Congratulations to Emma Oliver, Director of Creative Employment and Assistant Professor of Art Education, who was named the Massachusetts Art Education Association’s 2027 Higher Education Art Educator of the Year at the MAEA awards ceremony this past Friday in Sturbridge!

Emma is a fiber-based sculptor whose work explores vulnerability, connection, and the uncomfortable act of putting yourself out there. She brings that same spirit to her work at Montserrat, where she connects students with meaningful, paid creative jobs on and off campus and helps them translate studio skills like problem solving, collaboration, and project management into language employers understand. Her belief that the classroom to career connection matters is something our students feel every day.

Next up, Emma heads to San Antonio for the National Student Employment Association conference, October 21 to 23, where she’ll present “Creative Jobs for All: Reimagining Student Employment for the Creative Economy.” She’ll share how Montserrat rethought student employment as a high impact practice and a real pathway to creative careers.

Congratulations, Emma!