Richard Cawood is an award-winning creative media professional, educator, and portrait photographer based in Dubai, UAE. Growing up in Leeds in the North of England, Richard was inspired by his curiosity for the world, which led him to take a life-changing transatlantic flight to explore America after graduating from high school. He established himself in the USA, where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati's renowned College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP).
Richard’s career is defined by his unique ability to blend his three core areas of expertise: teaching, creative leadership, and photography.
This multidisciplinary approach enables him to adapt to a wide range of creative challenges, whether in the classroom, studio, or working
with clients.
From 2002 to 2009, Richard served as an Assistant Professor in the Electronic Media Division (now the Media Production Division) at the internationally recognized College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati. During the summers of 2006 and 2007, he taught at Ludwig Maximilian University as part of the “Exploring New Media: Technology, Economics, and Communication Sciences” summer program. Richard received multiple awards from the Broadcast Education Association for his innovative work in new media during his time at the University of Cincinnati.
Following his tenure at UC, Richard joined Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA, as the Instructional Technology Manager, where he led a team of talented technologists. He played a key role in launching the Faculty Innovation Centre at the William H. Hannon Library and developed bespoke technology training sessions to empower faculty to integrate technology into their teaching and research.
In 2017, Richard relocated to Dubai from Mexico City to join the faculty of the College of Communication and Media Sciences at Zayed University, where he taught in the Media Production and Storytelling and Multimedia Design programs. During his tenure at CCMS, he served as the lead creative for the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF), overseeing web, motion, print, and social media initiatives. In 2023, Richard transitioned to the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises (CACE) at Zayed University, where he now teaches across the Foundations, Animation, Graphic Design, and Multimedia Design departments.
Professionally, Richard has spearheaded creative technology-driven projects for clients such as Virgin America, Nike, and Hulu. His work spans web, print, motion, and interactive experiences, and he has also created large-scale digital projection designs for operas in the US and Europe.
In the classroom, Richard encourages students to become critical thinkers and creative content producers using today’s digital tools. As a photographer, he seeks to reveal the beauty and detail of the places, landscapes, and people he captures. Known for his “emotive minimalism,” his award-winning portrait photography aims to convey deep connections and raw emotions. Richard’s work has been published in various magazines and was recently featured on the globally recognized photography blog, LensPire, by Zeiss.
Richard is passionate about giving back to the creative community. From 2018 to 2023, he was a core team member of the CreativeMornings Dubai Chapter, where he managed social media and regularly photographed monthly speakers. CreativeMornings is a global movement that brings together creatives of all disciplines for inspiring lectures and networking.
Learn more about Richard’s academic and creative journey on LinkedIn.