Cheryl D. Miller

Cheryl D. Miller is a Lecturer in the Art Department at Howard University and an adjunct professor at multiple institutions. She is a trailblazer in graphic design, civil rights activism, and diversity advocacy, with a focus on ending marginalization of BIPOC designers. Her work spans social impact design, archival research, and theological scholarship.

• Education: MS in Communications Design from Pratt Institute, BFA in Graphic Design from Maryland Institute College of Art, Doctor of Humane Letters (Vermont College of Fine Arts, 2020), Doctor of Fine Arts (MICA, 2022), and MDiv from Union Theological Seminary.

Miler’s research and professional practice centers on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in graphic design, decolonizing design education, and documenting the history of Black graphic design in North America. Her legacy includes the Cheryl D. Miller Collection at Stanford University, housing her firm’s archive, memoir research, and manuscripts.

She has received numerous accolades, including the AIGA Medal (2021), Cooper Hewitt Design Visionary award (2021), and induction into The One Club Creative Hall of Fame (2022). She has held advisory and leadership roles, such as Board of Trustees at Vermont College of Fine Arts and President’s Global Advisory Board at MICA.