As the former Executive Director (and Graduate Director) of the School of Graphic Design, I managed one of the largest design programs in the country — comprised of hundreds of students from around the world, and dozens of instructors from throughout the profession — in one of the world's great creative capitals.
Academic Experience
Executive Director, School of Graphic Design and Digital Media
Academy of Art University / San Francisco
2017–2023
The Academy of Art University is the largest private, accredited, art and design university in the US. Physically located in San Francisco, the university also has an extensive, global online program whose structure and curriculum mirrors the onsite schools of art and design. As Executive Director I was responsible for maintaining the quality of the overall student experience and leading the sprawling team of full- and part-time faculty teaching in both modalities. At its peak, the School of Graphic Design accommodated over 1400 students, both from and located around the world.
The role required a thorough understanding of design (as a practice and as an industry), online learning (opportunities and challenges), problem-solving (applied to a wide range of issues), and personnel management along with extensive content development and outreach. Responsibilities included:
- Strategic planning and implementation
- Teaching (at all levels, in a wide range of subjects across both modalities)
- Curriculum development and coordination (including development of rich media, and the ongoing synchronization of onsite and online course curriculum)
- Coordinating with the Executive Office, Online Education, other schools and support departments within the university (English for Art Purposes, advising, industry relations, Academic Resource Center, library, marketing, IT)
- Faculty recruitment, management, and evaluation
- Academic Leadership (Academic Steering Committee, Technology Subcommittee)
- Program review and assessment (WASC, NASAD)
- Budget management
- Content development
- Chairing student review committees
- Resolving academic honesty, and disciplinary matters and monitoring at-risk students
- Industry outreach (partnerships, scholarships, placement and internships, presentations, student advising, advisory panels, guest speakers, alumni community, visitors, tours, AIGA)
- Marketing and advertising programs and initiatives (gallery websites, blog posts, student publications, media partnerships, ad placement)
- Social media (content creation and management)
- Event programming, promotion, and management (portfolio reviews, shows, sprints, socials, panels)
- Facilities management (hallway and window display cases and monitors, departmental signage, touring exhibitions)
- Special projects (SFFD, Five Keys, Urban Forest, Boisset, Design Ignites Change, GOOD)
Graduate Director, School of Graphic Design and Digital Media
Academy of Art University / San Francisco
2004–2017
I began my time at the Academy as the Graduate Director for the School of Graphic Design. In addition to much of what is cited above, in this capacity I had additional specific responsibilities:
- Graduate student mentoring and supervision
- Thesis project inception and development
- Advanced curriculum development
Chalkboard artwork courtesy Chad Cameron (MFA, Class of 2008)
Anvil photo courtesy Jock McDonald
Phil Hamlett and (Director Emerita) Mary Scott photo courtesy Sean McGuire (BFA, Class of 2006)
