By: Sabrina Miller, Content Strategy Director, University Communications
BALTIMORE, Md. – The STEAM Mural Project began as a simple idea to bring color, creativity, and new energy to the third-floor hallway of the Knott Science and Innovation Center. Home to the biology, chemistry, and mathematics, physics & computer science departments, the hallway serves as a central space for students and faculty studying the STEM fields. What started as a conversation in the Fall 2025 quickly evolved into a campus-wide collaboration that blended art and STEM in a lasting public installation.
Dr. Jennifer Kerr, Biology Department chair, first proposed the idea, envisioning a mural that would reflect the interconnectedness of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics – also known as STEAM. To bring the project to life, she partnered with Clarissa Gregory, studio art professor.
“Science is fundamentally creative,” Dr. Kerr said. “We take risks and build on each other’s ideas, just like the arts. This mural reminds our community daily that we share in the liberal arts vision — where discovery and imagination aren’t opposites, they’re partners.”
Gregory, who joined NDMU in Fall 2025, said the project represented an opportunity to build connections across disciplines. “One of the things that appealed to me about NDMU was the chance to collaborate across departments,” Gregory said. “The student population is multi-faceted, with a broad range of interests, disciplines, and majors.”
Gregory introduced the mural project in her spring 2026 Mixed Media course, where students began developing concepts and drafting designs inspired by STEAM themes. Throughout February and March, students workshopped ideas, refined proposals, and presented their concepts for review by faculty and staff across multiple departments.
The winning design came from art therapy student Madelynn Hildebrand ‘27, whose mural concept centered on connection, transformation, and layered symbolism. “Science and the arts are cohesive and mutually beneficial, and I wanted the mural to reflect that sense of connection,” Hildebrand said. “I also wanted the space to feel colorful, familiar, and welcoming — almost like stepping into a vibrant lab.”
Hildebrand drew inspiration from patchwork and collage, incorporating both literal and abstract representations of STEAM disciplines throughout the design. DNA strands symbolize science, while butterflies represent environmental and psychological growth and transformation. At the center of the mural is the NDMU logo, with elements branching outward from it.
In April, students began transferring the design onto polytab panels — a material similar to primed canvas — before painting the mural with latex-based paints and later installing it along the hallway walls. The process presented unexpected challenges, including resizing panels to fit the wall dimensions and learning how to install the mural using adhesive paste.
“For many of us, this was our first experience translating a simple sketch into a larger-than-life mural,” Hildebrand said. “There were many mistakes and lessons learned along the way, but we were incredibly proud of what we accomplished together.”
The mural also became a broader university-wide effort. Open painting days aptly named Community Days were open to students, faculty, and staff across campus, turning the project into a collaborative experience that extended beyond the classroom. “This project was never a one-person effort,” Hildebrand said. “The collaboration became one of the mural’s defining qualities.”
Among those who contributed to the STEAM mural were Mixed Media ART-228 student artists Ray Foote ’29, Madelynn Hildebrand ’29, Wren Stanger ’29, Morgan Williams ’26, Bella Yacono ’27, and Abigail Mendez ’29. Additional student contributors included Emmanuel Armas ’29, Alexander Pellot ’29, Douglas Velasquez ’29, Gabriela Zelaya-Velasco ’29, and Saundarya Poudel ’30. Faculty participants included Dr. Jewel Daniel, Dr. Kyung Park, Dr. Meenu Vikram, Barbara van der Vossen, and Dr. Kyongil Yoon, along with numerous members of the NDMU community.
For the students involved, the mural represents more than a final project. It stands as a lasting reflection of creativity, teamwork, and the spirit of the NDMU community.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
