College of Fine and Applied Arts

Bernhardt Furniture and HBF Furniture generously donated new commercial lobby and lounge furniture to the Department of Technology for the department’s newly redesigned lobby in Katherine Harper Hall.

The redesign came about to give the lobby area a fresh new look and better represent the technology and design programs that are housed in the building, according to Jeanne Mercer-Ballard, program coordinator for the department’s interior design program. She, along with Kern Maass, assistant professor of Industrial Design, and Chad Everhart, assistant professor of Building Sciences, worked with university design and construction on the redesign.

“The new look better reflects the forward-thinking programs we have in this building,” Mercer-Ballard said. “We also incorporated more gallery space to display student work and provide a more inspirational atmosphere for students.” Bernhardt and HBF are strong supporters of the Department of Technology and its programs.

“We are incredibly grateful to Bernhardt and HBF for giving us their newest introductions in furniture.  Both companies have been strong supporters of our programs and we are thankful for this donation and their support of our future designers,” Mercer-Ballard said. “The students are raving about the new environment and love the laptop tables and lounge chairs.”

Ten students representing the industrial design, interior design, building science and interdisciplinary studies traveled to Costa Rica May 7 for a two week long class on biomimicry-inspired design, and design and culture.

The students were led by Dr. Garner Dewey, assistant professor from the Department of Technology. The students attended classes at Appalachian prior to their departure to learn the theory behind biomimicry, to prepare them for Costa Rica’s culture and to provide some basic foundations on traveling abroad and Spanish.

Once the group arrived at Juan Santamaria’s airport, they were joined by a full-time industrial design student from Veritas University in San José. From there the group traveled to the rural community of La Virgen de Sarapiquí. Here students stayed in very rustic accommodations and were exposed to the richness of Costa Rica’s biodiversity.

Through the work of two service projects, students were also able to apply some of the course content learned in the United States. The first involved the design of a mural for the entry wall of the biological reserve “La Tirimbina.” Students had to quickly gather information about what identified this center from all others and develop an eye catching, professional looking design to enhance this long wall at the entrance of the park.

For the second service project the group worked at a very small and economically disadvantaged elementary school. Here the group repainted the school’s name, national flag and emblems which the harsh tropical climate of the region had cracked and diminished the luster of the colors.

The students also taught the Costa Rican children a few words and phrases in English and played together “fútbol” and “pato-pato-ganzo” (duck-duck-goose). During the stay at “La Tirimbina,” and through the help from some of the staff, they were able to see the elusive White Tent Bat, the Gaudy Leaf Frog (Red Eye Tree Frog) and the Reticulated Glass Frog. The group also experienced – closer than they wanted — a powerful, gut wrenching tropical storm.

“All of these experiences were invaluable for the students to better understand the power and inspiration that nature provides designers, the need to protect our environment, and a new perspective of life fulfillment through design,” said Dr. Dewey.

On Sunday the group traveled back to San José. The group made a stop at “La Paz Waterfall Resort” and quickly visited “Volcán Poas.” On the arrival to San José, students were matched with Costa Rican families and left the comfort of the group to experience life in a local home where little or no English was spoken. During the following four days the students learned about design and “city life.”

The group worked in the labs of Veritas University on their own biomimicry inspired designs. The group also joined a biomimicry design class with Costa Rican students and received presentations by faculty from this university. The group visited downtown San José where the group explored the National Theatre, malls, shops, restaurants and a moderately large woods craft factory. Students saw and some participated in folkloric dances and saw first hand how international influences in particular from the United States are rapidly permeating Costa Rica’s life. At the end of this city experience students were able to present to Costa Rican students and faculty their biomimicry designs and projects.

For the last part of the course the group experienced the design world of the “tourist.” The students traveled to Zarcero to visit the local park where topiary art makes this small town well know in Costa Rica. They then continued to “Volcán Arenal,” the most active and impressive volcano in the country. They visited Baldí, a hot spring resort in the foothills of the volcano. Students were able to see how natural surroundings and open structures are used for the competitive tourist industry in this small Central American nation.

