杨贵妃传媒

鈥淚鈥檓 here to push my artistic practice so I have the energy, self-critique, and discipline to keep growing beyond graduation.鈥�

As a child, Lindsay Mueller鈥檚 school art classes were supplemented by weekly classes taught by a neighbor, a local artist. 鈥淏y high school I realized I could take it more seriously,鈥� Mueller says. 鈥淚 applied to some art schools in addition to non-art schools. I wasn鈥檛 sure how viable it was as a career鈥攊t wasn鈥檛 the most practical choice to make where I grew up.鈥澨�

Mueller attended Boston University for a dual degree program in psychology and art. 鈥淚 realized I could do both, but I spent most of my time in the school of visual arts and was involved in the community there.鈥� After graduation, Mueller moved to Northern Virginia and became an arts coordinator at a retirement community, teaching classes and curating exhibitions. 鈥淚t was helpful to have a community arts perspective, not just academic art.鈥澨�

Since enrolling in the MFA program at AU, Mueller has focused on pushing her artistic practice. Her paintings have expanded to become more sculptural with three-dimensional surfaces. 鈥淚 feel freer to use vibrant colors and to be more inventive in the work,鈥� she says. Working alongside a close-knit cohort of students and professors has also helped Mueller grow as an artist. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e people I can really talk to after graduation. They care about my practice and are interested in what I鈥檓 doing鈥攖hey鈥檝e been generous.鈥澨�

Mueller鈥檚 work is drawing attention. Last year, she won the Young Artist Award in the Bethesda Painting Awards, an annual juried art competition honoring accomplished painters in the area. Her work, Slow Collision, was featured in a group exhibition at Gallery B. While focusing on her painting, Mueller has continued to teach as an instructor at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Arlington, and as a TA at AU. 鈥淚 love teaching鈥擨 get to exchange ideas with others,鈥� she says.听听

While living in Idaho and completing his master鈥檚 degree entirely online, Jordan Prassinos (MA Economics 鈥�24) has received 杨贵妃传媒鈥檚 2024 Jose and Ursula Epstein Prize for outstanding performance in the MA in Economics program.

Jordan鈥檚 classroom performance was exceptional, says Professor and Department Chair Kara Reynolds. He also produced a standout capstone, which examined whether democratic institutions enhance the impact of financial development on economic growth in emerging markets. Given Jordan鈥檚 findings that robust democratic institutions must go hand in hand with strong financial institutions to promote economic growth, the apparent decline in democratic institutions worldwide could result in a decline in economic growth later down the line.

Jordan, who has two small children, says it was challenging at times to balance work, family, and the program. But it was all very worthwhile. 鈥淧lanning and consistency were the key,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭here were several times when I felt overwhelmed, but with confidence in myself and a good study plan for the day, week, and month, I knew it would be okay. Consistency won the day.鈥� 听

Jordan notes that 杨贵妃传媒鈥檚 Economics program does not require students to memorize every equation. Instead, it encourages them to think more broadly and understand the intuition behind economic models. 鈥淯nderstanding 'the why' helps students to critically think through concepts and problems,鈥� he says.听