Molly Owens

Molly Owens is an award-winning writer, creative director, art director and designer, with more than 20 years professional experience in the advertising and creative industries. She joined the faculty at the university in 2008 after working in the United States for several high-profile agencies as an art/creative director. She retains active engagement with the creative industries in both Britain and the US as a consultant, and additionally has had numerous industry placements in the past two years with agencies and new media companies. As an academic, she has presented at a number of international conferences on creativity and generating creative concepts, and she teaches industry short courses with Skilset Academi. Her background includes all aspects of the media, including moving image, television and radio as well as digital design and print, social media and new media. She has been responsible creative concept generation and direction of integrated campaigns, brand building and brand reviews, identity work, and cross-platform communication with different audiences. Past employers include large international agencies and smaller boutique agencies, as well as client-side (in-house) positions. Clients ranged from non-profit organisations, professional sporting franchises, government agencies, tech companies, pharmaceutical companies, and digital media companies, to name a few. In addition to having won many awards for her work and being featured in industry periodicals and books, she has had articles published in prominent publications such as the New York Times. Her personal creative work has appeared in exhibitions and been published in literary anthologies.

Conferences

Higher Education Teaching and Learning (HETL) International Conference, University of Central Florida, United States, January 2013
Exploring Spaces for Learning: “Using International Projects and Accompanying Technology to Reflect Professional Practice on a Creative Advertising Course”
SRHE International Conference, United Kingdom, December, 2012
Presented the paper: “Embedding Research into a Practice-Based, Creative Course”
SRHE International Conference, United Kingdom, December, 2011
Chair
Presented the paper: “Tech Geeks and Ad Freaks”
SRHE International Conference, United Kingdom, December, 2011
Chair
Presented the paper: “Using Facebook as a Tool to Build Online Communities of Practice and Encourage Collaboration Across Multi-Disciplinary Programmes.”
Research-Teaching Conference, Wales, UK September, 2011
Presented: “Research and its Role on a Creative Course”
Research-Teaching Conference, Wales, UK September, 2011
Presented: “The Use of Industry Placements as a Basis for Research-Informed Teaching.”
HEA Event, Assessing the Assessment Experience, Newport, Wales July, 2011

Presented paper entitled: “Using MP4 as a Feedback Tool.”
SRHE International Conference, United Kingdom, December, 2010 (Emerging Researchers)
Presented paper entitled: “Bringing the Outside In: Using Unique Spaces to Enhance Student Creativity.”
NEXUS International Conference, United Kingdom, June, 2010
Presented paper entitled: “Built Pedagogy: Overcoming Sterile Teaching Environments.”

She holds a first-class honours BA degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in advertising, from Drake University, US, and an MA degree from Cardiff University. In addition to her teaching schedule, she contributes to articles and international academic conferences, and is currently working on a chapter for an upcoming book to be published by the Cambridge University press, along with continuing her professional practice as a creative.

Her research includes developing creativity and the creative process in terms of professional practice, work space and its relation to creativity, the role of research in creativity, and how collaboration both in the virtual and real world leads to creative campaign ideas and output. She is the recipient of several teaching and research grants.