Education
2017 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY.
2014 Associate in Visual Arts Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Professional Experience
Associate QA Analyst I | Lost Boys Interactive, Remote - Madison, WI February 2023 - September 2024
Unannounced Colony Simulator May 2024 - September 2024
Used Unreal Engine 5 to organize and optimize a pre-existing asset library to align with project specifications.
Partnered with Environment and Technical Artists to design materials and textures that convey rich visual storytelling through a variety of elements.
Utilized Perforce and Polaris for version control to ensure the project maintained the latest updates.
Homeworld 3 | Shipped July 2023 - May 2024
Worked closely and communicated with Producers, Technical Developers, and external QA partners to provide extensive QA support.
Coordinated Multiplayer, Network, and Lobby Configuration tests to identify any crashes, desyncs, or disconnects.
Tested UI, UX, VFX, and SFX functionalities to ensure seamless Host and Client replication.
Utilized Jira project tracking to follow production phases, supply detailed information, code logs, media and more to facilitate communication across multiple teams.
Created weekly gameplay performance reports to assist developers in refining functionality and improving player experience.
Unannounced First-Person Shooter Feb 2023 - July 2023
Created detailed test plans and testing matrices to test the function of cinematics, level sequences, dialogue, and interactable objects in single and multiplayer environments.
Coordinated and conducted multiplayer testing sessions to evaluate Host and Client replication for intractable narrative assets.
Created Confluence documentation to effectively guide analysts in testing cinematics, level sequences, dialogue, and interactable objects.
Communicated and coordinated closely with Producers, Artists, Designers, and Writers to discuss the project's narrative and explore how QA can support the development process.
Crew Member Trader Joe’s, Danbury, CT September 2019 - February 2023
• Provide outstanding, fun and welcoming customer experiences while working in a self starting, organized manner to achieve and surpass sales goals.
• Manage, merchandise, and order products in the Bakery department using Zebra, resulting in an increase in sales between 16% - 21%.
• Followed current social media and nutritional trends to notify the store of any potential upcoming merchandising and sale opportunities by using the internet and social media to gather information.
• Trained 50 new crew members in customer experience, brand awareness, product knowledge, section leading, and store culture.
• Strongly boosted team morale by organizing huddles and tastings that brought the crew together to discuss the day's events and share in each other's accomplishments.
• Reduced food waste by 50% and composting by 20% by collecting unused food from the store and donating to local shelters.
Artist-in-Residence Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MA August 2017 - August 2019
• Achieved Artist-in-Residence position by creating a diverse portfolio in a professional studio setting that resulted in multiple exhibitions, teaching, and writing opportunities.
• Collaborated with ceramic artists to create a variety of works and educated 120 community members on basic and advanced ceramic techniques through group workshops and 6-week class sessions.
• Created and executed a content strategy through social media, gallery exhibitions, and presentations that resulted in a 35% increase in sales over a 6-month period.
• Developed and managed a Squarespace website to promote sales and viewing as well as edit photos for ceramic portfolio using Adobe Photoshop.
• Selected by the Worcester Art Museum to present and write about the opening of the Archaic Avant-Garde exhibition as well as provide technical information for the museum labels.
Retail Assistant/Gallery Attendant The Gallery Store/Krikorian Gallery, Worcester MA December 2017 - August 2019
• Assisted customers in choosing and purchasing handmade craft products in both the retail store and the gallery by providing product information, customer service, and general viewing assistance in person and on Shopify website.
• Restocked shelves, photograph incoming work, set up display tables, and changed displays to accommodate seasonal changes and the tastes of visitors, resulting in an average of 15% increase in sales over the same period.
• Prepared the gallery and pedestals for upcoming exhibitions in collaboration with the Curator, ensuring the a clean space and ready to receive artworks, and property installed installed pedestals, in time for the opening of the exhibitions.
• Packed small scale artwork for safe shipping and handling that resulted in a 100% success rate.
• Implemented the store and gallery protocols to ensure the safety of visitors and the artwork, resulting in no incidents of theft or damage during the two years in the position.
Ceramics Studio Technician Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY November 2012 - August 2017
• Managed kilns, glaze inventory, clay reclaim, general upkeep, and on-boarding of new technicians, resulting in a cleaner, better-organized studio and more trained staff.
• Tutored basic and advanced ceramics students for multiple collegiate classes with help from the Ceramics professor.
