Associate Professor of Media and Communication
What is your educational background?
I received my B.F.A. in Communication Design from Kutztown University and my M.F.A. in Advertising Design from Marywood University
What brought you to DelVal?
Funny story... I was an adjunct at several institutions at the time but also doing freelance design work. I was contacted by an English professor here at DelVal to design a logo/Playbill for a play that he had written. A few weeks after finishing that job he reached out again to ask if I also teach design. The rest is history and I have now been here 10 years.
How do you harness the experiential learning pillar of Delaware Valley University and apply that to your everyday teaching?
Media & Communication is a 'show it' discipline. Our students can't talk a big game and get a job simply flashing a great GPA. They have to build a portfolio of professional-grade work in order to prove to a potential employer that they can, in fact, do the job they are applying for. Just relying on in-class assignments or projects isn't enough. They have to get out and do work for the University as a whole or the community, not to mention interning for businesses and organizations of all types.
What brings you the most satisfaction in your job?
It's simply the interaction with the students. It's what keeps me coming back to teaching each and every year. Their enthusiasm to produce the work and their thirst for knowledge is what keeps me going and pushes me to learn more and more each semester.
Do you have any student success stories that stand out to you?
There are numerous success stories when it comes to Media majors, and I am always surprised to find out just what they are able to accomplish in an ever-changing industry. Some of the jobs that my students get now didn't exist 5 years ago, let alone when I was working in the industry. I will say that some of the most surprising success stories come from non-media majors who received a media minor. There was a Zoo science student a few years back who mentioned to me that she assumed she got her first 'zoo job' because she had a portfolio of design work and part of the job with to photograph the animals for the social media sites and maintain the zoo's website. And there was also a Chemistry major who is now working at MERK and told me that when interviewing, they specifically said they brought her in because she was the only applicant to have a 'chemistry' logo on her resume.
What are the characteristics of a successful student at DelVal? A successful student usually has a somewhat longer vision that the unsuccessful student. They think more than a day or semester or year ahead. I try and get my students to consider what impact the 'now' will have on their future in say, five years, or ten. That's a difficult thing to imagine when you're 18 or 19 years old. The successful students have that ability and it helps them focus on tasks and activities that are beneficial as opposed to getting wrapped up on instant gratification.
How do you describe DelVal and the DelVal student from your perspective?
I am a firm believer that there is no one 'DelVal or one 'DelVal student.’ That's important because I think that institutions (not just academic) are often put into groups or categories. I've seen enough over my 10 years at DelVal and my wider 20 years of teaching at a total of 8 colleges and universities to know that categorizing places of learning and the students that attend those institutions is not helpful and usually inaccurate.
Are there any specific activities or initiatives you prioritize when mentoring DelVal students?
Participate in and seek out any opportunity that you feel will relate to the type of work you want to do after school. I don't have to understand it. If you see a connection, pursue that with all you have.
If you were a YouTube or TikTok influencer, what would the subject of your channel or content be about? (specific hobby? Knowledgeable about a topic? travel, food, gardening, exercising, etc.)
I'm no influencer but I have hosted a film podcast called Good Times Great Movies for the past 10 years. I love film and if my students want to hear me curse more than usual, they can take a listen. It's not on the syllabus yet, but I consider it every semester. Ha!
About Douglas McCambridge
Douglas McCambridge is a graphic designer and educator. He brings expertise in print and digital design, editorial layout, and package design to his students in a field that is changing constantly due to technological innovations. His students graduate with not only a degree, but also a body of work that they will take into the world as they pursue their first destination after they graduate. McCambridge is impressed with the variety of career paths his students pursue due to the value of the design and communication skills they acquire at DelVal.