Assistant Professor of Graphic Design in the Department of Art & Design at East Tennessee State University.

My teaching approach is student-centered and focuses on developing individual designer agency. One where students can find a specific relationship to their work and practice. I work with students to identify: what they are curious about; why they believe certain problems are worth solving; who they want to collaborate or work with; and, how they can use visual communication to elevate and shape their culture.

With all topics, I focus on a design process that translates across medium and application. I emphasize the development of intellectual empathy, investigative research, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, conceptual integrity, aesthetic courage and solutions that seek appropriate, human-centered results.

I ask all students to inject this process with their own personal experience, with the intent of the student learning to become a design practitioner and not merely a service provider. I work alongside and guide students in the development of their own creative process that can transcend the classroom and lead to personal fulfillment and professional success.