Ohio State University Department of Design alum Joshua Fry (MFA Design, 2010, DAIM) is among the artists recognized with a 2026 Visual Effects Society (VES) Award for Outstanding Environment in an Animated Feature. Fry shares the honor with collaborators Limei Z. Hshieh, Alexander Nicholas Whang, and Ryan DeYoung for their work on Zootopia 2: Marsh Market.

Presented by the Visual Effects Society, the awards recognize exceptional achievement across film, animation, television, and emerging media. The Outstanding Environment category honors teams responsible for creating immersive, technically sophisticated digital worlds that support narrative and character.

In Zootopia 2, the Marsh Market environment expands the film’s richly imagined universe, balancing visual detail, mood, and storytelling. Fry’s contribution reflects the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary visual effects work, where design sensibility, technical skill, and narrative awareness intersect.

Fry earned his MFA from Ohio State’s Department of Design in 2010 through the Digital Animation and Interactive Media (DAIM) program, which emphasizes systems thinking, collaboration, and design leadership across industries. His career includes work on major animated and visual effects‑driven productions, contributing to large‑scale studio environments and cinematic world‑building.

Recognition from the VES places Fry and his collaborators among a global community of creatives shaping the future of animation and visual storytelling. For the Ohio State Design community, the honor underscores the impact of alumni working at the highest levels of the creative industries and serves as a model for students pursuing careers in animation, effects, and experience design.

Fry’s achievement highlights the long‑term value of a design education rooted in experimentation, collaboration, and professional engagement—principles that continue to define the Department of Design’s approach to preparing students for evolving creative fields.