Professor Polack
Professor Polack, a distinguished computer science professor at the University of Mary Washington, possesses a deep curiosity for global exploration. Driven by a desire to broaden her understanding of different cultures and technological landscapes, she aspires to study abroad in countries across the world. Professor Polack's ambition to study abroad exemplifies her commitment to enriching both his own academic perspectives and the field of computer science as a whole.
View UMW Trip 2024
Iceland, where we spent weeks exploring the stunning landscapes of this Nordic island. One of the highlights of the trip was driving around the famous ring road, a 1,332-kilometer highway that circles the entire country. Along the way, we marveled at cascading waterfalls, rugged coastlines, and towering glaciers. We had the chance to immerse yourself in Icelandic culture, sampling traditional cuisine and learning about the country's history and geology. This unforgettable journey through Iceland's dramatic beauty left a lasting impression all of us.
View UMW Trip 2023
After leading a study abroad trip to Brazil and Argentina, where the students explored the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest, embarked on a captivating river cruise along the Amazon, and marveled at the breathtaking Iguazu Falls from both sides of the border, Professor Polack decided to create a photo book. With meticulous attention to detail, he curated a collection of photographs capturing the vibrant landscapes, fascinating wildlife, and joyous moments of the trip. I aimed to provide a visual narrative that would forever remind the students of their remarkable journey.

Mariel Couvillion Design Safari

For this assignment, we were supposed to learn about different elements of design (color, typography, metaphors/symbols, minimalism & use of space, form/function/message, balance, rhythm, proportion, dominance, and unity) then find examples of four concepts in the real world. The concepts that I found were: minimalism, color, typography, and symbols.

Minimalism

Yellowface

In design, minimalism is how you can draw attention to your design by having less. A good example that I found of this this week was the cover of R.F. Kuang’s book: Yellowface. I think that this is a good example of a minimalist design because there isn’t a lot happening in the design besides the text, color (the could also be a good example of the use of color), and eyes. I think that the simplicity of the elements on the cover make the book more intriguing and make readers more interested on what the book is about.

Color

Igor

Color is the use of bold or the use of no colors in a design to make a design eye-catching. The example that I found this week was the album cover for the vinyl of Tyler, the Creator’s Igor. I think that this album cover design is a good example of both using an eye catching color and no color because the pink is super bright and eye-catching, but the contrast of the person being in black and white makes it even more eye-catching.





Typography

Poster

Typography is “the visual component of the written word” in a design. For this example I found an Art Nouveau poster with text on it. I don’t know what the post is about or what the text says, but I think that it goes really well with and enhances the design.






Symbols

Sign

Symbols in design is referring to the use of symbols to represent things, ideas, objects, instructions, etc. A good example that I found this week was a sign inside my apartment telling residents what they can and can’t use to put things on the walls. I think this use of symbols is good because it makes the design more interesting and eye-catching than if it was just text, and it also simply conveys the information that the sign was meant to convey.