning to what’s next…what would be your dream job after graduation?
Catherine: My dream job after graduation is to be a graphic designer at an agency or non-profit that genuinely cares about meaningful, concept-driven work. I want to create visual narratives that inspire other young creatives the same way that I’ve been inspired by the community around me. Working on campaigns or advertisements that promote impactful messages would be the dream. Another goal I intend to work on is expanding my personal brand and business, incorporating more of my own design into my passion for re-selling apparel.
The student-led undergraduate literary journal Utopia Parkway is accepting submissions for the Spring 2026 issue! Accepted contributions will be published in the printed journal and on the journal’s website.
Fall deadline for submissions: Dec 22, 2025.
We accept a wide range of visual art, including illustration, animation, comics, etc. If you’re excited about it then please submit it!
CUNY Cultural Corps provides students with paid work experience in NYC’s arts and cultural sector, creating a pipeline for students to have successful careers, while diversifying NYC’s cultural institutions. Partnering institutions include non-profit cultural organizations involved in the visual, literary and performing arts as well as public-oriented science and humanities institutions including zoos, botanical gardens and historic and preservation societies.
Applications for the undergraduate Spring 2026 cohort are open until October 31, 2025.
When completing an application, students will need to select one (1) of the following five departments they wish to work for:
💬 Communications & Marketing
📚 Education & Public Programs
👐 Development & Fundraising
🖼️ Curatorial & Exhibitions
🎭Production Management (Performances & Events)
Candidates with strong applications will be invited to a Pre-Screening Training Session. Those who perform well in this session will move forward to apply for internship positions within their selected department.
Applications for the Spring 2026 cohort are now open! Click here to apply!
Application Period: Best Chance Deadline Oct. 7th Last Chance Deadline Oct. 13th (closes at 11:59 p.m.)
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis— the earlier you apply, the earlier you may be invited to interview. Applicants who submit by the Best Chance Deadline have a better chance of being interviewed; the Last Chance Deadline is the final cutoff to apply.
With a CUNY Spring Forward internship you are paid to pursue your future career and learn on the job! Internships are designed for CUNY undergrads who have had no prior paid internship experience.
Are you wondering what sets us apart from other programs?
Spring Forward is open to current CUNY undergraduate students
Spring Forward does not have an age cap! We accept students aged 18+
Priority is given to applicants with Freshman & Sophomore status
Priority is given to Community College applicants
Applicants must meet all of the following criteria in order to qualify for the program:
Have you had NO prior paid internship experience during your CUNY career? (including previously participating in Career Launch, Spring Forward, College Bridge and Reading Corp)
Will you be a CUNY undergraduate student this Fall 2025 AND Spring 2026 semesters?
Are you at least 18 years old as of September 9th, 2025?
Do you have a grade point average of at least 2.0?
Are you eligible to work in the United States?
Do you want a career in one of these fields: • Marketing, communications, or public relations • Community impact, non-profits, or social services • Science, technology, engineering or environmental preservation • Healthcare services
If you answered “yes” to all of the questions above, you can apply to a future cycle of the CUNY Spring Forward Program!
Email us at [email protected] so we can respond to your questions and requests. Please email from your CUNY email address if possible. Or visit our help site for more information:
