Academia – Academia has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. Not only have I witnessed this change, but I know enjoy the vantage point of comparing the UK academic system with that of the United States. Practices and procedures are radically different, with a lot of ‘best practice’ I can bring to the US for the good of both the students and the faculty.

Either way, I hope to provide well organized classes that enhance the student learning experience and prepare them for life long learning and employment.

With a digital savvy customer, I try to provide solutions that complement that experience via KU’s own systems (eg Blackboard VLE) and other readily available systems (eg OneNote, Twitter etc)

A moving target…

As with any discipline, design requires one to be constantly evaluating what is happening in the ‘real world’

Key areas of interest for myself are:

Industrial Design – advances in materials and production technology, legislation, environmental and social factors all influence ‘industrial design.’ One needs to be ‘tuned’ and alert to these changes. Consequently, I ‘read’ a lot of web based technology articles and disseminate these to student groups where appropriate.

Rendering / Computer Modelling– The use of computers to both model and visualize products has been a fascination of mine since the early 1990’s. With hardware developments and software changes (version changes and new approaches) this is a demanding / challenging role.

Photoshop and graphic design packages change at a minimalistic level year to year.

Rendering hardware and software advances at a tremendous rate by comparison. Its a steep learning curve – and one which requires a lot of personal time investment if one is to remain proficient.

My access to the Spheron hardware and company contacts support that interest and keep me informed of changes.