Aida Gradascevic
M.F.A. – 1st Year
Digital Media Design, Interactive Media | Storrs
Hometown: Mansfield, CT
UConn location: 119 Bishop Center
Email: aida.gradascevic@uconn.edu
Assistantship: Digital Media Design TA
Education:
M.A. in Human Rights, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
B.EnvD. in Environmental Design in Design Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO
Languages Spoken: English, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, German
Area of Research / Artistic Focus: Interactive Media, Digital Storytelling, Spatial Memory, Digital Archives, Animation, Game Design, Human Rights
Aida Gradaščević is a first-year M.F.A. in Digital Media Design candidate at the University of Connecticut. Her interdisciplinary work explores the intersection of digital media, human rights, cultural memory, and storytelling, with a particular interest in how interactive environments can preserve and reinterpret historical spaces.
She received a Masters in Human Rights degree from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelors in Environmental Design degree from the University of Colorado – Boulder. Her professional experience includes digital archival curation, graphic design freelance work, teaching, and traditional arts. At UConn’s Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, she directed and supported the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Digital Archives, curating digital archival collections and making archival materials accessible to wider audiences.
Her current artistic research focuses on spatial memory and the digital reconstruction of places transformed or erased by conflict. Drawing on archival research, oral histories, and immersive storytelling, she is interested in using animation, game design, and interactive media to create environments that encourage historical reflection, preserve cultural heritage, and a better understanding of human rights.
She hopes to further develop her skills in 3D world-building, animation, and interactive design to create educational experiences and digital installations for museums and public spaces. She currently serves as a Teaching Assistant in UConn’s Digital Media Design department, supporting undergraduate instruction in film and video editing.
Industry Experience:
- Digital Archives Curator and Project Coordinator, ICTY Digital Archives, UConn (2022–2025)
- Graduate Assistant, Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, UConn (2022–2024)
- Documentary and Oral History Projects, working with the Connecticut Bosnian and Armenian Communities
- Graphic Design and Multimedia Production Freelancer
- English Language Educator, Aeon English Language School, Tokyo, Japan
Fun Fact: I’m a manga, comics, and anime enthusiast! Also, I have a bearded dragon!
