Denise Anderson joined the faculty in 2013 as a full-time professor in the Robert Busch School of Design (RBSD) after teaching as an adjunct instructor in the department for fifteen years. Denise is the senior portfolio coordinator for the graphic design program and teaches courses related to graphic design, branding and identity design. 

As a graphic designer, brand strategist and entrepreneur, Denise brings to the classroom over two decades of experience creating branding strategies and corporate identities for global financial services firms and start-up companies at the award-winning creative firm she founded, DesignDMA. Prior to DesignDMA, Denise was the former Director of Marketing Services at Pershing, a BNY Mellon company.   

Denise is driven by a love for learning and a passion to mentor and develop creative leaders. In May 2014, in association with the Art Directors Club of New Jersey (ADCNJ), Denise created and chaired Designsters, a statewide portfolio presentation program, scholarship award and networking event for emerging design students. In Fall 2014, Denise’s paper, Graphic Design and Entrepreneurialism: The Rise of the Design Entrepreneur, will be published in an international peer reviewed scientific journal, Diseño y Creatividad, for King Juan Carlos University in Madrid, Spain. Additionally, Denise was selected to co-chair the May 2015 national conference for the University & College Designers Association (UCDA) Design Education Summit at South Dakota’s State University, an organization for professionals involved in the creation of visual communications for educational institutions. 

Denise is the former President of the ADCNJ (1998-2000) and now serves as a Board member. She is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) and the Design Management Institute (DMI). In 2000, Denise designed two trade publications, Creative Jolt and Creative Jolt Inspirations (Northlight Publications), which she also co-authored with Robin Landa and Rose Gonnella. Additionally, she has published numerous articles on how design and creativity promote strategic value within organizations. Denise holds a B.F.A. in Visual Communications from Kean University, and a M.P.S. in Design Management from Pratt Institute where she studied how to bridge the disciplines between design and business management.

Advice for students preparing for your class: 

Be passionate for Design, present for learning and prepared for class. If you follow this formula into your career, it will bring great joy and success.