Student well-being, safety and experience are Dan Long’s guiding lights. These were his priorities when he came to the College for Creative Studies in 2005 and first served as Student Programming Coordinator, and they remain his priorities as Assistant Vice President for Campus Life, an appointment Long received during the summer of 2024.

As AVP for Campus Life, Long oversees three interconnected offices of the College: the Student Affairs Office, Campus Safety and Security, and the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX.

These entities have been redefined during Long’s two-decade tenure at the College. To better meet students’ needs, the former Office of Student Life —which included two separate offices: the Wellness Center and the Residence Life and Housing Office—became the overarching Student Affairs Office. This office is now the umbrella for several key areas, including the Student Engagement and Belonging Office, Residence Life, Student Organizations, Wellness and Counseling Services, Student Disability Services, and the Center for Tutoring and Writing, among others.

Another change was the former Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, which was restructured to become the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. A director position was created to oversee the office, which reports to Long as well.

“Everything that reports to me is really rooted in making students feel like they belong and are capable at CCS,” Long says. “Every student at CCS should feel like they have a place; that they belong and have an opportunity to be successful here.”

That notion was at the core of Long’s role as a Student Programming Coordinator nearly 21 years ago. He was later promoted to a joint role as Assistant Director of Student Life and Student Ombudsman. During that time in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Long remembers the College was working towards providing more experiences for students outside of the classroom, through things such as peer support networks and co-curricular learning opportunities. An indicator of that shift, according to Long, was the increase in employees. CCS went from 10-12 resident assistants at that time to presently having around 60 total work study students.

“Seeing that growth in the opportunities we’re able to provide and that we can generate enough interest in working for those various areas is one of the big leading signs that I see in a tangible way, that Student Affairs is making an impact,” he says.

In 2012, Long was promoted to Dean of Students at CCS. During his 12 years in that role, he continued to support streamlining efforts of what he says were the College’s student-facing offices and the crisis-oriented offices. The aforementioned transition of the former Office of Student Life to today’s comprehensive Student Affairs Office happened while Long was Dean of Students.

Fourteen years later, and two years into his AVP role, Long is happy with CCS’ holistic approach to student experience. His goal for Student Affairs is to continue building on the work those teams have already achieved through their strategic planning. For Campus Safety and Security and the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, Long says empowerment and trust building among the greater campus community has been his goal, especially with the latter office being new.

“So really, that has been, how do we successfully launch, announce and integrate a new office and a new function for the institution in a space where there’s not always a lot of trust?” Long says. “There’s no inherent trust in an office of civil rights; you have to earn that respect and trust from people.”

Long is also excited about the “enormous growth” in student organizations over the past couple of years, as well as the pending launch of a new student engagement platform. This platform will allow students to create an account and build a full co-curricular transcript to visualize their collegiate experience.

“I have an incredibly strong team of professional staff and student staff that really make all of this work on a higher level,” he says. “I always like to make sure that I highlight them, in these kinds of situations where they’re making all of this really function, and giving the students at CCS the opportunity to experience all of this.”

Longtime partnerships leader to head the College for Creative Studies Office of Partnerships as the new Assistant Vice President

Shannon McPartlon, a 20-year CCS leader, has been named Assistant Vice President of Partnerships.
In her new role, McPartlon will work closely with Vice President Olga Stella to expand strategic initiatives and external partnerships that support the College’s strategic plan and financial success. She will continue to lead the recently expanded Office of Partnerships, which now includes Event Operations, Speakers and Exhibitions and Exhibition Services.

“Shannon’s expertise and leadership come at a crucial time, when higher education continues to be disrupted by external forces,” said Don Tuski, President of CCS. “Serving as a key external ambassador to create career opportunities for students across all of our majors, Shannon will work in collaboration with academic department chairs and internal stakeholders to connect industry trends and needs to new and current programs and initiatives that will bolster the College’s business model, positioning and revenue generation.”

Throughout her 20-year career at CCS, McPartlon has managed over 400 industry partnerships, engaging more than 3,000 students, faculty and staff. She has played a critical role in evolving the College’s approach to experiential learning to include more opportunities for students and established the Practicing Design Center in partnership with faculty. Her facilitation of for-credit internships, on-campus recruiting events and launching strategies to increase exposure for students has empowered students to gain hands-on experience and enhance their career readiness.

“I am incredibly honored and energized by the opportunity to take on this expanded role,” said Shannon McPartlon, Associate Vice President of Partnerships. “My primary goal in this new role is to forge strategic, high-level partnerships that directly connect industry trends and needs with new academic opportunities, bolstering the college’s business model and global positioning. I look forward to applying my experience to further scale our strategic initiatives and help secure the future success of CCS.”

To learn more about the Office of Partnerships, please visit https://www.ccsdetroit.edu/office-of-partnerships/.

ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Michigan Education Department to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens, and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society. The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, such as transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business.

