Bio

I am a practicing designer, entrepreneur, and educator. Upon completing my undergraduate studies at The University of Pittsburgh I was hired as a Visual Communication Designer on Nationwide's Usability and Design Team. While at Nationwide I contributed to the design and usability of their client-facing websites as well as their agent-facing applications. As lead designer and developer of the Usability and Design Learning Tool, I helped to create a screen-based application that employees interacted with to learn more about design and usability issues.

Additionally, I functioned as a freelance designer creating various interactive and branding pieces for numerous businesses. I also launched and maintained a local events website for six years called The UrbanStarr which provided users a resource for finding out what was going on socially in the city of Columbus. The UrbanStarr was one of the first websites of its kind to offer streaming music and video to its users as well as widget-based functionality.

After seven years at Nationwide, I decided to attend The Ohio State University to pursue my Master of Fine Arts. In addition to coursework and teaching, I contributed to "Midnight Robbers", an exhibit focused on the artists of Notting Hill Carnival, a collaborative effort between Middlesex University (Adela Ruth Tompsett, Theatre) and Ohio State (Lesley Ferris, Theatre & R. Brian Stone, Design). The exhibit had an interactive component that allowed patrons to experience Carnival beyond the displayed pictures and costumes. As lead programmer, I traveled to the UK in three subsequent years for research, interactive testing, and eventual implementation in London's City Hall, the (inaugural) home of the Midnight Robbers exhibit.

My thesis study revolved around branding, specifically why and how a designer's business model and an athlete's value can be expanded to help increase the value of both individuals and their skill sets. I played division I baseball at the University of Pittsburgh and was also a starting high school quarterback. Combining my two primary passions, creativity and sports, I wanted to research how designers could help and benefit from working with athletes at varying levels.

I have taught at The Ohio State University, Columbus State Community College, and Florida Atlantic University. I was a full-time professor at Florida A&M University's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication for five years and spent about three years tasked with developing and teaching online design courses at Digital Media Arts College. Currently I am a professor in the College of Communication & Design at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. I am also the Brand Manager for Flat Out of Heels and UI/UX & Branding Lead for ERinfo