CONGRATULATIONS to the BIC Class of 2021 for passing their BIC Portfolio Thesis Defense!! On Tuesday June 1st, 2021, 30 BICsters presented their final BIC portfolios to 25 industry judges in a powerhouse showing which ended the semester and their time at BIC. Students from the Creative, Management/Planning, and Public Relations tracks defended their digital portfolios in a Zoom style event that demonstrated their mastery of discipline and interdisciplinary finesse.

BIC Program Director Nancy R. Tag praised the students for their excellent presentations of product, process, professionalism, and personality. Nancy cited how "it takes a village and it's the only village I want to be a part of."

This year’s portfolios showcased projects on behalf of Memorial Sloan Kettering and CCNY in their research collaboration Redressing Access to and Disparities in Immunotherapy for Breast Cancer (READI), Bailey's Deliciously Light, Ugg, Warby Parker, The High Line, WhatsApp, Anheuser-Busch Budweiser & more.

It was a long day and logistical tour de force. Judges split off into Breakout Rooms where BIC students entered one-by-one for their appointed 25-minute slot. Each session included 18 minutes of presentation and 7 minutes of judge’s questions, comments, and push back. The entire Portfolio Thesis Defense then repeated itself in the afternoon with new judges and more Breakout Rooms.

This year, BIC invited 25 communications professionals to judge in five different sessions. A BIG BIC thanks to them all. You were tireless, considerate, and AWESOME: Amber Chenevert, Brand Strategist and the Culture Studio lead at VMLY&R, Meg Deedy, Group Strategy Director at Accenture Interactive, Lee Doyle, President NitroC Media, Rolando Leal, Account Director, U-Studio at Unilever, Nicole Wasserman, Vice President and Group Director at Digitas Health, Ellen Oppenheim, Founder, Oppenheim Media Consulting, Richard Rapp, President and Founder of Altamira, Michelle Rowley, SVP, Group Planning Director at Deutsch, Liz Scordato, Director of Project Management at StrawberryFrog,Chip Walker, Head of Strategy at Digital/Social agency StrawberryFrog,Aisha Hudson, Senior Manager in Weber Shandwick’s Technology practice, Donna Renella, President of ABW Solutions, John Totaro, President Totaro Communications, Bjorn Trowery, Consumer Communications & Brand PR at Facebook, Peter Walpole, Senior Manager in the Corporate & Digital practices in Golin’s New York office, Gustavo Asman, SVP and Creative Director at Pyramid Communications, Christopher Brunt, Freelance CD/Art Director, Vera Keiter& Delilah Kim, Senior Creatives at Facebook, Michael Parrott, Creative Director at D’Rozario & Partners (DRZP), Pepe Aguilar, Founder & Creative Prosperity Officer at Bloom, Marina Beldi, Associate Creative Director at Grey Group, Michael Clancy, Founder and CEO of “Agency Wars - Toronto", George Logothetis, Freelance Writer / ECD and Alvaro Naddeo, Associate Creative Director, Conill Advertising. 

Congrats to the Class of 2021: All BICsters passed the Defense and celebrated their achievements at a virtual BIC graduation party on Friday, June 4th. Top scoring BICsters in each track were announced. Honors went to Alex Rhoden who scored top for Public Relations, Jermine Hodge who received the top and a perfect score in Creative, and Michael Edwards who topped the Management/Planning track with a perfect score as well. Jermine and Michael tied for the highest score in the BIC Class of 2021 overall.

Special thanks to all the BIC faculty and staff who helped support BICsters throughout their time in the program -- especially the faculty who taught the Portfolio Thesis Electives this year: Katina Scott, Gerardo Blumenkrantz, and Nancy R. Tag.  BIC Program Manager Marlene Leo provided logistic and emotional support for the event and throughout the year while BIC Design Specialist Mira Steinzer guided the Class of 2021 in the technical and design aspects of their portfolios from the moment they enter the program.

An amazing achievement. A big BIC bravo to you all!!! You can check out all of the BIC Class of 2021 portfolios here.