BU Assistant Professor Mary Yang named GDUSA 2026 Person to Watch; Three students recognized; Program listed among Top Design Schools
The Graphic Design program at Boston University takes a studio-driven approach to design thinking and visual communication. With an emphasis on process and critical design thinking, the program sets itself apart as a maker-based design department set within an art school. The design faculty are leaders in the field who work closely with students to develop their technical and conceptual skills, challenging them to think creatively and strategically, and placing them at the forefront of entrepreneurial thinking in the business world.
2026 GDUSA Person to Watch:
Mary Yang
For the 63rd year, GDUSA recognizes people who embody the spirit of the creative community. Newsmakers, influencers, thought-leaders with insights into the past, present and future of the graphic design and creative professions.
Mary Y. Yang is a designer and educator based in Boston, MA. She is the co-founder of Radical Characters, an educational and curatorial platform that researches and explores graphic design, typography, and culture through Hanzi (Chinese characters). Yang is an Assistant Professor at Boston University, where she teaches in both the undergraduate and graduate Graphic Design programs. Her research and pedagogical approach examine how language can be used as a tool for multilingual exchange, co-building history, embodied learning, and cultivating spaces for collective knowledge. She is currently the 2025–2026 Artist-Writer-in-Residence at Johns Hopkins University’s University Writing Program.
In addition to her role as an educator, Yang is the founder of Open Rehearsal, a design studio that collaborates with cultural and educational clients on research and projects spanning brand identities, exhibition graphics, book design, environmental graphics, and editorial design.
GDUSA: What principles guide your design decisions?
Yang: My design decisions are guided by language and cultural awareness. I aim to create work that reflects the lived and linguistic experiences of the communities it engages, whether through typography, image-making, or visual storytelling. I value research-driven approaches, where each project is informed by context, history, and audience. At the same time, I embrace playfulness and experimentation, using design to explore new cultural narratives.
2026 GDUSA Boston University Students to Watch
Spanning undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs, these emerging creatives are developing the skills, confidence, and vision that today’s industry demands.
Yunxi (Lucy) Ye (CFA’26)
Yunxi Ye is a graphic designer from China, currently based in Boston and pursuing an MFA in Graphic Design at Boston University. Her practice combines a “take it easy” openness with structured, verb-led experimentation, exploring how everyday actions and tools shape visual communication. She is particularly interested in how verbs can operate as frameworks for perception and interaction. Working across typography, publication design, motion graphics, and interactive media, she creates participatory and performative systems that translate physical action into visual and collective experience. Her work has been recognized by Design 360˚, the GDC Award, and the KTK Design Award, and has been exhibited internationally.
Augie Oppenheimer (CFA’26)
Augie Oppenheimer is a senior at Boston University pursuing a BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in History of Art and Architecture. He is a transfer from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, originally having studied industrial design, and much of his work reflects that. He focuses heavily around physical interaction, craft, and human factors. Augie chose to become a designer in order to utilize his creativity to solve real world problems, which he has been able to do while Interning at Spin350 Creative, working at The Daily Free Press, and designing for many other organizations throughout his time at Boston University. When not in the studio, Augie can be found playing rugby, sitting under a tree, or googling etymologies.
Anne Chen (CFA’26)
Anne Chen is a Shanghai-born designer and a senior at Boston University, graduating in Spring 2026. With a minor in printmaking, she is particularly drawn to etching and silkscreen, often combining the two, or integrating them with graphic design, to explore how analog and digital processes can meaningfully inform one another. Her practice centers on creating moments of connection: between people, between materials, and between inner experience and outward expression. Alongside this desire to communicate through works, she values self-exploration and continuous learning. This curiosity has led her to work across a wide range of graphic design fields, including branding, packaging, editorial design, UI/UX, and motion graphics. Originally from Shanghai, she enjoys films, animation, manga, and video games.
Boston University:
A 2026 GDUSA Top Design School
“The result [of years of conversation and collaboration with creative leaders, educators, administrators, hiring managers, recruiters, and feedback from the community] is a curated roster that highlights institutions championing growth in all its forms — personal, professional, and societal — spotlighting programs that are pushing boundaries and equipping tomorrow’s designers with the skills to make a lasting impact.” –GDUSA
