She holds an MFA in design from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a Bachelors of Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Over the course of her professional career, Buck-Coleman has written, art directed, curated, designed, authored, and directed numerous design projects, including Sticks + Stones. Her professional design work has been exhibited across the United States and abroad and has been recognized by AIGA, the American Advertising Federation, Graphis, HarperCollins, and the University & College Designers Association, among others. Her experimental design work is an investigation of storytelling through a cross-pollination of journalism and fine art. She explores these subjects through a variety of media, including motion graphics. Before joining the faculty at the University of Maryland, Buck-Coleman taught at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.