William Wrage
M.F.A. – 1st Year
3D Animation & Web/Interactive Media Design | Storrs
Hometown: Plainfield, Illinois
UConn location: 119 Bishop Center
Email: cra26001@uconn.edu
Assistantship: Digital Media & Design TA
Education:
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, North Central College, Naperville, IL
Associate of Arts, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
Area of Research / Artistic Focus: Procedural 3D design, data visualization
William Wrage is a first-year MFA candidate in the Digital Media & Design Department at the University of Connecticut. His key interests are in procedural design, religious imagery, and non-narrative worldbuilding.
He earned his BFA in Graphic Design at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where he was recognized as the Outstanding Major in Art and Design for his graduating class. During his time at North Central, Will served as a preceptor for the Design Agency practicum course, which established a love for teaching that he is seeking to further through a graduate education. His undergraduate thesis, an interactive exhibition entitled From Fields Afar, explored fractal geometry and bureaucratic operations through procedural 3D design and immersive worldbuilding. Stemming from this research, both of the latter topics are key to the work he intends to do in the MFA in Digital Media Design program. More recently, he has also been exploring the value of religious imagery, particularly that rooted in the Catholic tradition, for exploring issues in the tech space and beyond.
While his formal educational background is in graphic design, William has found great benefit in taking a more cross-disciplinary approach to his work, informed by a devoted interest in discovering what is truly unique about each of the media in which he works. For example, in the creation of his undergraduate thesis, he employed both a typewriter and an industrial laser cutter, allowing his work a much greater degree of physicality than working only in digital software would allow.
William currently works as a Digital Media & Design TA, assisting students in developing their foundational technical skills in the Adobe Suite. He is looking forward to serving as Instructor of Record next year, so he can share his love of art and design with more students. In his free time, he can often be found testing new workflows in Blender and TouchDesigner, as well as producing art in some traditional fields, too.
Industry Experience:
- Freelance Graphic Designer (2023-Present)
- Preceptor, North Central College Design Agency (2025-2026)
Awards and Honors:
- Outstanding Major in Art and Design at North Central College (2026)
- Gustafson Scholarship at Waubonsee Community College (2022-2024)
Fun Fact: I also make jewelry (big fan of stainless steel) and linocut prints!
