Sue Vessella Named Interim Dean of Woodbury University's School of Media, Culture & Design

LOS ANGELES, July 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Woodbury University today named Sue Vessella Interim Dean of the School of Media, Culture & Design.  Vessella replaces Edward Clift, Ph.D., outgoing dean of the School, who was recently named President of Brooks Institute.  Formerly Associate Dean of MCD and Chair of the Graphic Design department since 2005, Vessella has also been Director of Educational Effectiveness, and has established processes for learning outcomes alignment throughout the university.

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A recognized authority in graphic design, Vessella has presented papers and lectured at both international and national design, educational, and administrative conferences, on topics including interdisciplinary pedagogy, educational assessment, social responsibility in design, and assessment in the arts.   She has taught courses in Typography, Graphic Design, Professional Practice, Package Design, Portfolio Presentation, Advertising, Identity Design, Environmental Graphics, Design Elements, and Color Theory.  Her work, "A Case Study of an Innovative Graphic Design Curriculum Focusing on Social Responsibility," has been published in Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal.

"Sue Vessella has been an energetic, inspirational leader of the Graphic Design Department, and we look forward to her bringing that enthusiasm and talent to MCD as a whole," said David Dauwalder, PhD., Interim President, Woodbury University.  "Just as the School encompasses so many complementary disciplines, so Sue's professional experience and academic credentials reflect that sensibility."

Under Vessella's leadership, Woodbury's Graphic Design Department experienced a record year during 2014-2015.  Graphic Design students won 15 Design Merit Awards in the 2015 International New Talent competition sponsored by Graphis, The International Journal of Visual Communication in the largest single group recognition in the Graphic Design Department's history.  The International Design Awards also named a Woodbury Graphic Design student as the Emerging Graphic Designer of the Year.  Separately, in its April edition, design news magazine Graphic Design USA named Woodbury's Graphic Design program to its 2015 "Top Design Schools" listing.  In February, four Woodbury graphic design students were named winners of the 2015 American Package Design Awards, sponsored by Graphic Design USA, bringing the total number of awards received by students enrolled in the university's Graphic Design program to more than 60 since 2009.

Both an educator and award-winning designer, Vessella has been a creative director for national companies, working in the area of identity design and restaurant merchandising. Vessella specializes in corporate identity systems and information graphics, and occasionally works in the area of environmental graphic design.  With a background in advertising, publishing, marketing, and public relations, she has designed promotional material for numerous companies including NBC Sports, The Los Angeles Zoo, Orion Pictures, Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, The City of Beverly Hills, Blair Entertainment, Numero Uno Restaurants, and Caesar's Palace and Casino.

Vessella is a member of the AIGA, American Institute of Graphic Arts, and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Environmental Graphic Design, in the areas of signage and wayfinding systems, from California State University, Los Angeles.  She obtained a B.A. in Art 2D/Graphic Design from California State University, Northridge.

About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. Woodbury offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Transdisciplinarity, along with a Master of Arts (MA) in Media for Social Justice, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Interior Architecture (MIA), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), and Master of Leadership. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degrees, as well as an MSArch degree with concentrations in Real Estate Development and Landscape + Urbanism. Woodbury ranks 15^th among the nation's "25 Colleges That Add the Most Value," according to Money Magazine. Visit www.woodbury.edu for more information.

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SOURCE Woodbury University

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