About
“Emanuela Quaglia is a passionate, enthusiastic, equity-minded and compassionate educator. Her mission as an educator is to close equity gaps and engage in equitable practices. She has worked in the digital art and photography industry and has taught a full range of digital art courses to students with various backgrounds and learning styles. With 15+ years of successfully working in the digital art industry, she was an instructor at CSU East Bay for Project Impact, and while she served students with special needs, she also supported a racially and socioeconomically diverse student population. In 2015, Emanuela started working for the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD). She successfully led face-to-face and online art classes, camps, workshops and special community events for various programs such as Community, Continuing & Corporate Education (CCCE) and Bay Area Pathways Academy (BAPA).
In 2020, Emanuela started as an adjunct Assistant Professor for the Digital Art & Animation program at Cañada College. During the challenging time of the pandemic, she strongly supported students and colleagues in transitioning from face-to-face instruction to online and facilitated faculty training like Quality Online Teaching and Learning (QOTL) and Advanced Techniques Online Methods (ATOM). She supported students and colleagues with private tutoring sessions when needed. Emanuela completed course reviews based on the OEI rubric and created online courses that met CVC-OEI requirements. During the last couple of years, she also worked as faculty advisor and mentor for Menlo Studio, a successful digital art internship program offered to students at Cañada College.
Emanuela earned her Master of Science degree in Education with a concentration in Online Teaching and Learning at Cal State East Bay in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree (BFA) in Multimedia, Photography and Traditional Fine Art from Cal State East Bay and three Associate Art degrees in Web Design, Digital Video and Broadcasting & Electronic Media - TV Production from College of San Mateo.
In 2022, Emanuela earned the position of full time tenure-track Professor in the Digital Art and Animation program at Cañada College. Since 2021, she is also became faculty mentor and advisor for Menlo Studio, a successful internship program that gives opportunity to work in the digital marketing industry to many student assistants who completed digital art classes in the colleges of SMCCD.
Awards winner, Emanuela’s personal artwork has been exhibited internationally, and it bridges cultural geography, public practice and experimental documentary into creative, socially engaged transmedia experiences that combine writing, photography, audio, video, installation and community engagement.”
— Extract from “Cañada College, Office of the President Updates”, 2022
Teaching Philosophy
As an educator in digital art, photography, and design, I believe that learning is a creative and human process built on curiosity, courage, and care. My teaching philosophy centers on equity, inclusion, and the conviction that every student, regardless of background, prior experience, or learning style, deserves the opportunity to express their voice, cultivate technical mastery, and feel a sense of belonging in creative spaces.
My classrooms are built as communities of exploration. I design project-based assignments that encourage students to take creative risks, experiment with tools, analyze visual choices, and reflect intentionally on their process. Through demonstrations, guided workshops, and structured critique, I help students transform ideas into confident visual stories. I believe that learning happens through iteration, and that constructive critique — delivered with empathy and clarity — empowers students to grow artistically, technically, and personally.
Equity shapes every aspect of my pedagogy. I strive to remove barriers to learning by offering multiple ways to participate, creating accessible course materials, and adapting strategies for neurodiverse, multilingual, and first-generation students. I use transparent rubrics, scaffolded assignments, and visual exemplars to ensure that expectations are clear and achievable. I am committed to closing equity gaps by building pathways that foster both creative confidence and academic success.
Technology evolves rapidly, and so does my teaching. I continually revise my courses based on student feedback, industry trends, and new digital tools, from photography workflows to design platforms to interactive storytelling methods. My goal is to prepare students not only with technical skills, but with the adaptability, critical thinking, and visual literacy needed for a constantly changing creative world.
Ultimately, my teaching is grounded in compassion. I believe that creativity thrives when students feel seen, supported, and encouraged to bring their full identities into their work. Whether through one-on-one mentoring, reflective conversations, or collaborative studio projects, I aim to create learning experiences that empower students to discover their strengths, pursue their passions, and imagine new possibilities for themselves and their communities.
Teaching, for me, is an act of connection. It is a space where art, culture, equity, and human experience meet — and where students learn not only to create images, but to see the world, and themselves, with greater clarity and confidence.