BOONE, N.C. — Morgan Gulisano ’18 arrived in Boone in fall 2014 with a camera and a plan to study commercial photography. Today, her scope has widened significantly as she leads operations for a team of artists, designers and creatives at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Ottumwa, Iowa, native works for New York-based company On Location — a leading provider of premium hospitality experiences for events around the world. As the company’s creative manager for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Gulisano serves as operations lead for the team that designs and creates the “look and feel” of hospitality spaces at the Games. The spaces range from shared lounges and private suites within sporting venues to off-venue specialty installations. Embedded within decor and graphic elements are lots of educational and cultural features to explore, and sometimes even historical Olympic artifacts.

Since joining the company two years ago, Gulisano has contributed to space designs at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics and the recent 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

“It was incredible, complicated, challenging, rewarding work, and I can’t wait to do it again,” Gulisano said.

Gulisano manages creative workflows, cross-functional coordination and design approval processes between her team, the Olympic Organizing Committees, the International Olympic Committee and other external collaborators and stakeholders.

“Every day is a little different, but you’ll usually find me busy connecting the dots in one way or another,” she said.

Fostering the spark of creativity

At App State, Gulisano built the foundation that set the stage for her global career in creative management.

Her parents gave her a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera, which sparked an interest in photography. That spark amplified when she visited App State and shadowed a student in the commercial photography program. She met with students and faculty in Katherine Harper Hall and she “was hooked by the weekend. I knew I’d be back at App State the next fall,” she shared.

Gulisano’s time at App State was transformative. She learned critical and technical skills through the commercial photography program in the Department of Art. She also received lessons in production workflow, studio management, client acquisition and business finances.

“One of the things that has stuck with me most from my time at Appalachian State is the genuine care and thoughtfulness of each of the instructors,” she said. “I’m grateful to them still for setting me on the track to where I am now.”

After graduating from App State, Gulisano spent six years freelancing in post-production before joining On Location.

One of her proudest achievements at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics was working with the Olympic Museum in Switzerland to display a complete collection of 72 historical Olympic Winter Games medals — artifacts that brought history to life for visitors.

Now that the Milano Cortina Games have come to a close, Gulisano has begun preparing and planning for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, which promise to deliver the biggest Olympic hospitality program yet. She is excited to bring the Olympic Games to life in the United States.

She credits the App State and Boone communities for shaping her personally and professionally. “Our mountain town has a deep sense of community that was impossible not to notice and want to be a part of. Boone always felt like home — then and now.”

Her advice to current and prospective Mountaineers is simple: “Do everything! Make friends, join a club, try something new.”

She added, “Get to know your faculty and learn as much as you can, while you have the opportunity. App State is such a special place, and I hope you look back on it one day with as much appreciation as I do.”

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Photography - Commercial Photography (BFA)

App State’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Commercial Photography degree program will set you up with the skills, knowledge and confidence to become a photographer in the fast-paced, high-intensity world of commercial photography.

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Department of Art

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, commercial photography and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, commercial photography and graphic arts and imaging technology.

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About the Department of Art

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, photography and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, photography and graphic communications management. Learn more at https://art.appstate.edu.

About the College of Fine and Applied Arts

Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.