“I was privileged to have Dean in my graduate Topics in Journalism course at Columbia College Chicago. Dean was able to channel his interest in marginalized youth, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, into his work in social and civic media. Dean’s writing was always crisp and to the point, including an opinion editorial he did on holding elected officials accountable, especially in the LGBTQ+ community. I look forward to seeing more of Dean’s work and activism.”
— Curtis Lawrence
“Dean’s passion for literacy and service came through in all the work they did with me as a video and design intern at the Chicago Literacy Alliance. Their design skills to communicate our mission and develop materials for our members was creative, appealing and invaluable, and I enjoyed working with someone who really cared about their work and our organization.”
— Heather Bronson
“Dean Strauss is an unqualified badass. Here’s why I think that ... I had the pleasure of getting to know Dean as part of my user experience design course. The course is akin to throwing a group of people into a deep end of a pool and try and guiding them to become a fully synchronized swim team. Dean was a leader in that effort. He not only mastered the key concepts of user research, but applied them deftly and guided his teammates to do the same. I offer an equally unqualified recommendation of Dean for anyone seeking a teammate that is intelligent, empathetic, and focused.”
