She directs the Graphic Design MFA Program at MICA, teaches in both the MFA and Post-Baccalaureate graphic design programs, and operates a design practice specializing in visual identity, branding, and publication design. The heart of her work and teaching is a passion for design innovation and formal rigor. Ms. Phillips came to MICA as a tenured Associate Professor, having held academic and design positions in New York, Chicago, and Baltimore. Her design work has been recognized by Graphis Design, AIGA 50, Print Magazine, The Art Directors Club's of Metropolitan New York and Washington, and the Society of Typographic Arts 100 Show, among others. She is co-author (with Ellen Lupton) of Graphic Design The New Basics (now in its second edition); and contributing author, art director, and mentor for several additional titles published by Princeton Architectural Press, and produced by MICA GDMFA students and faculty. Professor Phillips holds a MFA and BFA from Rhode Island School of Design; and served for eight years on the Board of Directors for the American Institute of Graphic Arts. In 2014, she was awarded the MICA Trustee Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching.