Erica’s pedagogy focuses on empowering each student to discover their creative eye and expressive voice. Her classroom community is inclusive and supportive, offering a safe space for risk-taking, productive failure, and experimentation throughout the creative process. She believes that each student approaches design from a unique perspective and with the inherent creative potential that drives artistic inquiry.
Erica is a proponent of the principles of Universal Design for Learning, a teaching philosophy in which the instructor and students co-create the learning experience. Her goal is to engage students in course material by building upon their prior knowledge and individual backgrounds so they may develop a deep understanding of the subject’s relevance to them. Through this process, students gain competencies that will endure for a lifetime.
Erica mentors student costume designers, makeup designers, and fashion designers in realized, collaborative projects. Her supportive mentoring style keeps the bar low at the start so students can enter the work without fear, while guiding them toward refinement through research, rendering, collaboration, and fine-tuning. The process encourages students to recognize where adjustments can improve clarity, storytelling, and visual expression.