MICA Board of Trustees member Sallie Fraenkel Zuch P'08 says her daughter, Emily Zuch '08, received the art and design equivalent of an Ivy League education as a painting major at MICA. Zuch developed her technique as well as discipline and a strong work ethic at the College, her mother says. "Emily paints all the time, whether at her studio at the New York Studio School (where she is pursuing an MFA) or in her apartment," Fraenkel said. "She is a very serious, committed artist."

Fraenkel, chief marketing officer of SpaFinder, is a committed donor and volunteer. She focuses on the college's communications, branding, and development.

"MICA is this extraordinary place that not enough people know about," Fraenkel says. "I'm particularly interested in getting the word out about MICA to a much broader audience, beyond the art and design community, beyond Baltimore, beyond the US. That is my main reason for joining the board."

Fraenkel has a particular interest in social networking, and uses her Twitter account to promote MICA, among other things. She is a fan of MICA on Facebook and is a frequent visitor to the College's website. "I read with great interest what's going on, and do my best to share MICA news within my social network," she says.

Fraenkel's daughter chose MICA because of the painting program's renowned reputation.

"But what really struck us was the quality of the student work," Fraenkel says. "Plus the students seemed very friendly and the professors seemed accessible."

Fraenkel and her husband, Michael Zuch, chaired the College's Parent Council in 2007-08. Fraenkel also served as a parent trustee for the MICA Board of Trustees and was voted a full board member the spring that her daughter graduated.

"The more time you spend at MICA, the more you realize how extraordinary the faculty, staff, and students really are," Fraenkel says.