OUR JUDGES
OUR 
Vanessa Gregorchik
Product Design at The 19th
Vanessa Gregorchik is a designer and strategist who’s had an interest in design and journalism since a young age, nurtured by the belief that all elements of a story should be deeply intertwined. Today, her work spans across brand, product design, and photography to help people and organizations tell their stories better across mediums, with a particular interest in how they use emerging platforms to better connect with their audiences.
She started her career interning with the Washington Post design team and the design agency Upstatement before transitioning to a full-time design role at Upstatement. There, she worked with universities, newsrooms, and politicians to facilitate workshops, launch new products, and design new brand identities that help them achieve their strategic vision.
Today, she’s at The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom that reports on gender, politics, policy and power. As the sole product designer, she designs the way their journalism appears across newsletters, apps like Apple News, and the web.
She’s originally from Louisville, KY and now resides in Boston, MA. She is a graduate of Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design. She supports student-led design initiatives and previously ran community programs for early-career designers.
Aprile Smith
Senior Graphic Designer, Bozzuto | Programming Director, AIGA DC
Aprile Smith is a Senior Graphic Designer at Bozzuto and the Programming Director for AIGA DC. She brings an editorial eye and strategic visual perspective to the intersection of business strategy and creative expression.
From corporate marketing campaigns to independent freelance branding for small businesses, Aprile treats every project as a cohesive visual system. Her design philosophy is rooted in intentional curation, where sharp typography and purposeful whitespace drive the narrative.
Deeply invested in the regional creative community, she currently serves on the AIGA DC board as Programming Director and previously served as the Design for Good Chair. Aprile holds an M.A. in Publications Design from the University of Baltimore and a B.S. in Computer Science from The Lincoln University (PA), a combination that bridges technical precision with strategic, human-centered design.
When she’s away from her desk, Aprile is usually out exploring local parks with her husband and two kids, grabbing coffee, hunting for thrifty treasures, or spotting unique typography on city signage.
Melanie Uribe
Associate Professor of Art and Design at Southern Connecticut State University
Melanie Uribe is a Venezuelan creative director, designer, and Associate Professor of Art and Design at Southern Connecticut State University, where she teaches interactive design and professional practice. Her career bridges higher education and the commercial design industry, including extensive work in sports licensing and merchandise development. She has created and directed licensed products for major organizations and brands, including the NBA in Latin America, Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and other internationally recognized sports and entertainment properties.
Her teaching combines creative exploration with industry relevance, fostering an inclusive and socially conscious learning environment. Melanie’s research examines immigrant narratives, design education, and the use of exhibition spaces and emerging technologies—such as augmented and immersive reality—as tools for storytelling, accessibility, and advocacy. Her creative work has been featured in national and international exhibitions and presented at conferences including ATypI, FATE, and SECAC.
Beyond the classroom, Melanie is committed to strengthening connections among students, educators, and design professionals. Through her leadership with AIGA Connecticut, she has developed mentorship opportunities, networking events, and design-for-good initiatives. She has received grants and fellowships supporting her work in digital equity and creative pedagogy and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, with a focus on expanding access, equity, and innovation in design and technology education.
Greg Walsh
Bob "PXG" Parsons Professor of Digital Communication, Commerce, and Culture at the University of Baltimore
Greg Walsh, Ph.D. is the Bob "PXG" Parsons Professor of Digital Communication, Commerce, and Culture at the University of Baltimore, where he directs the Center for Digital Communication, Commerce, and Culture. With over 20 years of experience as an ethically-focused design researcher, Greg specializes in participatory design — bringing users, including children and families, into the process of shaping emerging technologies. His recent work focuses on the ethics of generative AI and extended reality, with publications at CHI and the ACM Interaction Design and Children conference and partnerships with Carnegie Hall, NASA, and the Emerging Technologies Consortium.
Past Flux Judges
Flux winners are selected by a national panel of distinguished creatives. Our past judges have included:
Creative Director and Digital Strategist at the White House
Served in 2015
Served in 2016
Designer and Urban Theorist Faculty member, University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Served in 2025
Founder and executive director of Creative Reaction Lab
Served in 2015
President Emeritus/Design Week Committee Chair - AIGA Baltimore
Served in 2019
Designer. Transportation Geek. Assistant Professor, The University of Baltimore
Served in 2025
Owner | Creative Director - Postern
Served in 2019
Jeffrey Everett
Served in 2017
Assistant Professor, Department of Design, Loyola University New Orleans & Creative Director, The Collective
Served in 2025
Strategic & Creative. Branding & Design.
Served in 2020
Served in 2016
Principal/Creative Director
Served in 2022
Principal, lead strategist and design director at Hartford’s CO:LAB
Served in 2015
Writer, Designer, and Educator
Served in 2024
Queen Bee, Octavo Designs
Served in 2018
Timothy J. Hykes
Served in 2017
Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Foundations at Grand Valley State University
Served in 2024
Social Impact Design Educator
Served in 2021
Senior Vice President, Creative Director, and Professor
Served in 2023
Graphic Design Instructor, Co-Chair for AIGA’s Design Educators Community
Served in 2022
Founder | Designer - Fox Creative
Served in 2019
Associate Professor and Department Chair, Tennessee State University
Served in 2024
Lead User Experience and Interface Designer
Served in 2021
Design Strategist & Creative Coach
Served in 2020
Served in 2016
Professor, Morehouse College | Design Technologist
Served in 2023
Executive Creative Leader, Los Angeles, CA
Served in 2025
Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, MO
Served in 2018
Founder of CURVE THEORY
Served in 2020
Creative Director, Studio Dzo
Served in 2018
Associate Professor of Art and Design at Southern Connecticut State University
Served in 2021
Ann Willoughby
Served in 2017
Assistant Professor of Design at the University of New Hampshire / Graphic Designer
Served in 2022
Senior Designer, Design B&B
Served in 2023