About Me

Current Position Title: Photography and Computer Graphics Teacher

Current Professional Institution: Yorktown High School in Arlington, VA

Phone: 703-228-5400

Email: Drew.Mulligan@apsva.us

Web address:

• Private: https://sites.google.com/view/drew-mulligan/
• Professional: https://yhs.apsva.us/post/staff/mulligan-drew/

Degrees

• University of Florida, Masters of Art Education (MA) - expected December 2018 graduation
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in Photography & Film- May 2011

Key Professional Appointments

• Art Teacher, Yorktown High School, Arlington Public Schools- August 2015- present
• Long term substitute art teacher, Fairfax County Public Schools- September 2012-June 2015
• Internship, Lauren Greenfield Photography, Los Angeles, CA- July-September 2011
• Internship, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA- January- May 2011
• Internship, Smithsonian Freer|Sackler Art Museum, Washington, DC - May-August 2009

Professional Associations

• Engineers Without Borders, Digital and Social Media chair- 2018

Selected Works

• Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria campus, Community Art Educator showcase- January-February 2015
• Fairfax County Instruct(art) participant, Lorton Workhouse, Lorton, VA, December 2013
• Photographer’s Forum Best of College Photography, Finalist, 2011 (published)

Leadership, Grants, and Recognitions

• Varsity Swim & Dive Assistant Coach, 2015-present. Coach, write meet sheets, and provide support to head coach in managing 120 boys and girls swimmers and divers.
• Mentorships: AP Scholars and HILT program mentor, 2017-2018. AP Scholars is a group of high achieving students who plan to take 10 AP courses before graduating high school. I provide support, advice, and help in extra-curricular seminars for these students. HILT is our school based non-English speaking course (like ESOL in other counties). I meet with my mentees once a week to help them with homework, practice English skills, and provide additional support based on their individual needs.
• PTA Grant award, 2017. My school PTA awarded me funds necessary to purchase digital drawing tablets to support student growth

Research Interests

• Photography
• Analog vs Digital Technology Integration in Curriculum
• Alternative Processes in Photography

Biography- Approach to Art Education

I had no choice but to become an Art teacher- my name is a verb for making art! My passion for photography began at a young age when my Grandfather showed me how to make a print in his darkroom/garage. I have been obsessed ever since with the magic of photography.

As a trained Darkroom expert (if I do say so myself...) I try my best to teach my students about the History of Photography and the importance of traditional techniques even though we have a fully digital classroom. I tell my kids at the beginning of the year that they will be able to take a camera apart and put it back together again by the end of the year. Photography is dependent on the equipment that you use, so my students learn about lenses, parts of the camera, and the similarities between analog and digital camera design. My students also learn about developing a unique and personal point of view when creating their images. Everyone uses the same equipment and has the same assignment- so we talk about individual perspective when shooting pictures so that every student's work is unique to them. By the end of the year, each student will have a portfolio full of work that they can be proud of. I believe in providing lots of feedback to students to support their individual needs and to ensure they grow in areas they are struggling with and push themselves in areas of strength.

In my free time, I enjoy kickboxing, binge watching Netflix, stalking Pugs on Instagram, and traveling with my husband, Jon.