BIC Program Directors use Creativity to Advance the Goals of Medical Research

6/30/2015 Unknown 0 Comments

With funding by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant shared with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, BIC Creative Track Director Gerardo Blumenkrantz and Program Director Nancy R. Tag are developing a social media campaign to increase awareness and utilization of the HPV vaccine for children. 

Read the full story plus an interview in the CCNY feature article, Creativity and Research in Progress: Spotlight on the Humanities and Arts.

Stephanie Cruz joins ADCOLOR Futures Class of 2015

6/23/2015 Unknown 0 Comments


Stephanie G. Cruz has been selected to be in ADCOLOR Futures Class of 2015! Stephanie (BIC class of 2016) is an Assistant Account Executive at BBDO. 

A graduate of CCNY's Ad/PR Program, Stephanie is joined this year by another CCNY/MCA alum, Jerry Louis, who was recently a junior copywriter at Y&R and is now an IPG fellow. Stephanie is our second BICster to win this honor. Amber Lynn Jackson was a member of ADCOLOR Futures Class of 2014.

The 9th Annual ADCOLOR Industry Conference and Awards will take place in New York City for the first time this year at Pier Sixty (61 Chelsea Piers) from September 16-19, 2015.

ADCOLOR is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to celebrate and champion diversity in the advertising, marketing, media, PR and entertainment industries. Its aim is to help individuals and organizations RISE UP, letting their accomplishments and ideas shine, then teach these new leaders and would-be-mentors how to REACH BACK and find others who deserve to be noticed and promoted. The goal of ADCOLOR is to create a community of diverse professionals who are here to support and celebrate one another. Learn more at Adcolor.org.

Donna Dei-Baning (BIC '16) Receives LAGRANT Scholarship & Attends 3-Day Festivities in Chicago

6/18/2015 Unknown 0 Comments

The LAGRANT Foundation’s (TLF) 2015 scholarship recipients Donna Dei-Baning (BIC Class of 2016) and fellow CCNY student Kai Simmonds were recognized during the 17th Anniversary Scholarship and Donor Recognition Reception in Chicago on June 8th. In addition to receiving the scholarships, TLF provided Donna, Kai, and fellow winners with airfare to Chicago and lodging to attend career-building events with top communications professionals and networking opportunities over the course of three days. Now back in NYC after the whirlwind event, Donna wrote in to share pictures and tell us all about it! Here's what she had to say.

I'm back from Chicago!

I had an amazing time with the other LAGRANT Scholars. We started with a welcome dinner on Sunday evening hosted by Pam Edstrom of Waggener Edstrom Communications. Her transparency on issues such as diversity in the workplace and gender bias was a breath of fresh air. 

We spent all day at Golin on Monday where we heard an amazing (And I mean amazing) talk from the CEO, Fred Cook. We also had an opportunity to work on a project for one of their clients. Golin ended the day with a panel on diversity with a few of their employees. From Golin, we then headed over to Googe for the main event-- our scholarship ceremony. I was surprised by the number of industry-leading executives who were in the room for us that night. I was able to talk to Pat Ford, Burson-Marsteller's Worldwide Vice Chair, Chief Client Officer and Regional Chairman of Asia-Pacific (Say that 3x fast). He was so interested in learning more about my interests and career aspirations. The amount of support we have as LAGRANT Scholars is really uncanny! 

Tuesday was Y&R Chicago/Wunderman day. We learned about the company, their workflow, had sessions on creative ideation and consumer context planning, took a look at case studies, and worked on projects for a few of their clients. I was also able to get connected to Adrian Fogel who is the Planning Director there (And was also excited to hear that I had Belle Frank as my Research Professor). I'm excited to pick her brain about account planning. Our jam-packed schedule didn't leave much room to explore Chicago, but I had a wonderful time and came back to NYC feeling inspired. Kai Simmonds and I represented CCNY well. 

-Donna 
Donna Dei-Baning M.P.S. Branding + Communications City College of New York, 2016 Linkedin

Gustavo Stecher joins BIC Board

6/08/2015 Unknown 0 Comments




Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Gustavo Stecher is a graphic designer who currently manages consultancy and strategy fields for corporative clients and institutions in Buenos Aires, Miami and New York. The studio he founded in 1996, Menos es mas, was responsible for designing the national exhibition at the Venice Biennale, London and Tokyo, the identity and wayfinding of the Justice Center in Santiago, the Science and Technology Museum and the Jewish Museum in Buenos Aires. Towards the end of 2009, Gustavo won the national contest for the Argentine Bicentennial brand icon that transcended the festivities for Argentina's 200 years to become a patriotic symbol. In 2010 he created the first official coin ever designed by a branding studio in Argentina's history: the current 2 pesos coin. They also developed the TEDx Río de la Plata image and the InnovatiBA event (singularity university) and the Latin American Entrepreneur Icon, presented at WeXchange.

Having received awards in various design contests, his work has been published in major specialized media in the country and the world. With two of his own books published, the last one, IDARG, selected in 2008 by the Association of Graphic Artist, AIGA, to be exposed in the USA during the months of June and July. This project is a particular vision of the Argentine identity expressed through iconography.

Announcing the BIC Alumni Association (BICAA)

6/04/2015 Unknown 0 Comments


In true go-getter fashion, the inaugural class of BIC has officially announced the establishment of the the BIC Alumni Association (BICAA). BICAA Executive Board President, Amber Lynn Jackson, shared the news during the BIC Graduation + Recruitment Party held on May 27th. "Our goal is to share ideas and work together to strengthen the BIC program. It's our way to support current students in the program. It's a way to stay in touch with alumni as they graduate." The 2015/2016 BICAA Executive Board has already chosen its members.

President - Amber Lynn Jackson 
Vice President - André Ory
Treasurer - Christopher Villanueva
Secretary - Kiera Walker
Media and Design Chairs - Vera Golikova and Debra Jones
Membership Chair - Ruth Ogbeab
Mentorship Chair - Javier O. Garcia
Recruitment Chair - Maxime Menant

We'll share more news and developments as the BICAA plans future programming.

First Class. First Graduation. First EVER.

6/01/2015 Unknown 0 Comments


In Fall of 2013, BIC's very first class of students took a leap of faith and joined our newly launched graduate program. Together, these intrepid, risk-taking, innovative students not only helped shape our program, but redefined themselves. In the past two years, many presented at industry conferences, earned prestigious fellowships and scholarships, and won competitive contests. They learned from the pros. Pitched work to powerhouse companies. And taught us all a thing or two. 

And now...The City College of New York's Branding + Integrated Communications Master's Degree Program presents its first graduates: the incomparable BIC CLASS OF 2015!

Following BIC's Graduation + Recruitment Party on May 27th, "BICsters" embarked on careers that will transform the communications industry, already securing positions at some of the world's most coveted companies, such as GREY, SS+K, DDB, Rabin Martin, Circle Line, and TBWA. There's so much more in store for this multilingual, multicultural, and multi-talented group of students, all poised to influence the evolving global perspective in media and communications arts.  

BIC salutes the Class of 2015: Noha Ahmed Fouad, Batikan Aslan, Edmund Graham Balogun, Carol Burns, Luz Corona, Yanin De Jesus, Jacques Epangue, Frederick Garcia, Javier Garcia, Vera Golikova, Raj Gomes, Fang Guo, Amber Jackson, Jaruwijit Jaruthiphayakhantha, Debra Jones, Nehal Mahmoud, Maxime Menant, Ruth Ogbeab, André Ory, Alexandra Suazo, Chris Villanueva, Kiera Walker, Anthony Washington. 

View pictures from Graduation 2015 in our gallery.