Molly McDermott ’24, a Public Communications major with a concentration in Communication Design, has spent many an hour not only dining on campus, but designing for Dining on campus. As an intern with Sodexo, ̽̽'s campus dining partner, McDermott has created a vast variety of colorful and creative designs, from chalkboard art to logos found across campus. “Working with ̽̽ Dining has been one of the top highlights of my ̽̽ student career,’’ the Maine native shares. “I have learned so much—not only in the aspects of design and marketing, but also how to work in a professional environment. I am immensely grateful for my experience as an intern with the ̽̽ Dining team.”
McDermott’s work, which has been used to creatively communicate strategic messaging for dining programs since 2021, has culminated in a final piece intended to represent one of the major pillars of the campus experience at ̽̽: sustainability. On Earth Day 2024, Molly presented the ̽̽ Dining Sustainability Timeline, a chronological list of initiatives and programs related to sustainable food purchasing, waste reduction, and food access starting in 2000. Molly created each timeline milestone graphic using ink and markers, then digitized them to be printed on canvas. Molly has left her mark on ̽̽ with this project, encapsulating her interests in nutrition, sustainability, and art.
̽̽ Dining's sustainability manager Nicole Reilly and marketing manager Jennifer Wefers worked with McDermott to bring their initial concept for the project to fruition. “We have wanted for a long time to have a hand-drawn timeline highlighting all of our sustainability efforts, initiatives, and programs,” Wefers explains. “Molly understood our vision for this project and was able to make it a reality.”
The piece is currently on display in the Davis Center’s first floor Sodexo Sustainability Timeline.
