On March 24, the College of Visual and Performing Arts’ (VPA) Office of Academic and Career Advising hosted its second annual VPA Industry Day in partnership with Syracuse University Career Services. Eighteen alumni and industry professionals came to campus to meet with students for panel discussions, information sessions, portfolio reviews and a networking lunch.
The event was open to both undergraduate and graduate students from across VPA’s schools and departments. Students who registered and attended had the opportunity to win a pair of Nike sneakers with a custom Syracuse design by Alex Alpert ’16, creative director of OneOf. With 119 students in attendance, VPA Industry Day was the University’s highest attended career event outside of its larger career fairs.
Students benefitted from the chance to speak one-on-one with the alumni and industry professionals, make connections and ask questions
“Syracuse has some amazing alumni with a variety of experiences,” says Fabiana Suarez ’23, a communication and rhetorical studies major who attended the event. “They seemed more than willing to connect with students and offer advice.”
Alumni who participated in Industry Day included:
- Alex Alpert ’16, creative director, OneOf
- Matt Britten ’07, CEO, Broadway Brands
- Steve Brown, founder and sound engineer, Brown Master Mix
- Thomas Cheng ’22, associate account management specialist, Epsilon
- Arielle Cohen ’22, junior copywriter, Havas Health & You
- Craig Donnelly ’99, design director, First Tube Media
- Jason Evanko ’15, technical director, freelance
- Evan Fonseca ’13, freelance writer, Trusted Media Brands
- Michael Gursha ’10, CEO/co-founder, Rookie Road
- Lauren Kanungo ’08, interior designer, Michael Graves Architecture & Design
- Kristen Krauss, associate director of chamber music, The Rivers School Conservatory
- Kyle Kuchta ’13, director and producer, OTC Industries
- Colin Lange ’99, general manager, Midwest, Landor & Fitch
- Ayana Patterson ’06, design strategist
- Ashley Recuparo ’08, director of denim, EXPRESS
- Louis Santoro ’08, screens and programming manager, Paramount
- Jonalyn Saxer ’14, actress, “Mean Girls” (national tour)
- Iting Christina Trout ’10, director of marketing and communications, Growing Good Works, Inc.
For more information about Industry Day, or if you are a VPA alumnus and want to participate in a future Industry Day, contact VPA Career Services at .