Shuchita Mishra, an assistant professor at Kennesaw State University, is integrating art and technology in her teaching to inspire students in the field of illustration and sequential art. With a background that spans education, business, and technology, Mishra brings a diverse perspective to her role.
Mishra’s journey into academia began after earning a Master of Fine Arts in Comics from the California College of the Arts. She also completed a writer’s residency at the Writer’s House in Pittsburgh while working for the Carnegie Museum of Art. Her academic path eventually led her to Kennesaw State through a limited-term teaching position.
Before moving to the United States in 2016, Mishra worked as a financial advisor in India and as a language trainer in Germany. She holds an MBA focused on marketing, sales, systems, and operations, as well as a Bachelor of Technology degree in electronics and communications. Despite her varied career path, she consistently found comfort in creating art.
“While I was pursuing my master’s degree in San Francisco, I was working as an afterschool care teacher for various schools,” said Mishra. “At some point one of the teachers recommended that I run my own workshops based on my online portfolio. So, I sat down in the library, wrote a proposal, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Her initiative grew into comic and animation workshops across several U.S. cities such as Savannah and Atlanta. These programs employ up to ten cartoonists who teach illustration with an emphasis on young children.
In her current role at Kennesaw State University (KSU), Mishra teaches visual storytelling within the Bachelor of Fine Arts program focusing on comics and sequential art. She incorporates technology into her lessons to enhance students’ learning experiences.
“As a digital artist, I am constantly exploring the intersection of technology and visual storytelling,” Mishra said. “My engineering background allows me to experiment with innovative approaches in my practice and teaching. At the same time, my business education has played a critical role in emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurship to students and creating employment for other comic artists.”
Geo Sipp, director of KSU’s School of Art and Design and professor of art, noted that Mishra’s skills align with KSU’s focus on applied arts curriculum aimed at workforce development. “The focus of our applied arts curriculum is on technology and workforce development; therefore, her skills with technology are undoubtedly beneficial,” he said. “She is very intellectually curious and wants to explore the possibilities of storytelling through long-form web comics. This platform doesn’t have traditional boundaries typically associated with the medium of comics. The technology allows for the mapping of visual storytelling to unfold in multiple ways simultaneously.”
Mishra has presented research internationally this year at Belgium’s International Conference for Graphic Novels and Comics on topics related to culture, food, and comics. Next month she will present at SECAC about building empathy through investigative journalism using comics format. She is also finalizing edits on her graphic novel.
“Art started as a hobby, it became my love, and now it’s something I get to do every day,” she said.
