Sam Yates Meier teaches in the Visual Communications Department at the University of Kansas (KU) and works as a senior designer with the Global Trends and Innovation Studio at Hallmark in Kansas City, Missouri. She holds a Master of Arts in African and African American Studies, with a focus on the pedagogy of love in Black Art and Design.

Meier's expertise spans in-house media, experiential design, wayfinding, and brand experience and identity. She has received several accolades, including the American In-house Design Awards, the American Graphic Design Awards from Graphic Design USA (GDUSA), and the American Illustration 42 award (AI-AP).

Additionally, Meier is President Emeritus of the Kansas City Chapter of AIGA (the Professional Association for Design). In her free time, she enjoys practicing yoga and experimenting with printmaking techniques, from risography to letterpress.

Creating a learning environment where students see themselves as visual change-makers and influential citizens is integral to the educational background I aim to foster. I help students see themselves in positions of success by sharing compelling creative examples and case studies from design history and theory. To prepare students for industry demands, I build a strong foundation in visual communication, typography, and systems thinking, while providing clear avenues for experimentation and introducing emerging technologies. With this wide variety of problem-solving techniques, students will be prepared for the professional and technological hurdles they will face in their future careers. 

My ethos is inspired by the first time I was introduced to a Black designer; I felt as if a new world of cultural creators had emerged. Creating this sense of identity and inspiration in the classroom is critical. Through directed processes and the creation of safe spaces for individual and peer feedback, reflection, and refinement, I equip students with the skills to become inclusive visual interpreters. Sharing the craft of design alongside relevant historical context fosters greater awareness of the societal role of visual communication. I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to witness students continually create and grow in a field or path they never imagined.