• Assist with curation and installation of ceramic exhibitions both on and off campus and promote these exhibitions via social media, resulting in an average of 200 visitors per exhibition.
Ceramics Instructor ART Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY October 2013 - May 2016
• Created lesson plans and taught workshops for an early nonprofit growth stages of an up-and-coming and rapidly developing ceramics studio in an urban environment, resulting in a 20% increase in revenue for the studio, and an increase in workshop offerings from 2 to 5 per month.
• Led a monthly Community Clay Day event where a variety of people learned basic techniques while maintaining a fun, vibrant atmosphere for all skill sets.
• Developed an additional Community Clay Night event due to the increase of attendance, demand, and social media advertising; event resulted in increased revenue, wider audience appeal, and more social media engagement.
Volunteer Experience
August 2014 - Present
Firing Team Member Still Mountain Center, Kent, CT.
• Volunteer at a nonprofit arts organization based in the beautiful and secluded woods of Kent, CT.
• Implement the mission to support and celebrate artistic exchange among peoples locally and globally by providing opportunities for cross-cultural appreciation, collaboration and innovation in the arts.
• Collaborated with artists and potters to maintain firing of an Anagama wood kiln for 7 days and nights .
• Successfully fired and unloaded a three-chamber Anagama wood kiln with the help of 50 volunteers and community members.
Exhibitions
2019 Annual Cup Show, Krikorian Gallery, Worcester, MA.
Fired | Molten, Krikorian Gallery, Worcester, MA.
2018 Annual Cup Show, Krikorian Gallery, Worcester, MA.
Artist-In-Residence 2018 Show, Krikorian Gallery, Worcester, MA.
Mouthfeel, The Packing House, Willington, CT.
2017 Annual Cup Show, Krikorian Gallery, Worcester MA.
Gravitas, Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, State University of New York at New Paltz, New Paltz, NY.
POK Pop Up Shop, Mid Hudson Heritage Center, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Curiosities, ART Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
2016 Out of the Fire, Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY.
Borrow and Steal, Mildred I. Washington Gallery, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY.
2015 Savor, Bluecashew Kitchen Pharmacy, Rhinebeck, NY.
2nd Annual Northeast Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition, Art Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Dutchess Community College Independent Study Student Exhibition, ART Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
2015 NCECA Student Juried Exhibition, Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI.
2014 Northeast Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition, ART Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Student Show, Mildred I. Washington Gallery, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Best in Show (From Best in SUNY Exhibition), New York State Museum, Albany, NY.
Best in SUNY Exhibition, SUNY System Administration Building, Albany, NY.
Dutchess Community College Independent Study Student Exhibition, ART Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Student Show, Mildred I. Washington Gallery, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY.
2013 Student Show, Mildred I. Washington Gallery, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie NY.
Awards & Accolades
July 2020 Performance Review Bonus, Trader Joe’s, Danbury, CT.
April 2015 Second Annual Northeast Ceramic Sculpture Exhibition, 1st Place, ART Centro, Poughkeepsie, NY.
March 2015 NCECA Undergraduate Award for Excellence, 1st Place, Sol Koffler Gallery, Providence, RI.
May 2014 DUE Award in Memory of Lynnette McKinney, Dutchess Community College, Poughkeepsie, NY.
Publications
March 2019 Endurance of an Idea by Abby Nohai, Archaic Avant-Garde exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum.
May 2018 Worcester Center for Crafts showcases Artists-In- Residence by Staff Writer, Worcester Magazine.
May 2017 Gravitas by Abby Nohai, SUNY New Paltz BFA Thesis.
November 2015 SUNY-New Paltz Ceramics Students Exhibit Salt & Pepper Vessels in Rhinebeck by
Ann Hutton, Almanac Weekly.
September 2015 Community Gathers for Food, Friendship at Kent Firing Event by John Fitts, The Register Citizen.
September 2015 2015 National Student Juried Exhibition by Heidi McKenzie, Ceramics Monthly.
April 2015 DCC Student Takes Top National Art Award by Poughkeepsie Journal Staff, Poughkeepsie Journal.
Presentations
March 2019 Archaic Avant-Garde Docent Talk by Abby Nohai, Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA.
May 2018 Korean Pedestal Vessels in a Contemporary World by Abby Nohai, Worcester Pottery Invitational, Worcester, MA.
