Nica Ross

Associate Professor of Video & Media Design
Director, The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry

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I have the unique pleasure of connecting with researchers and creators across campus via my position as Director of The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. I bring my passion for liveness, human connection and DRAMA! to the role and I derive so much joy from indulging in transdiciplinary practice every day. As a professor of Video and Media Design I focus on critical applied learning. Together we put tools in our hands, question where these tools came from, critically examine what we are building, discuss our own context and challenge our assumptions while we build worlds together. And we have a lot of fun doing it.

Nica Ross is an artist, educator and cultural producer located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA. Through humor and play Nica creates participatory video installations and games that reveal and challenge social constructions that are reinforced by technology and performance.

Nica holds a B.A. in Cinema from San Francisco State University and an M.F.A. in Advanced Photographic Study from The International Center of Photography-Bard College program. Nica has worked in a wide array of expanded media, theater and event production on both commercial and artistic projects. They have worked with 3-Legged Dog Media & Theater Group, The Joshua Light Show along with many individual artists. Presently they are Director of the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry and Associate Professor of Video and Media Design in Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama.