Cynthia McMillen

Cynthia is a team member of URI Publications responsible for the creative design on many of URI’s external publications, annual reports, alumni magazine, newsletters, signage, and promotional materials. 

She works closely with the URI community to design communications that are on-brand and  express the URI values. She is known for bringing life to information through innovative storytelling and the use of infographics. Cynthia supports the Academic Health Collaborative—including the colleges of Pharmacy and Nursing—and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Innovation and serves as the designer for high-profile projects from the Office of the President, Commencement, and the award-winning University of Rhode Island Magazine, among others.

Before coming to URI, she worked as assistant director at the University of Florida, heading the Publications Department for over 10 years before moving abroad where she held positions of lead creative for design agencies in Ireland and the United Kingdom. There, she had the opportunity to work on international design campaigns with such leading brands and marketing firms as Pernod Ricard, Google, Red Bull, Samsung, Coke, Guinness Storehouse, L’Oréal, Jameson Irish Whiskey, and more.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from the University of Florida and a Master of Arts in design practice from Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland.

Awards include: University of Florida—Vice President’s Award for Outstanding Service and Performance; Golden Image Award—FPRA for Today University of Florida alumni magazine design and layout; Mental Health Services—Volunteer of the Year;  Gainesville Advertising Association—Addy Awards, Best of Show for the College of Business Annual Report.

Publications include: McMillen, C. 2007, An Interpretation of Design Communication as a Strategy in Magazine Branding, (master thesis) DIT; Battenfield, J, McMillen, C., Slawson, B., & Hermance, G. Graphic Standards Manual, University of Florida; acknowledged as third author in Van Ness C., McCarthy K., 2003. Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future, University of Florida.