Faculty biographies (P–R)

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

C.F. Payne, visual communication instructor, is the chair of the illustration department. Payne has a distinctive illustrative style, which has earned him the reputation as Norman Rockwell’s successor. The Cincinnati native has a prolific career largely working with U.S. magazines such as Time, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times Book Review, and Mad Magazine. In August 2003, he became a regular contributor to Reader's Digest, illsutrating their back covers. Mr. Payne has shown in many exhibitions and juried national shows. He has done murals, served on boards for illustrators’ organizations, and won numerous national awards. Mr. Payne also illustrated children’s books, including True Heart, written by Marissa Moss as well as Micawber and The Remarkable Farkle McBride written by television and movie star John Lithgow.

Keith Pepperell, liberal arts adjunct instructor, has published numerous articles on human rights issues, foundations of education, and political philosophy. Dr. Pepperell also performs as a national touring comedian and appears regularly on TV and radio as well as in comedy clubs throughout the U.S. and Great Britain. Dr. Pepperell received an LLB from Leeds University, and MPHIL from Sussex University, an MA from the University of Western Ontario, and an MED and Ph.D. from Ohio University. He is writing a book on privacy.

Tamara Peterson, foundation studies associate professor, teaches 2D design, color theory, and watercolor. Her richly detailed still life paintings have been exhibited in numerous regional, national, and international juried exhibitions including the Midyear Exhibition at the Butler Institute of American Art.  She has worked as a graphic designer, gallery administrator, exhibition preparator, and theatrical scenic artist. Ms. Peterson received a BFA in Painting from CCAD and an MFA in Painting from Ohio University. She has taught at CCAD since 1986. 

Kon Petrochuk, media studies professor, teaches film, video, photography, and digital video. He has screened work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Cinematheque in San Francisco, and the Contemporary Media Center in Dayton. His major projects include If I Scratch, If I Write, a 16mm film about Cleveland poet, d.a. levy, and Two Unknown Photographers, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival and Maryland Film Festival. Mr. Petrochuk received an MA in film from Kent State University and an MFA in conceptual design from San Francisco State University.

Richard Petry, dean of media studies, received his MFA in photography from The Tyler School of Art, and his BA in Philosophy and History of Science. He has worked in both commercial and fine art photography, as well as film, performance, and sculpture. He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Ohio Arts Council Fellowship, and a Greater Columbus Arts Council Individual Artist Grant. He has exhibited throughout the U.S. as well as in Europe and India. His images are part of the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Columbus Museum of Art, The Ohio State University, and numerous private and corporate collections. Most recently Dean Petry has been producing films for dance performances and video.

Evangelia Philippidis, visual communications adjunct instructor, has a powerful style of illustration inspired by her Greek heritage. Ms. Philippidis, a CCAD alumna, is a full-time designer/illustrator for The Columbus Dispatch — where she has created several award-winning illustrations. She also owns an illustration and design studio, Silver Moon Graphics. Her scratchboard technique is bold, reflects architectural influences, and displays the artist’s penchant for storytelling. Ms. Philippidis moved from Athens, Greece, to the United States when she was only 9 years old. Though she has made her home in Ohio, she has gone on several pilgrimages to her native land and in her own words, “came face to face with the true object of my art: the Greek icon.”

Djahangir Pirasteh, fine arts professor, teaches drawing, painting, watercolor, and anatomy. Mr. Pirasteh has exhibited his work in numerous solo and group shows in the U.S. and internationally, including the annual conference of the Center for Iranian Research and Analysis; Villanova University (which received international mention), and St. Cloud State University in Minnesota (which received an honorable award and earned him membership to the President’s Club). He has also been commissioned by and donated to various private and public institutions, and has served as a judge for numerous art competitions. He holds AA, BA, and MA degrees from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin.

Julie Posey, liberal arts assistant professor, teaches human biology, ecology, general science, and physics. Ms. Posey has introduced dissection to CCAD students, with detailed discussions on topics including the eyes, heart, and brain. Ms. Posey received her BS from The Ohio State University and her MS in pharmacology from the University of Toledo. She recently published an article in the Journal of Biochemical Pharmacology and published two manuals for advanced physiology and general anatomy for Columbus Sate Community College.

Peter Rasmussen, fine arts associate professor, teaches sculpture. He has exhibited his work in shows and juried exhibitions around the country. His work is included in a number of public and private collections, including the Smithsonian Air and Space Collection, Yonkin Center, and Riffe Center Collection. He has served as consultant to the Wexner Center for the Arts and Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Rasmussen has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and an MFA from Carnegie-Mellon University.

Thomas Richner, media studies assistant professor, teaches animation I, and time-based media design.  Mr. Richner began working on The Simpsons during graduate school, spending six seasons on the show as a layout artist and timer. His animated films have been screened in festivals around the country and on PBS channels on television. He is a consultant for EA Games in Redwood City, CA. Mr. Richner received his BFA from Denison University and MFA from UCLA/School of Theatre, Film and Television/The Animation Workshop.

Tim Rietenbach, professor, Chair of Foundation Studies and Director of student Exhibitions, received a BFA from CCAD and an MFA from The Ohio State University. Mr. Rietenbach is the recipient of several Individual Artist grants from The Ohio Arts Council and the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

Neil Riley, fine arts associate professor, teaches painting and drawing. Mr. Riley received a BFA from the Maryland Institute of Art and an MFA from Boston University. His awards include a Fullbright Fellowship to Italy and a residency at the Klots Chateau in Rochefort-en-Tere, France.

Robert Robbins, fine arts associate professor, teaches painting and drawing. He received a BFA from CCAD and an MFA from Yale University. He has exhibited in the U.S. and abroad, and he has received numerous fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council and the Greater Columbus Arts Council. He has been a Jean and Louis Dreyfus Fellow at the MacDowell Colony and he participated in residencies at the MacDowell Colony and at the Klots Chateau in Rochefort-en-Tere, France. He is currently represented by Sears-Peyton Gallery, New York City. Visit Mr. Robbin's Web site: http://www.wideopenwest.com/ ~rrobbins9058/rrobbins.html

Tracy Robbins, media studies assistant professor, teaches interactive design, digital imaging, experimental animation, and time-based media design (storyboarding). She earned a BFA in painting from the Art Academy of Cincinnati and an MFA in electronic arts from the University of Cincinnati. Ms. Robbins has been awarded several grants and has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally. Her CD-ROM-based art has been published for The European Media Arts Festival and SIGGRAPH. She has been an artist-in-residence in the Ohio Arts Council’s Art in Education program, collaborating with school children throughout Ohio.

Bruce Robinson, fine arts professor, holds a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MFA from Indiana University. His works have appeared in numerous regional and national juried shows. He traveled to Dresden, Germany, in 1997 to exhibit his work in an exhibition celebrating the fifth anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Columbus and Dresden.