The following morning the students traveled on a ferryboat to the province of Guanacaste to visit an all inclusive resort in the beach of Tambor. Here they were able to study the designs of this resort and analyze this façade representative of what many tourists perceive to be Costa Rica. The following day the group experienced biodiversity from under the water as they were taken snorkeling near the Island of Tortuga. Here the students were exposed to natural designs gleaming with motion, brilliant colors and life. On the way back to the resort, the group had the rare opportunity of seeing Howler Monkeys and White-throated Capuchin interact in the National Reserve of Curú. The next day we returned to San José to stay for one more night and to say “hasta luego” to the student’s new Costa Rican families.

“As a professor who strongly believes in international experiences, this was a wonderful opportunity to have students explore the richness and potential that is found in nature and the power in human compassion,” said Dr. Dewey. “This particular group bonded incredibly. The student from Veritas was taken in like by the group so well that she has decided to come to ASU for one semester as a study abroad student. I also returned very inspired to continue with international programs and to perhaps work more cooperatively with other ASU programs such as art, biology, languages, and anthropology in these endeavors. I feel that I have gained wonderful friends through these students and look forward to seeing how biomimicry and a consciousness related to culture and ethics will impact their future careers as professional designers and world citizens.”

Technical Photography professor Mark Malloy led 14 interior design and technical photography students in a 17-day European Studies Program. 

Students visited London, Paris, Lucern, Switzerland, Italy (Florence, Pisa, Rome, and Sorrento) and Greece (Athens and Meteora Region). The intent was to provide a program that was interdisciplinary in nature to facilitate student experiences that apply to their individual programs and disciplines (e.g., interior design, architecture, technical photography and/or art). Students had the opportunity to explore European history and culture within the context of their fields of study. 

Select locations of interest that were visited include: Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Mount Pilatus, the Duomo, Assisi Basillica, Vatican City, Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Basillica, Colosseum, Pompeii, Meteora Monasteries, Delphi, and the Acropolis.

Students taking the trip were Joanna Nethery, Nancy Miller, AmandaTueting, Brittany Mellow, Celia Thurman, Katie Bradley, Ashley Bullman, Carlin Traugott-Campbell, Corey Pitz, Cheryl Sloan, Preston (Ash) Moss, Jessica Martin, Garrett Price and Athena Kroustalis. 

Dr. Janice Pope, professor of communication, has been appointed interim chair of the Department of Communication, effective July 2. She is currently the assistant chair of the department.

Dr. Pope has been a member of the communication faculty since 1995 focusing on the public relations sequence, research and service and has served as an associate member of the graduate faculty. She has a Ph.D. in mass communication, a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of arts in public relations with a minor in sociology, all from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Dr. Pope steps into the position held by Dr. Glenda Treadaway, who has been named interim dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts.

“I look forward to serving the faculty of our department as the interim chair,” said Dr. Pope. “Our department has much to be proud of.  I will also work to sustain Glenda’s many positive initiatives.”

Dr. Pope also was selected for the ACT Faculty Fellows program for Spring 2007 and was named the College of Fine and Applied Arts Outstanding Faculty Award winner in 2006. She also received the Student Government Association Outstanding Teacher Award for the College of Fine and Applied Arts in 1998. She served as the Department of Communication Honor’s Program director from 2006-2007 and was co-director of Appalachian’s Summer Reading Program from Fall 2004 to 2006 and a committee member from Fall 1999 to present.

Dr. Glenda Treadaway has been named interim dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at Appalachian State University, Provost Stan Aeschleman announced today.

Treadaway replaces Dr. Mark Estepp, who is leaving the position to become president of Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Va. Treadaway has been chair of the Department of Communication at Appalachian since June 2005.

“Dr. Treadaway has exhibited the range of administrative and interpersonal skills that are crucial in working with a college comprising such diverse academic disciplines as the College of Fine and Applied Arts,” Aeschleman said. “She has gained the respect, not only of her colleagues in her department, but those across campus through her leadership on various university committees and councils.”

The College of Fine and Applied Arts is home to the Department of Art, Department of Communication, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science, Department of Military Science and Leadership, Department of Nursing, Department of Technology and Department of Theatre and Dance.

“I am honored to be selected to fill this role,” said Treadaway. “We have many exciting programs and activities happening, and I look forward to working with the faculty to further the goals of the departments and the college.”

Treadaway holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric from Ohio University, a master of arts degree in speech communication from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor of science degree in human services from Wingate College.