Missouri S&T – News and Occasions – Pierce named photographer of the yr by nationwide college affiliation

The University Photographers’ Association of America named Missouri S&T photographer Michael Pierce the 2025 Mark A. Philbrick Photographer of the Year and the 2025 Overall Annual Photo Contest Winner throughout the affiliation’s annual symposium in Tennessee in July.

According to Mark Carriveau, vp and historian of the affiliation, UPAA has had hundreds of members over time however only some can declare the very best honor.

“It is by far the hardest and most prestigious award to win in this organization,” Carriveau says. “To earn the title of Photographer of the Year, one must do more than win competitions — one must consistently produce powerful imagery month after month. It requires ongoing skill development, creative ambition, and a passion for pushing photographic boundaries to capture images the world has never seen before.”

Pierce acquired 5 awards, out of a doable six, for particular person images in a number of classes of the Annual Photo Competition:

• First place in Science and Research
• Second place in Portraits
• Third place in Campus Environment
• Third place in Sports Marketing and Illustrations
• Fourth place in News and College Life

Leading as much as the Annual Photo Competition, UPAA members are invited to submit as much as 4 footage every month throughout the tutorial yr for the Monthly Image Competition. These footage are scored as a part of the year-long competitors that makes up a part of the Photographer of the Year award. Pierce gained 21 month-to-month awards throughout the 2024-25 tutorial yr, together with 10 first place awards and two best-in-show awards.

“Whenever possible, I want my photos to not only show what something looks like — but what it feels like. I also believe photography should show who someone is, not just what they’re doing. At S&T, I try to highlight the ambition, spirit and humanity that is special to our campus.”

Micheal pierce

As photographer of the yr, representatives from Canon introduced Pierce with a brand new digicam and lens throughout a July 17 ceremony on the affiliation’s symposium, held on the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

“It’s incredibly humbling and validating to receive this award,” Pierce says. “I’ve admired the work of so many university photographers since discovering UPAA when I started at S&T, so to be recognized by that community is both an honor and a shock.”

Pierce joined the Missouri S&T advertising and communications division as a college photographer in 2021. He says he dabbled in images throughout school, and after working as a graphic designer and attending a workshop with Rich Clarkson in Denver, he realized he needed to pursue images as a profession. Clarkson is a famend sports activities photographer who based Clarkson Creative Photography and photographed 60 NCAA Final Four tournaments, greater than anybody in historical past.

After incomes a bachelor’s diploma in advertising from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, Pierce labored at Pagosa Springs SUN Publishing in Colorado for 9 years in promoting gross sales, design and images roles for the corporate’s weekly newspaper and magazines. He then served as knowledgeable photographer for the Colorado Rockies via Clarkson Creative, the place he photographed all the Major League Baseball staff’s residence video games in addition to promotions and occasions.

In 2017, Pierce joined the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, the place he led the images staff and honed his analysis images expertise in difficult high-tech environments similar to clear rooms or labs with lasers. Those experiences helped put together him for his position at Missouri S&T. In 2021, he joined the UPAA.

“Whenever possible, I want my photos to not only show what something looks like — but what it feels like,” Pierce says. “I also believe photography should show who someone is, not just what they’re doing. At S&T, I try to highlight the ambition, spirit and humanity that is special to our campus. These stories can build pride, connect communities and inspire future students. That’s what I’m always striving for — creating images that resonate and have a meaningful impact.”

Winning pictures within the 2025 UPAA Annual Photo Competition

Winning pictures within the Monthly Image Competition

Click a picture within the gallery to enlarge the picture and examine it. Upon clicking a picture, you may scroll via and see all of the images.

About the University Photographers’ Association of America

Founded in 1961 by a bunch of New England photographers, UPAA has expanded to incorporate members from 2-year, 4-year, private and non-private universities from practically each state, Canada, Israel, Australia, Grenada and Europe. The UPAA represents the most effective in larger schooling images.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused analysis college of over 7,000 college students situated in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T presents over 100 levels in 40 areas of examine and is among the many nation’s prime public universities for wage impression, in response to The Wall Street Journal. For extra details about Missouri S&T, go to www.mst.edu.