Varsha Vinod

Varsha Vinod is a full-ride Presidential Scholar at the University of Cincinnati, graduating in May 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Design from DAAP and a minor in Political Science. Her work explores the intersection of design, language, and global engagement, using creative practice as a tool for empathy and social impact.

At UC, Varsha is the founder and president of the UC Field Hockey Team, which she established as an official Division I Club Sport. She also serves as President of the UC Symphony Orchestra and as Studio Lead for UC’s chapter of Design for America, where she guides human-centered design projects focused on community topics like student voter engagement, campus safety, and equitable food access. She is a DAAP Ambassador, member of Sigma Phi Women’s Honorary, and student in the University Honors Program.

Varsha has completed five competitive co-op experiences, including roles at Apple, Procter & Gamble, and a design agency in Singapore, where she was a Freeman Asia Scholar and represented UC at Singapore Design Week. Her work has earned Graphis New Talent recognition, publication in Graphic Design USA, and distinction as a Graphic Design USA Student to Watch. She is a published author of a 2023 poetry collection and has won several writing competitions including Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and Clifton Composition. She is a National Co-op Ambassador, runner-up in the MIT × Hyundai Mobility Design Sprint, and is even a recipient of an athletic scholarship from NBA Player Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks.

She is a Fulbright Open Study/Research Morocco Semi-Finalist, proposing a project titled Typographic Landscapes: Multilingual Design and Urban Identity in Morocco, which examines how Arabic, French, Amazigh, and English signage shape cultural identity in public space. In her free time, she loves music and sings and plays various instruments.