As IUPUI kicks off another academic year, Herron School of Art and Design welcomes four new faculty members and congratulates nine individuals on notable appointments and promotions.
Outlined below are the additions and changes to Herron's exceptional faculty cohort, who will advance the school's mission and its academic excellence under the leadership of Dean Nan Goggin.
FACULTY HIRES
From Southwestern College in Santa Fe, N.M., Heather Leigh joins Herron as the inaugural Cindy Simon Skjodt Chair in Art Therapy and an associate professor. In this role, Leigh will work closely with faculty and staff on curriculum development and implementation while teaching and pursuing research with prominence and distinction. A board-certified art therapist, licensed professional art therapist, and licensed professional clinical counselor, Leigh holds an M.A. in counseling psychology in art therapy from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Ill., and a doctorate in art therapy from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wis.
Asli Narin joins Herron as a visiting lecturer in photography and visual communication design from Istanbul, Turkey, where she taught at Kadir Has University from 2010 to 2018. Narin holds a B.A. in visual arts and communication design from Sabanci University in Istanbul, Turkey, and an M.A. in image and communication from Goldsmiths, University of London. She has exhibited internationally in Istanbul, South Korea, Bahrain, London, and New York. Narin is completing a Ph.D. in proficiency in arts from Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul.
Megan Van Meter joins Herron's graduate art therapy program as a visiting assistant professor. She comes to the school from Austin, Texas, with over 25 years of field experience as a board-certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor with an art therapy specialty designation and supervisor status. In 2010, she founded ABCs for Therapists, a small business with the purpose of providing arts-based professional development, consulting services, and continuing education to mental health professional in the Austin, Texas area. Van Meter holds a B.A. in art and psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an M.A. in art therapy from the University of Louisville.
Indianapolis native Steven Williams joins Herron as a visiting lecturer in visual communication design from The Art Institute of Indianapolis, where he held a faculty position for 12 years. He has taught a wide array of courses, from color theory to portfolio preparation and everything in between. In addition to teaching, designing, and art directing, Williams is an Army veteran with 11 years of service. He holds a B.A. in graphic design from Indiana University and an MFA in advertising and art direction from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Calif.
FACULTY APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS
Newly endowed professorships have been named to Greg Hull, the Valerie Eickmeier Professor in Sculpture, who also takes over the reins as fine arts department chair; Danielle Riede, the Randolph H. Deer Professor in Painting; and Cory Robinson, the George and Diane Seybert Professor in Furniture Design. The endowed professorships are held by each faculty member for a five-year term.
Faculty members who changed positions are Greg Hull and Eric Nordgulen, who are both promoted to professor; Aaron Ganci and Laura Holzman, who are awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor; Gurkan Mihci, who are promoted to assistant professor; assistant professor Eileen Misluk, who is the new director of art therapy, replacing Juliet King; Patrick Kinsman, who is now senior lecturer in art history; and Danielle Riede takes over as director of graduate programs for the MFA in visual arts.
