Education
Education is a never ending process. A person is continually learning new subjects, skills, techniques, understandings, and on and on. Stopping begins a process of stagnation or regression of one's life.
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Universities attended:
University of Houston
Ph.D. Curriculum & Instruction (in progress)
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I am currently a student at the University of Houston working on my Ph.D. My focus is on art education with my research exploring the integration of art within STEAM programming in an urban school environment. I hope to show ways to improve both the value of art on campus and the student achievements due to skills art education has to offer all students.
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University of Houston - Clear Lake
M.A. Digital Media 2010
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I have my Masters in Digital Media from the University of Houston - Clear Lake Campus. Completed in 2010. This course work covered both using a variety of digital mediums and how media integrates with society and its impact and potential for the future.
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Texas Christian University
B.F.A. Communication Graphics 1992
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I earned by BFA in Communication Graphics from Texas Christian University (TCU) in 1992. My minor was in General Business. This was a traditional commercial or graphic design program with a focus on the art and the methods of communication it influenced. It involved strong art and design foundations and well rounded commercial art classes that carry on to today's computer environment.
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Continuing Education attended:
Adjunct Training Certification
Photoshop World Conferences
NAPP/Kelby One Seminars
Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning
Experience
My work experience covers over 20 years of graphic design experience before going into teaching. To date, I have been teaching for over 10 years and am currently teaching several college courses in design. During these years, I have also maintained my photography and design skills through freelance projects..
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I am comfortable on many different software packages and applications for teaching and graphic design. More than that, I am able to project manage and develop educational courses that meet the needs of students entering the workforce. Providing students or clients with what will benefit them is a focus of my work in the past, present and future.
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Adobe Creative Suite
Microsoft Office
Mac and PC computers
Curriculum development
Project design
Project management
Budgeting
Teaching
I have taught college level classes since January of 2012 at Lonestar College - Kingwood and the Art Institute of Houston. This includes developing and teaching approximately 30 different classes from first year to senior level for graphic design, photography, and media students. In addition to teaching, I have spent time with efforts to improve the campus and with student activities.
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I enjoy guiding students and other designers in developing a high standard of work, learning to work within deadlines and project guidelines, and developing creative solutions to their projects.
Graphic Design and Photography
Prior to teaching, I worked for the Space Shuttle Program through a NASA subcontractor, United Space Alliance. For 8 years, until the closure of the Shuttle program. I worked on numerous design and photography projects in support of the Shuttle and International Space Station programs.
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This work required managing multiple projects for both internal and external clients, creative problem-solving skills, meeting project deadlines, and working within government guidelines in many cases.
Early Graphic Design Positions
After graduating with my first degree, I worked for multiple companies leading up to the USA position. These include 2 years with RE/MAX of Texas, 5 years at JetFill, and 2 more years and General Solutions. All the positions were providing graphic design and photography services that ranged from newsletters, packaging, advertisements, and technical forms. This includes activities from project conception through the final production phases.
