NSCAD Alumni at Work
Discover the power of lateral thinking
A creative education takes you many places. NSCAD’s alumni live and work in 56 countries and are well-respected in almost every profession, in fields beyond the culture sector. NSCAD graduates have won Academy, Emmy, and Governor General awards. They are artists, curators, designers, craftspeople, educators, healthcare professionals, engineers, solo-preneurs, entrepreneurs, truck drivers, farmers, and much more. They make impacts in small and big ways at home and around the world.
NSCAD Alumni at Work is a series of virtual conversations, hosted by Mollie Cronin (BA 2015), that showcase the incredible and diverse talents of NSCAD graduates, as well as the many possible career paths that arise from a visual arts and design education. No matter where NSCAD’s alumni land, they bring curiosity, unconventional thinking, and practical know-how to every situation.
Check out these monthly episodes to learn more about our alumni and how they have applied their creativity and education to solve problems, drive the economy and reframe how we see the world.
Alumni at Work Talks
Celebrity Styling Behind the Scenes
Thursday, September 24, 12. p.m. to 1 p.m. (Atlantic)
Join fashion designer Matthew Brown (BFA 2026) and celebrity fashion stylist, costume designer and creative consultant Akshay Tyagi (BFA 2008), as they share insider stories about their time styling well known celebs and creating looks for high profile Bollywood actors, professional athletes, well-known musicians and more.
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Building a Career After Graduation
Thursday, May 28, 1-2 p.m. (Atlantic)
NSCAD teaches technique and theory while fostering a curious and critical mindset. Two recent graduates, Lila Gorey McSorley (BFA 2025) and Danaé Lavallée (BFA 2025) will share how they carry these skills into their careers and navigate the realities of sustaining a practice or livelihood. The discussion will highlight how critical and professional development at NSCAD is not separate from making work, but essential to helping it exist, circulate, and endure.
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Between Studio & Strategy – The power of dual degrees
Thursday, March 26, 2026, 1-2 p.m. (Atlantic)
Join Dayna Sharkey (BFA, BDes ‘96) and Randy Laybourne (BFA ’97, BDes ’99) for an inspiring conversation about how combining conceptual exploration and applied design thinking can expand your creative practice and open new professional pathways.
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Creativity with a Conscience
Thursday, February 26, 2026, 12–1 p.m. (Atlantic).
Join Lunenburg ceramist Douglas Bamford (BFA 1995) and Halifax-based jewellery designer Dorothee Rosen (BFA 2005) for a conversation about sustainable materials, methods, and the impact of greener practices in art and craft. Bamford and Rosen will discuss how their work has evolved, the steps they’ve taken to adopt more sustainable techniques, and the role environmental responsibility plays in their creative processes.
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Human Centred Design
Thursday, January 29, 2026, 1-2 p.m. (Atlantic).
This virtual panel discussion will focus on the impact and potential of human-centred design with Seattle-based UX-designer Lesley Palfreyman (BDes 2002) and interdisciplinary designer John deWolf (BDes 1992). Both have extensive backgrounds in analyzing and deconstructing complex structures and designing understandable and accessible communication systems, for various audiences.
2025 Recordings
2024 Recordings
2023 Recordings
2022 Recordings