College for Creative Studies Announces Esteemed Group of Honorary Degree Recipients

Detroit, MI – College for Creative Studies is proud to announce its 2026 honorary degree recipients: Dustin Yellin, artist and the founder and director of Pioneer Works; Moray Callum, automotive designer; Lynn Alandt, president of the Benson and Edith Ford Fund; and Paul Mobley, portrait photographer. Yellin also delivered the commencement address for the graduating class of 2026.

Dustin Yellin tells stories that weave together the diverse forces of nature and technology. Through his multidisciplinary body of work, which includes object making, painting, animation, and institute building, Yellin draws attention to the interconnectivity of all beings and things. His approach tunnels across traditionally siloed fields so as to crystallize the idea that both the human world, and all other worlds around us, are a collection of enmeshed networks – even if many are hidden. Yellin’s glass works in particular, in which paint and images clipped from various print media are embedded within laminated glass sheets to form grand pictographic allegories, invite viewers to engage with the legions of their own consciousness and its embodied emotions, as well as that of our collective society and its infrastructures. Yellin is the founder and director of Pioneer Works, a multidisciplinary cultural center that builds community through the arts and sciences. The artist balances descriptive poetry with a prescriptive social practice so as to span new ways of seeing and being, and build a bridge to a more holistic world.

Yellin lives in Brooklyn, New York. His artwork has been exhibited at Brooklyn Museum, Amorepacific Museum, Leeum Museum, Museo Del Palacio de Bellas Artes, SCAD Museum of Art, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, City Museum, Colección Solo, Corning Museum of Glass, and with Creative Time, amongst many others. Yellin is often featured in diverse media ranging from the New York Times to Artforum, Vanity Fair, and TED. He holds an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

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A respected automotive designer from Dumfries, Scotland, Moray S. Callum graduated from Napier University with a degree in industrial design and earned a master’s degree in transportation design from the Royal College of Art in London. His design career began when working for Chrysler Corporation UK and PSA Peugeot Citroën on passenger/commercial vehicles. He joined Ghia SpA as a consultant designer, where his work sparked interest from the Ford company. This ultimately led to a role in Dearborn, Michigan, on North American vehicles such as the 2000 Ford Taurus and the last generation of Ford Super Duty pickups. He relocated to Japan to work for Mazda, then a Ford subsidiary, designing sports cars, contributing notable models like the MX-5 sports car and the CX-7 crossover.

Eventually, he became executive director of design for Ford’s Americas studios. Moray Callum’s successes include the new Ford Fusion, Explorer, Mustang, EcoSport and Lincoln MKZ. Ultimately, Callum was promoted to vice president of design at Ford Motor Company, taking responsibility for all concept and production vehicles for the Ford and Lincoln brands globally, unveiling the 2015 sixth-generation Ford Mustang and the 2017 second-generation Ford GT. Additionally, Callum serves on the CCS Board of Trustees.

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Lynn Alandt is a civic leader and the president of the Benson and Edith Ford Fund. Alandt has served on the CCS Board of Trustees for more than 25 years and currently serves as the vice chair of the board. She also serves as the board chair for the Eleanor and Edsel Ford House. Additionally, Alandt is trustee emeritus for The Henry Ford Museum and has served on the board of directors for Henry Ford Health System. She is a strong supporter of CCS and the arts community in and around Detroit.

Paul Mobley is an American portrait photographer celebrated for creating intimate, timeless images that reveal the personality and spirit of his subjects. His commercial work spans corporate, editorial, and advertising photography, with clients ranging from major brands such as Apple, Microsoft, Ford, and American Express to celebrities and entertainers in film, comedy, and music. His portraiture is known for its emotional depth and authenticity, achieved through his ability to quickly connect with people from all walks of life. Mobley trained at CCS in Detroit and then moved to New York City, where he studied portraiture and assisted renowned photographers, including Annie Leibovitz and David Langley, before launching his own career.

In addition to commercial assignments, Mobley is widely recognized for his long-form personal projects and photography books. His first major project, American Farmer, became a touring exhibition and book that captured the lives of U.S. farmers and traveled for seven years, reaching over 500,000 people. Other notable projects include Everyday Heroes — portraits of Americans dedicated to helping others; If I Live to Be 100 — intimate portraits of centenarians from all 50 states; and American Firefighter — portraits and stories of firefighters across the country.

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“This year’s honorary degree recipients are incredible leaders across a diverse range of industries,” said Don Tuski, President of CCS. “We are thrilled to honor Dustin, Moray, Lynn and Paul, who offer invaluable support and insight into the art and design world.”

The College’s commencement ceremony took place on May 14, 2026, to honor the graduating class of 2026. Yellin, Callum, Alandt and Mobley join a distinguished list of recent honorary degree recipients, including automotive design leader Michael Simcoe, architect Suchi Reddy, and artist Kevin Beasley, among others.