Posted 8:46 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026
Graphic Designer David Piro wins 2026 Academic Staff Excellence Award
For nearly half a century, David Piro has been figuring out how to get people to look.
It started in 1980, when Piro was finishing school and working as a graphic designer for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. The technology and trends have changed dramatically since then, but the goal of his work has remained the same: creating eye-catching designs that tell a clear, compelling story.
“I’m pretty lucky because I got into something I liked and just kept doing it,” Piro says.
After decades in the advertising industry, Piro’s career brought him to UW-La Crosse, where he has worked as the lead graphic designer in University Marketing & Communications since 2018. This year, his creativity, professionalism, collaboration and commitment to the university earned him the 2026 Academic Staff Excellence Award.
For Piro, the recognition is about more than himself.
“This is going to sound cheesy, but to me the recognition means I’m a part of a really good team,” he says. “Individuals win the award, but I don’t think the individual really is the reason. You can’t shine by yourself.”
That team mentality is one of the qualities that has made Piro such a valued colleague across campus.
Pete Rydberg, director of UWL’s School of Visual & Performing Arts (VPA), has worked closely with Piro over the past two years to transform the VPA’s brand. When Rydberg arrived at UWL, he says the school’s promotional materials lacked a consistent identity.
Today, Piro creates roughly 60 to 70 cohesive designs for the VPA each year — in addition to many dozens of designs for other campus clients — including digital signs, posters and concert program covers. He has also developed a season brochure, banners, conference displays, branded stationery and a unified VPA logo used by the school’s departments of Music, Art, and Theatre & Dance.
Rydberg says the work has transformed VPA’s public presence and helped strengthen audience engagement, recruitment and the school’s connection with the community.
But ask Piro about his favorite projects, and he does not necessarily point to the biggest ones.
“The big projects, the ones that everyone sees, are fun, of course,” he says. “But a good design can be a little thing, too.”
To Piro, every project is a puzzle. Sometimes it is a major publication such as The Lantern or a view book. Other times, it is a small, one-time event for a department. The challenge is the same: figure out what the project needs and make all the pieces fit.
His approach is practical and straightforward.
“There’s a certain amount of empathy that goes into it,” Piro says. “Some people think things are so insurmountable, so difficult. But really, it’s just a matter of ‘get your pen and let’s do this.’”
That attitude has made him a trusted partner for his colleagues throughout UWL. His supervisor, Jacob Speer, director of Web & Design Services, says Piro brings decades of experience and a creative approach to even the most challenging projects.
“Dave’s level-headed and experienced outlook offer so much to UWL and how we present our campus,” Speer says. “He’s always thinking creatively how to tackle a project.”
Kyle Farris, director of News & Marketing, says Piro combines those creative instincts with a genuine desire to help others.
“Dave not only has a sharp eye and strong creative instincts — he is also eager to engage with clients to ensure each project reaches its full potential,” Farris says.
For Piro, staying effective means staying curious.
“I think I’ve done a good job at not being stuck in 1980,” he says. “I do that by getting out of my comfort zone, learning new and different things.”
After 46 years in graphic design, Piro is still following that advice. He has made mistakes, tried new things and learned from failures along the way.
“If it doesn’t work,” he says, “we do better the next time.”
For Piro, each new project is another opportunity to make something better and help UWL tell its story.
“If they don’t see you, it doesn’t matter,” he says. “So, we keep trying new things, getting better and finding ways to make people notice UWL.”
