FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 1, 2025
Contact: Justin Baker-Rojas
International Visual Literacy Association
Email: media@ivla.org
INTERNATIONAL VISUAL LITERACY ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2025 AWARDS AT 57TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
Distinguished Researcher Award
AGUASCALIENTES, MEXICO: On November 1, 2025, The International Visual Literacy Association named Dana S. Thompson, Assistant Dean of Libraries, Murray State University, USA, the winner of the Distinguished Researcher Award. This award recognizes members whose sustained scholarly contributions have significantly shaped the field of visual literacy.
Dana’s prolific research, editorial work, and professional leadership have redefined how visual literacy is taught and understood across disciplines. Her recent publications, including A Slow Approach to Visual Literacy in Higher Education (ALA Editions, 2024) and Unframing the Visual (ACRL, 2024), advance human-centered, reflective pedagogies that emphasize care and critical observation.
The current IVLA President, Thompson has expanded the association’s global reach through exhibitions, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and editorial innovation. Her integrative scholarship continues to inspire both theoretical advancement and practical application in higher education worldwide.
The International Visual Literacy Association (IVLA) proudly announces the recipients of its 2025 Annual Awards, recognizing outstanding scholarship, creativity, and service in the advancement of visual literacy. These distinguished honorees were celebrated during the 57th Annual IVLA Conference, “The Power of Images in Sacred and Festive Practices,” hosted by the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Mexico.
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Founded in 1968, the International Visual Literacy Association is an interdisciplinary organization of professionals working toward a fuller understanding of the way we derive meaning from what we see and the way we interact with our visual environment. For more information about IVLA, please visit https://ivla.org/.