College of the Arts announces second cohort of LAIKA Student Scholars and Faculty Fellows

Portland State University's College of the Arts has announced its 2026-27 cohort of LAIKA Scholars and Faculty Fellows. The 2026-27 group is the second annual cohort to be selected for this unique three-year pilot program, which is intended to build pathways toward careers in the film and stop motion animation industry and broaden and diversify the creative workforce.

The program supports faculty and students across all creative disciplines, from film and theater arts to graphic design and music production, embracing artists who will bring diversity of experience and creative practice to the cohort. Through the partnership, six student scholarships and three faculty fellowships will be awarded each year for three years.

The following accomplished students were selected as LAIKA Scholars:

• Hannah Barry, majoring in Film, minor in Art Practice, expected graduation in 2027
• Kiyora Dorres, majoring in Theater Arts, expected graduation 2030
• Diego Garibay, majoring in Graphic Design and Chicanx/Latinx Studies, expected graduation in 2027
• Chloe Peck, majoring in Art & Design, certificate in Comics Studies, expected graduation in 2026
• Coral Sage Smith, majoring in Sonic Arts and Music Production, minor in Sustainable Fashion, expected graduation in 2028
• Niki Villiarimo, majoring in Film, expected graduation in 2027

The following distinguished faculty members were selected as the second cohort of LAIKA Faculty Fellows:

Professor Dustin Morrow (School of Film) is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, and optioned screenwriter who teaches digital cinema production, screenwriting and film studies in PSU's School of Film. Throughout his distinguished career, Morrow has directed and edited content for Sony Pictures, MTV, and the Discovery Channel, and has collaborated with luminaries including Steven Soderbergh, Spike Jonze, Denzel Washington, Kathy Bates and Guy Ritchie. His independent film work has won dozens of awards and has screened in more than 45 countries across six continents. An internationally sought-after speaker, he is a prominent voice in both creative practice and academia.

Professor Julie Perini (Schnitzer School of Art + Art History + Design) is an artist who creates experimental and documentary videos/films, installations, community-based media projects, and live events exploring the relationships between politics and aesthetics, identity and representation, and everyday life. She exhibits her work internationally and has done several artist residencies at Yaddo, Byrdcliffe, and Signal Fire. She has received grants and fellowships in support of her work from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, and The Regional Arts and Culture Council. Her writing has been published by A.K. Press, Afterimage, and INCITE: The Journal of Experimental Media.

"Partnering with LAIKA allows us to truly empower the next generation of creative minds with a variety of lived experiences and backgrounds," said Leroy E. Bynum, Jr., Dean of Portland State University's College of the Arts.

"After a highly successful first year of this program, I am thrilled to welcome our next cohort of scholars and artists," Bynum said. "This collaboration not only offers our students and faculty unique connections with LAIKA's world-class professionals, but it also enables us to design a forward-thinking curriculum that ensures our graduates seamlessly transition into the creative workforce."

Each student selected will receive a scholarship for the 2026-27 year, through a partnership between LAIKA and PSU's College of the Arts established in 2024 to support students from diverse backgrounds and promote inclusive growth in the creative industries. The generous scholarships cover a significant portion of the recipients' tuition, and expose students to the broader creative workforce through interactions with LAIKA's creative talent.

The faculty fellows will receive funding and time off from teaching to pursue creative work, gain industry-specific expertise from LAIKA for curriculum development.

This distinctive program builds connections between the academic experience at PSU's College of the Arts and the creative industry, expanding pathways to careers and equipping faculty to better prepare students for careers in the regional and global creative workforce.

"LAIKA is proud to partner with Portland State University," said David Burke, Chief Marketing and Operations Officer at LAIKA. "Supporting aspiring artists and storytellers as they begin their creative journeys is one of the most meaningful investments we can make. By helping develop the next generation of talent, we're strengthening not only the future of animation, but the broader filmmaking community as well."

This pioneering collaboration promises to advance the individual careers of PSU arts students and faculty, and impact the future of the creative industry in Portland and beyond.

Learn more about the LAIKA-PSU partnership.