Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Sample Syllabi

Digital Studio Basics
(aka: Intro to Mac,
Mac Basics, Basic Computer)

Media Design

Visual Design Media (Web)

Teaching Philosophy

My love for the creative field started as I assume most do, finger painting and doodling at a very young age. When other kids were surrounded by action figures, video games, bikes, and sports gear—I was neck high in markers, colored pencils, crayons, and Play-Doh. My obsession for art supplies slowed down after I was lucky enough to be rushed to the emergency room for eating a black crayon. I say lucky because it scared my parents away from buying me those things. I started getting Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, Legos, and the envy of every kid in the neighborhood—Creepy Crawlers Bug Maker.

Throughout my K–12 years of schooling, I was always at the top of my class in math and science, but I also won awards and scholarships for my talents in art. The creative side of me was fighting for face time with my analytical side, a battle that waged until I started my undergraduate degree at Cleveland State University.

My decision to pursue a career in graphic design stems from that battle of creative and analytical skill sets. The design field has proven to be an engaging career path that allowed my battle to subside. As a designer, I use my analytical skill to conduct research, research that informs my creative skill in solving problems.

My experience in design and creative problem solving lead me to a position with Apple as a personal trainer and consultant. I was hired to educate Apple customers on the technological capabilities of their equipment and guide them through their own projects. It was here that my passion for education started.

I learned through my experiences with Apple that education is a never-ending process. People of all ages can always benefit from new knowledge. We’ve all heard the saying “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” In education, I provide students with the information they need to succeed on their own. With a student lead method of teaching, I build in flexibility to my lesson plans to allow for class to be taken in a direction dictated by the student’s needs. I find pushing the students to answer their own questions creates a more rewarding experience for them and higher levels of confidence when they are left to their own devices.

Most of my teaching experience lies within the realm of providing students technical abilities, ones they will utilize with the design skills they gain throughout their academic career. One of the lessons I’ve developed over time is the importance of students making a separation between technical skills and design skills. When students go right to the computer to solve a problem, they’ve already limited the scope of their design by their knowledge of what the software can do for them. The computer is not the designer; the computer is the tool that helps you actualize your design. I stress the importance of sketching and research in every project. Conceptualizing can make or break a design, and an iterative workflow can help work through challenges.

Providing students with feedback is the most important aspect of teaching. Students learn through feedback and constructive criticism. Often I hear about the stress of being in a design program and dealing with the subjective nature of the field. It’s important that students understand why something is not successful, and that they leave critique with an understanding of what they can do to improve.

I maintain an honest class environment that allows students to be open with their opinions and go beyond the “it looks good” type of feedback that helps no one. I encourage students to think about why things work or don’t work and to defend their design decisions beyond “I thought it looked good”. I encourage students to collaborate with each other and often break the class into groups to start a dialogue with those that struggle to be heard in a larger setting.

I ask students to conduct themselves as professionals in the field and articulate their opinions in an educated manner. During final presentations of major projects, I require that students come to class dressed in business casual attire and be prepared to sell their peers on how they solved a design problem.

I appreciate the relationships I’ve made with students and have been fortunate to receive high course evaluations. I love when students reach out to me to get my opinion on upper level school projects or professional client work. There is an indescribable feeling I get when students move on to their careers and thank me for the role I’ve had in molding them into the professionals they have become. I always remind them that I was just there to point them in the right direction; they did all the work.

I look forward to further establishing myself as a design educator where I can continue to grow with the field, embrace new technology, and continue to learn, research, and influence the design community.

Student Work