Michelle Nelson

Michelle Nelson serves as a Professor in the Department of Graphic Design at Youngstown State University's Cliffe College of Creative Arts, where she has taught since 2004 after previous faculty appointments at Northern Arizona University, Eastern Michigan University, and University of South Carolina Upstate. With over twenty years of professional experience as both a graphic designer and photographer, she integrates industry practice into her academic work.

Her educational background includes an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from Indiana University Bloomington (1998), with thesis "Design from 1093-1945", and dual B.F.A. degrees in Graphic Design and Photography from Herron School of Art (1993). She maintains active professional engagement through design publications and conference presentations.

Research focuses on interdisciplinary intersections of design and society, particularly Social Activism, Typeface Development, and Children Book Illustration. Her expertise in typography has been featured in international magazine Émigré, and she is currently developing a multi-classification font family. Teaching interests span Typography, Font Design, Branding, and Expressive Design methodologies.

Key honors include:

• Youngstown State University Distinguished Professor in Teaching (2023)
• Indiana University College of Art and Science Outstanding Teaching and Scholarship Fellowship (1997)

Professor Nelson emphasizes experiential learning, challenging students to explore uncharted visual territories while connecting classroom practice to professional design contexts. Her service includes judging the Governors Show (2021) and committee work with Trumbull Career & Technical Center.