Judy Sue Goodwin Sturges is herself a graduate of RISD’s undergraduate program in Illustration. After graduation, she worked in the art departments of such places as Hallmark and Ginn & Co. before starting her own children’s book studio in Boston in 1989. She envisioned a place where she could nurture creative talent and develop quality book projects for trade markets and museum communities. Today, she works on behalf of nearly 40 picture book artists worldwide (with a staff of RISD alums).

As a professor of Illustration for more than 35 years, Sturges continues to nurture young talent. She has taught Picture and Word for many years and designed the course to help students interested in working in children's books understand the necessary balance between writing and illustrating. She co-teaches the course with an industry professional working as an author and/or editor of picture books.

Although her passion is children's literature, Sturges loves all forms of artistic expression. Her Artist's Book class challenges students to extend their concepts outside of traditional book parameters to achieve their own creative interpretations. In addition to these upper level courses, she teaches basic illustration concepts to sophomores and helps guide seniors through their thesis projects.

In 2008 Sturges was approached by Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road project to collaborate on another double credit course entitled Folk Tales in the Digital Age. Musicians from the Silk Road Ensemble worked with students in a workshop setting honing their skills in writing, storytelling, illustrating and music, and the class culminated in a final public performance in the RISD auditorium.

When on break from RISD, Sturges likes to return to Italy, where she spent a few glorious years as the chief critic for RISD's European Honors Program. While there she attends the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, spends quality time with partner studio illustrators who are living abroad and, most importantly, spends time working on her own stories.