Teaching
Since 2010, I have been a member of the faculty in Industrial Design at Appalachian State University where I maintain a full-time teaching load, continue to research and publish, and serve my academic community through committee work and creative projects.
Regular Courses Taught
IND1401 - Product Design
This is a freshman-level General Education course, introducing students from multiple disciplines to the profession and practice of Product Design.
IND2010 - CADD2
Sophomore-level computer-aided-design course focused on introducting 3D modeling using Rhino3D software.
IND4711 - Product Design Studio III
The first senior-level design studio, usually focused on a semester-long project to launch a new product.
IND4711 - Product Design Studio IV
The final studio course in the undergraduate sequence, usually an independently-defined project for each student to move towards their chosen professional path.
Other courses and special projects:
AppLab (2017, 2018) - this was a multi-disciplinary project-based learning lab, which I co-directed with Dr. Mark Lewis in the Management Dept. We led students through a design-thinking approach, guided by faculty from 5 different departments, as they tackled wicked real-world problems.
Thinkering (2018) - this was a multi-disciplinary course I co-developed under an Innovative Faculty Grant with Frankie Flood. We facilitated 5 faculty using a workshop approach to introduce students to digital design and fabrication technology, then used that technology and design-thinking methodology in a final group project.
Grasshopper3D (2020) - this was an advanced CAD class I taught to introduce students to procedural modeling using Grasshopper3D, a plugin for Rhino3D.
Workshops
Outside of AppState, I occasionally teach craft and design workshops at craft schools, or at other universities.
Example Workshops:
Making a Spectacle workshop, Penland School of Craft, Summer 2021
Grasshopper3D workshop, Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft, Summer 2021
Modular Organic Systems workshop, Miami University, 2014
Writing / Publishing
I regularly publish and present at international conferences. Some recent papers:
Design in Context. Visual paper published by the Design Society, 2020.
Leading Co-creation in Multi-disciplinary Applied Projects. Co-authored with M.Lewis and D.Laperre. Design Society and Institute for Engineering Designers, 2019.
Student Design Entrepreneurship – from concept to retail in 90 days. Design Society and Institute for Engineering Designers, 2015.
Managing and Fostering Creativity: an integrated approach. Co-authored with M.Lewis. International Journal of Management Education, 11/2014.
Teaching Statement
Support, Empathy, & Vision
We are constantly renegotiating our understanding of ourselves and the world around us through a process of accumulated interaction. In many ways, mental abilities are developed like physical skills – through repetition, guided practice, and regular effort to extend capacity. Joyful effort leads to positive growth, and research has shown that brain cells can regenerate with regular physical exercise, but only when done with enjoyment. Ideally, a teacher can keep things positive and encouraging, supporting that same kind of growth.
In that growth process, our neural networks expand by mapping the connections between the known and the new. I see my role as an educator as a guide and advisor, helping to map and nudge students towards those connections, encouraging a reach into the unknown. Since each person bears a unique history and cognitive/emotional system, an effective educator must be empathetic and capable of approaching a subject from multiple vantages, helping each individual build the capacity make their next step.
As students pass through the gateway of academia, they bridge the hemispheres of tradition and change. Leading by example, an educator is responsible for demonstrating a thorough understanding of the history and an embrace of the future, pushing the traditions to adapt and thrive.