About
March 3, 2010 · 0 comments
Mission
The AIGA Design Educators Community (DEC) seeks to enhance the abilities of design educators and educational institutions to prepare future designers for excellence in design practice, design theory and design writing at the undergraduate and graduate levels while supporting the fundamental mission of AIGA.
AIGA’s purpose is to further excellence in design as a broadly defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force. AIGA is a professional association committed to stimulating thinking about design through the exchange of ideas and information, the encouragement of critical analysis and research and the advancement of education and ethical practice.
Objectives
AIGA DEC was established in 2004 to support the unique activities and responsibilities of the design educator at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels in a wide variety of institutional settings. The goals of this community are to: facilitate communication among design educators; create, foster and promote dialogue; produce design education events such as conferences and competitions; present current research and teaching methods; establish standards for design education; differentiate between design’s various subdisciplines; raise the level of design-driven thinking in schools across the country; and communicate the value of design education to the larger profession.
Subjects of interest to this community span teaching, research and service. They include curriculum and program development, design theory and history, methodology, typography, usability research, and the social roles of designers, as well as tenure, promotion, teaching standards and school accreditation.
Steering Committee Membership
The DEC Steering Committee is comprised of 12 dedicated educators providing service and leadership to the Community. A Call for Nominations is announced annually in March. New members are selected by the current Steering Committee to represent a range of experience, interests, types of programs, and regions. Membership term is 3 years (formerly 2 years) with an option to extend for 2 additional years.
Minimum qualifications for consideration to the DEC Steering Committee are experience in teaching visual communication, graphic design or a related field of study at the college or university level. All applicants must be current AIGA members with some experience with local chapter board leadership or committee service.
Committee members meet once a month for a conference call and annually for a retreat. Members are expected to lead an initiative that will benefit the Design Educators Community.
Current Steering Committee Members
Rukmini Ravikumar
Steering Committee Co-Chairperson
Chair, MFA in Design Program Director and Associate Professor, Department of Design
University of Central Oklahoma
joined 2008
Holly Willis
Steering Committee Co-Chairperson
Director of Academic Programs, Institute for Media Literacy, School of Cinematic Arts
University of Southern California
joined 2008
Troy Abel
Associate Professor and Chair, Visual Communication Design
Virginia Tech
joined 2012
Helen Armstrong
Steering Committee Secretary
Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
Faculty Affiliate, Interactive Media Studies
Miami University, Oxford OH
joined 2011
Frank Armstrong
Senior Lecturer, Graphic Design
Department of Communication Design
California State University, Chico
joined 2011
Annabelle Gould
Associate Professor and Chair, Visual Communication Design
University of Washington
joined 2012
Scott Hutchinson
Program Director, Design, Communication Arts, Studio, Art History, Photography, User Experience
UCLA Extension
joined 2008
Lara McCormick
Chair of Graphic Design
New Hampshire Institute of Art
joined 2012
Julie Spivey
Associate Professor of Graphic Design
University of Georgia
joined 2010
Lee Vander Kooi
Assistant Professor, Visual Communication Design
Herron School of Art and Design
joined 2011
Karen Zimmermann
Associate Professor
University of Arizona
joined 2012
Past Steering Committee Members
Name; affiliation(s) at time of Membership; (committee role if applicable); Membership period served
Frank Baseman, Philadelphia University. Founding Committee Chairperson. 2004–2006
Leslie Becker, California College of the Arts, San Francisco. 2004–2006
Heather Corcoran, Washington University in St. Louis. 2005–2007
Laurie Churchman, University of Pennsylvania.
Committee Chairperson 2006-2009; Committee Vice-Chairperson 2004–2006
Meredith Davis, AIGA Medalist and North Carolina State University
. 2004–2006
Carolina de Bartolo, Academy of Art University, San Francisco. 2006–2008
Mara Jevera Fulmer, C.S. Mott Community College. 2008–2012
Matt Greenwell, University of Tennessee Chattanooga. 2006-2007
Steven Heller, AIGA Medalist and School of Visual Arts, New York. 2004–2006
Brocket Horne, Maryland Institute College of Art, 2007–2011
Marcia Lausen, AIGA Board and University of Illinois at Chicago
. 2004–2006
Sarah Lowe, University of Tennessee. 2008–2012
Brian Lucid, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 2005–2007
Daniela Marx, Loyola University. 2006–2007
Kathy McCoy, AIGA Medalist and Kansas City Art Institute. 2004–2006
Jen McKnight, University of Missouri St. Louis. 2005-2007
Fred Murrell, AIGA Board, Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. 2007–2008
Paul J. Nini, The Ohio State University. 2008–2012
Santiago Piedrafita, North Carolina State University. 2010–2012
Doug Powell, Secretary/Treasurer AIGA Board, 2004–2006
Joseph Quackenbush, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 2006–2008
Liz Resnick, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 2004–2006
Stacie Rohrbach, Carnegie Mellon University. 2007–2011
Louise Sandhaus, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). 2007–2012; Committee Chairperson 2008–2011
Robert P. Sedlack, Jr., University of Notre Dame. 2006–2008
Deborah Shmerler, The University of Tennessee School of Art. Committee Secretary. 2005–2008
Barbara Sudick, California State University, Chico, 2006–2011
Dori Tunstall, University of Chicago, Swinburne University
Melbourne, Australia. 2007–2010
Christopher Vice, Herron School of Art and Design, Indiana University. 2005–2007
Jenn Visocky-O’Grady, Cleveland State University. 2005–2007
Ken Visocky-O’Grady, Kent State University. 2005–2007