Faculty biographies (A–B)

Faculty Bios | A-B | C-F | G-H | J-L | M-N | P-R | S-T | V-Z

Julie M. Abijanac, assistant professor, teaches in Foundation Studies & Media Studies BFA Columbus College of Art and Design. MFA Cranbrook Academy of Art

Martha Allison, assistant professor, interior design, teaches junior and senior level studios, textiles and materials, and technology. Martha has designed with Karlsberger Companies, NBBJ, Design Group, Inc., Gresham Smith & Partners and private consulting. She has also done interior design and project management in the financial, health care, retail, architecture, law, accounting, and restaurant industries.  Projects she has worked on for various firms have won several national and Columbus area awards. She earned a BS in Interior Design from Ohio University; MS in Business from Central Michigan University and is NCIDQ Certified.

Ron Anderson, visual communications adjunct instructor, teaches Saturday Morning Art classes and Oil Painting courses. He was educated at The Ohio State University and at Kent State University majoring in graphic design and illustration. Mr. Anderson exhibits his original oil paintings locally and in New York City including the annual National Black Fine Art show. He has developed a recognizable style of distinctive artwork and continues to devote time to his oil paintings. He has been the recipient of many awards for his artwork, and his commissions have included artwork for the Absolut Vodka Corporation and for the Ohio Statehouse. Visit: www.ronandersonstudio.com.

Margaret M. Armbrust, liberal arts professor, teaches art history. She has exhibited artwork at the Cincinnati Art Directors’ Club, the Columbus Communications Society, and the Ohio Expositions Commission. She has published articles in Art Bulletin, Les Cahiers Naturalistes, Ohioana Quarterly, and numerous art catalogues, including sections in Elijah Pierce, Woodcarver for the Columbus Museum of Art. She earned a BS in advertising design from the University of Cincinnati and an MA and Ph.D. in Art History from The Ohio State University.

Richard Aschenbrand, dean of visual communications, teaches advanced typography and type design, packaging design, portfolio, advertising design, and exhibition design. He is a freelance graphic and package designer and regularly appears as a guest lecturer at area workshops, and often serves as a juror/director at arts festivals and exhibits. Mr. Aschenbrand received a graduate fellowship from Pratt Institute where he studied graphic and packaging design. He received a BFA and MS degree from Pratt Institute.

Charlotte Belland B.F.A. M.F.A., media studies assistant professor, is a passionate artist and educator. She is a proud alumna of The Columbus College of Art and Design, Department of Visual Communications and The Ohio State University, Department of Design, and the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design. Charlotte is dedicated to the art of digital animation and the artistic development of her students. "I believe the computer is just an expensive pencil. It is not the quality of the tool, but the quality of the artist that makes a great animated story.”

David Bennett, visual communications assistant professor, teaches Web design, pre-press production, and various computer design technique classes. He holds a BSID in visual communication design from The Ohio State University and an MS in graphic arts publishing from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has worked in many aspects of the graphic design industry, including designer, computer graphics director, and pre-press technician. He also consults on Web and print graphic projects.

Curtis Benzle, fine arts professor, is the chair of dimensional studies. He teaches ceramics and community art education. He has been awarded fellowships by the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts for his sculptural works in porcelain. He is past board president and executive director of Ohio Designer Craftsmen and has been a trustee of the American Craft Council. His work is included in many public and private collections including the White House, the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He has held residencies at Syracuse University and the Seto Center for Ceramics and Glass in Japan. He has participated in more than 100 solo and group exhibitions throughout the world and has work represented in 20 books on the field of contemporary ceramics. He continues to lecture nationwide on his work, the business of art, and professional practices. In addition to his personal expression, Mr. Benzle also operates a ceramics studio producing porcelain home accessories for gift shops in galleries nationwide. He received a BFA from The Ohio State University and an MA from Northern Illinois University.

Larry Bode, visual communications professor, teaches typography, advertising design, and advanced color. His freelance work has won awards from a number of professional organizations, including the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts. He has BFA degrees from CCAD in both advertising design and illustration.

Carol Boram-Hays, Ph.D., liberal arts adjunct instructor, teaches various history of art survey courses, and upper level classes in modern art, contemporary art, and African art. Her dissertation is entitled "A History of Zulu Beadwork 1890-1997: Its Types, Forms and Functions" and she was awarded her Ph.D. in Art History from The Ohio State University in 2000.

She has published articles about the art of South Africa in the journal African Arts and the book See The Music Hear the Dance: Rethinking African Art at the Baltimore Museum of Art, and on design for Modernism Magazine. She curated the exhibition Bringing Modernism Home: Ohio Decorative Art 1890 - 1960 for the Columbus Museum of Art in 2005 and wrote the accompanying catalog. She also is a part-time Lecturer for the Ohio State University, Delaware Campus.

As a sculptor working with cement and found metal she has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S and Europe, including with the National Association of Women Artists in New York, the A.I.R. Gallery in New York, and the Black and White Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. She has won several national and Ohio area awards, including an artist residency in Dresden, Germany from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. Her work is represented in public and private collections and has been featured in such publications as the New York Times, Landscape Architecture, and Sculpture Magazine. Her degrees are in: AB, Biology, Washington University in St. Louis; MA, History of Art, The Ohio State University; Ph.D., History of Art, The Ohio State University.

Steve Botts, visual communications instructor, teaches application-based computer courses. He graduated with a BFA in Illustration from CCAD in 1970 and has been a successful freelance illustrator for more than 30 years. His client list includes Bank One, Ross Labs, 20th Century Fox, Ohio Historical Society, Warner Communications, Zaner-Bloser, and numerous other educational publishers. He currently illustrates art programs for high-priority college textbooks focusing on education and technology.

David Burghy, foundation studies associate professor, is the foundation studies student advisor. He teaches three-dimensional design, structural drawing, and color concept, and co-authored Structural Drawing and Applications 2nd ed in 1998 & 3rd ed. in 2003. Mr. Burghy specializes in woodworking. His clients include Huntington Bank, Wendy’s Corp., and The Kelton House. He has a BFA in industrial design from CCAD.

Mark A. Burleigh, visual communications assistant professorr, is a freelance graphic designer with an agency background as senior art director and as a packaging graphics designer. He has received honors from a variety of professional organizations that include the Clio Awards and The Canton Advertising Club’s Addy Competition. He currently has works on exhibit with the Detroit Historical Museum, Ohio University, and The Ohio Department of Natural Resources. He recieved a BFA from CCAD.