Seven students will receive Creative Achievement Awards at the Arizona Arts’ Fall Celebration during the University of Arizona Fall Family Weekend on Oct. 10 at Crowder Hall.
The Fall Celebration recognizes creative students who exemplify excellence in their respective fields in and out of the classroom. Students are honored for ‘Highest Academic Distinction,’ ‘Academic Distinction,’ ‘Dean’s List with Distinction,’ and ‘Dean’s List.’ Also, two students will be presented with the Arizona Arts Excellence Awards.
The ‘Creative Achievement Awards’ are given to those whose artistic innovation and dedication have made a lasting impact on their schools and the broader arts community. These awards recognize the talent and passion for pushing creative boundaries and a commitment to mentorship and community engagement.
2025 Creative Achievement Award winners
- Evan McMillan / Maya Quinn Jackson … School of Art
- Piper Northburg / Alexandra Demetriades … School of Dance
- Alexandra Thompson / Nathan Smith … School of Music
- Selah Lipman … School of Theatre, Film & Television
School of Art
Evan McMillan
Undergraduate, Studio Art (Illustration, Design and Animation)
Evan McMillan approaches every project with vision and discipline, pushing himself to achieve the best results. An undergraduate in the School of Art’s Illustration, Design, and Animation (IDA) program, he was nominated by faculty members Kelly Leslie, Jenn Liv, and Valentin Mancha.
His work is polished, professional, and striking—showcasing not only technical skill but also wit and originality that set him apart. His nominators noted his greatest strength is openness to feedback.
“This balance of humility and conviction is rare and speaks to his maturity as both a designer and a collaborator,” his nomination letter stated.
McMillan took his design skills to a professional level with the McGuire Entrepreneurship Center, where he has created logos, branding materials, and client work, as well as animated segments for AZPM’s Arizona Illustrated feature on Eveli Sabatie.
“His ability to think creatively, perform at a high level and persevere through challenges will ensure he makes a significant impact wherever his career takes him,” said the IDA faculty.
Maya Quinn Jackson
Graduate, Studio Art (Photography, Video and Imaging)
Maya Quinn Jackson is a third-year MFA candidate in Photography, Video and Imaging, which she joined in 2022 with an already established record of achievement. She was nominated by the program’s faculty.
“Maya’s practice encompasses photography and non-silver experimental processes, poetry, sculptural installation and video,” her nominators said.
Rooted in the landscapes of Virginia and the Sonoran Desert, her work explores identity and belonging. She also takes graduate-level poetry courses in the creative writing program within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Beyond her own practice, Jackson serves as a graduate teaching assistant for Art 224: Introduction to Photographic Processes. She also works as a digital imaging assistant at the Center for Creative Photography. There she digitizes negatives, photographs archival prints, and manages image data.
“Maya Jackson’s creative output exemplifies her innovative approach to layering conceptual, textual, and experimental media with intention, clarity, and emotional resonance,” said her nominators.
School of Dance
Piper Northburg
Undergraduate, Dance
Piper Northburg is a senior in the School of Dance. She has performed in Martha Graham’s Chronicle and George Balanchine’s Serenade.
“Piper stands out as exceptionally creative in the program; she has demonstrated a genuine ability and desire to become one of the great artists in the dance world,” said her nominator, Assistant Professor Sarah Chiesa.
Her choreography reflects strong artistic research and is unique, authentic, and bold. She brings nuance to technique classes, choreography, and performance. She has earned scholarships for talent and merit from the University of Arizona, the Hubbard Street Dance Summer Intensive, and the NYCDA Foundation. Northburg spent summers performing and collaborating with renowned choreographers, including Azure Barton, Maleek Washington, Ching Ching Wong, and Flock. She also serves as an apprentice with the contemporary company Ballare Carmel.
“Clearly her dedicated approach to performance and creative processes emulates professionalism and innovation,” Chiesa said.
Alexandra Demetriades
Graduate, Dance
Alexandra Demetriades, a second-year MFA student in the School of Dance, has distinguished herself as a talented, resilient, and collaborative artist.
