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News from the Interior Design Program

The Interior Design Program has welcomed former associate professor Mary Beth Robinson back to the college. Robinson will begin the fall 2009 semester as a full-time professor. Another new addition to the faculty is Ryann Aoukar, an outstanding design professional from New York. In additional news, search for a new Chair of the Interior Design program remains open and the college would like to hear from any who are interested.

Mary Beth Robinson has taught for the Interior Design Program in one capacity or another for many years. She joined the college last year as an adjunct faculty after leaving her tenure-track position as an associate professor two years ago due to health problems. She has returned this year, full-time, to the faculty.

"Mary Beth brings exceptional teaching experience to the program and we are excited to welcome her back full-time," said Barbara Klinkhammer, interim chair of the program.

Robinson has led the program in the past and prior to coming to the College of Architecture and Design in 2002 served as the interim program chair at the American InterContinental University in Atlanta. Robinson also has taught at Brenau University, Georgia and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Robinson holds a Master of Science in Design from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Tennessee. Her research and scholarship focuses on Environmental Psychology. She is teaching ID 200 Human Environments and the third year design studio.

Ryann Aoukar joins the Interior Design Program from New York for the next academic year.

Aoukar has twelve plus years of professional experience as an interior designer with Gensler and Associates and has worked as the lead interior designer for Rem Koolhaas, OMA, Rotterdam.

"Ryann is one of the most outstanding professionals in the field and we are exited that he has joined our faculty," Klinkhammer said.

Aoukar has a five-year Bachelor in Interior Design degree from the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Beirut and a Master's in Product Design from the Ecole Supérieure d¹Art et Design in Reims, France.

His experience spans from large corporate designs, to hospitality and residential design. He taught previously in Reims and New York. He is teaching fourth year studio and computer applications for interior design students. Courses for the spring semester will be determined later.

Despite great efforts, the interior design program unfortunately was not able to fill the position for the Chair of the Interior Design Program. The search will remain open and the search committee will continue to actively seek applicants for the position. As applicants will be invited for campus interviews, the college will continue to seek the input of the faculty on any of the invited candidates.

"It is important that this process to be as open and transparent as possible," said Interim Chair Barbara Klinkhammer. "We hope that the faculty, students and alumni will continue to support our efforts to recruit an exceptional individual as chair for the program. At the request of the dean, I will continue to serve as interim chair of the program until the position is filled."

Klinkhammer joined the college faculty in 1999 prior to teaching for five years at the Bauhaus University in Germany, where she taught design studio and courses in interior design. She currently serves as the associate dean of the college and interim chair for the Interior Design Program.

Klinkhammer's research focuses on color in modern design with particular emphasis on Le Corbusier's work. She holds a European Master's in Architecture and worked for several years as a professional bridging the two disciplines of architecture and interior design. Her professional interior design work has been rewarded by the German Interior Architects Association (BDIA). For the last ten years, Klinkhammer has been teaching the ID 221 Color Theory course in the Interior Design Program.

If you are interested in learning more about the Chair of the Interior Design Program position, please call 974-5267.