26 Mar

Posted at 22:27h in Teaching Adventures

I recently organized a five-day field study to Abu Dhabi to help students learn about community outreach from a professional and regional standpoint. The trip was SO MUCH FUN! It was co-chaperoned with Maryam Al-Homaid and involved attending the Riwak al Fikr event, visiting the Emirates Palace, Sheikh Zayed Mosque, and Alserkal Avenue. I wish I had a little more time right now to post pictures of all of our...

06 Nov

Posted at 20:55h in Teaching Adventures

This October, four outstanding Graphic Design students accompanied me on a field study to Minneapolis (Minnesota) to participate in the “AASHE 2015 Conference and Expo: Transforming Sustainability Education.” ASSHE is dedicated to creating a diverse community that is engaged in sharing ideas and promising practices that demonstrate the value and competitive edge created by sustainability initiatives. Drawing approximately 2,100 participants, the conference is currently the largest stage in North America for...

19 Apr

Posted at 20:12h in Teaching Adventures

Our Imaging 2 class recently went on a field trip to the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) to view the Marvelous Creatures Exhibition (March 4 - July 31). The exhibition was a perfect introduction to the storytelling behind character design and helped guide the design process for the development of 3-D characters (our current project). The Marvelous Creatures Exhibit: Animal Fables in Islamic Art The exhibition focused on the real and mythical...

25 Mar

Posted at 14:06h in Teaching Adventures

An important component of the 2014-2015 academic year was the Tasmeem Doha biennial international conference (held from March 8-12). The 2015 edition focused on the theme of "playfulness" as expressed by the Arabizi word 3ajeeb! (ahh-jhee-b) meaning "strange in a strange way, cool in a cool way, and slightly weird in a slightly weird way." The conference featured several distinct programs that coalesced into five days of exhibitions, events, and happenings. The...

06 Mar

Posted at 13:45h in Teaching Adventures

In February 2015, sixteen graphic design students participated in a field study to South Korea for nine days, which encompassed an investigation of design and culture in various important locations. This enriching experience, which mostly took place in Seoul, was an important opportunity for students to develop their critical thinking and cultural understanding skills as well as investigate various aspects of Korean culture. Students were introduced to important points of contrast...

10 Feb

Posted at 10:58h in Teaching Adventures

We discovered another side of Qatar this February as we toured the sprawling estate of the Al Naimi Farm during our in-country field study. As part of the trip, we witnessed first-hand the different stages of plant growth, from the vegetative phase of plant development to flowering, from tomato saplings to ripe capsicums. The farmers also introduced our group to local farming processes, including adding fertilizers to the irrigation water and the...

25 Jan

Posted at 12:48h in Teaching Adventures

The Senior graphic design students certainly delivered a fabulous location for the Department’s biannual in-country field study. Serving as the primary organizers of the trip, the students led the Department in a Bedouin-style adventure to discover Qatari culture through food, activities, and customs. [gallery columns="2" link="none" size="full" ids="7742,7743,7741,7744"] The windy day began with a safari ride into the heart of the desert, a landscape where sand dunes roll into the ocean. It's poetry...

07 May

Posted at 20:46h in Teaching Adventures

Last week, our Design for Social Change class boarded a bus early in the morning as part of a day-long adventure to Al Ain, UAE. The goal? To study a living oasis and understand approaches to sustainability using local resources. As part of the trip, we visited the Al Jahili Fort and a fresh-water spring in one of the seven breathtaking oases of Al Ain. We also visited a camel...

23 Mar

Posted at 17:49h in Teaching Adventures

The Department had a great time at the official press/VIP launch of ISEA Dubai 2014 in Main courtyard at Al Fahidi SIKKA this evening. The event started at 4pm with guests arriving to enjoy delicious canapés. At 5pm there was a 1 hour talk with ISEA Board Director Sue Gollifer, Elizabeth Monoian, and Janet Bellotto sharing the exciting vision for ISEA (International Symposium of Electronic Art) that will take place...

13 Oct

Posted at 11:42h in Teaching Adventures

During our (field)trip to Tashkeel today, we were fortunate to catch Assistant Professor Colleen Quigley in action as she taught a wood-firing pottery workshop in the courtyard. We joined the group as pottery pieces were being pulled from a large barrel, one at a time, with the smoldering wood still blowing in the air. The process created a wide range of results including rich deeply-baked pieces, to soft cream-colored pottery. Check...

08 May

Posted at 13:09h in Teaching Adventures

In preparation for my first trip to Qatar, I went to my local bank to exchange a small amount of American currency for Qatari Riyal (the Qatari currency). As you might have gathered from the pictures below, I think it's beautiful. There are denominations in notes of QAR 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 with English on one side, and Arabic on the other. With the U.S. currency so humdrum...