She was a vital collaborator on Under the Heavens for the School of Dance’s “Fall for Dance,” a performance that explored how art can bring order to chaos through partnerships with film and visual art. She also serves as a graduate teaching assistant, working with the Traveling Ensemble and rehearsals for Martha Graham’s Chronicle. Her work has been featured at Centennial Hall and New York City’s Joyce Theater.
Demetriades creates and presents choreography tied to her research on how EFT therapy and dance intersect in innovative ways. Outside the studio, she is a licensed massage therapist who helps foster a culture of wellness within the School of Dance.
“Alexandra Demetriades embodies the spirit of the Creative Achievement Award. Her artistry, research, collaboration, and resilience make her a transformative presence in the School of Dance,” said Tamara Dyke-Compton.
School of Music
Alexandra Thompson
Undergraduate, Music and Psychology
Alexandra Thompson is making the most of every opportunity the School of Music offers. A junior double majoring in music and psychology, she hopes to pursue a career in music therapy. She focuses on health and wellness through courses in art therapy, community arts, and music and health.
Within the School of Music, she has performed in the Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, Brass Quintet, Pride of Arizona Marching Band, and Pep Band. She curated a guitar set for older adults at Arizona Homestead and is currently working with the New Horizons program as a trombone instructor. She also served as a peer mentor for the department.
Trombone instructor Michael Becker nominated Thompson. Becker noted her interest in joining the College of Fine Arts Ambassadors program to help inform prospective students of opportunities at the School of Music. Additionally, she studied abroad in Athens, Greece, where she immersed herself in the music program.
“Alex learned how to work with musicians who have different backgrounds and cultures,” Becker said. “By making friends with her musician peers, Alex broadened her worldview by learning about Greek, Turkish, Russian, and Iranian culture and politics.”
Nathan Smith
Graduate, Music Performance (Percussion)
Nathan Smith has distinguished himself as one of the strongest graduate percussionists in the School of Music. A third-year DMA candidate in percussion performance, he has taught the Ableton Live Technology course, a popular software for electronic music production, and directed CrossTalk, an electronic percussion ensemble at the school. Smith earned high evaluations as enrollment in the Ableton course grew to more than 35 students under his instruction.
“He has surpassed the requirements and expectations of a 10-hour per week graduate teaching assistant,” said Dr. Morris Palter, professor of percussion. “I consider him one of the best TAs I have had teaching this course since its creation in 2019.”
Smith is the only student at the School of Music to receive a professional endorsement from Marimba One. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) International Conference in 2023 and will return this November. He has also presented at clinics, was elected Vice President for Arizona PAS, performs with the Explorations Ensemble, and is the resident drummer and percussionist with Grupo Arizona. Before joining the university, Smith spent two years as a member of the Seattle Seahawks NFL drumline.
“He studies incredibly hard and is academically minded,” Palter said. “He is professional in his comportment, always prepared, hard-working, and is a fabulous mentor in the percussion program.”
School of Theatre, Film & Television
Selah Lipman
Undergraduate, Musical Theatre
Selah Lipman has a magnetic stage presence that draws audiences in. A senior musical theatre major in the School of Theatre, Film & Television, she was nominated by Associate Director Christie Kerr.
“It is obvious she has a passion for all things musical theatre,” Kerr said.
Lipman is academically inquisitive and eager to grow. She is a two-time recipient of the University of Arizona’s Medici Scholar Award, which allowed her to attend the Broadway Dance Center’s Musical Theatre Summer Intensive and Ryan Scott Oliver and Lindsay Mendez’s Actor Therapy Summer Intensive. She also worked professionally as a Hula and Tahitian dancer in her home state of Hawai‘i.
On stage, Lipman appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar as an ensemble member and understudy for Mary Magdalene. Last year, she served as dance captain for Bright Star and Little Women. She continues to take full advantage of the School’s resources and training opportunities.
“Selah is a delightful young woman,” said Kerr. She is self-assured and confident, but not self-centered. She has a positive attitude, and her enthusiasm for all that she does is contagious.”