College of Fine Arts and Design

Larry Hefner, Graphic Design Chair

lhefner@uco.edu

Larry Hefner received his Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Oklahoma. He is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Graphic Design Program in the Department of Design at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is a multi-disciplined artist working with a variety of media and techniques.

In an effort to stay on the cutting edge of the graphic design industry, Larry spends a great deal of his time researching and working on Macintosh computers and their associated software applications. His work has been exhibited in many local and regional museums and galleries winning numerous awards.

For the past twenty years, Larry has worked as a graphic designer/photographer, owning his own studio, The Hefner Group, located in Oklahoma City. As a graphic designer he has represented numerous local, regional and national companies, including Southwestern Bell Telephone, Red Carpet Real Estate, Carik Services and Hertz Corporation. Larry’s design work for these and other clients has won numerous awards in the graphic design and advertising industry.

Link: www.larryhefner.com

Kevin Steiner, Interior Design Assistant Professor

ksteiner@uco.edu

Kevin Steiner graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BS in Design, Housing and Merchandising with a concentration in Apparel Design and Production, with an emphasis in design and a minor in art history. He graduated from UCO with a BFA in Interior Design and a MFA in Design.

Kevin currently teaches Interior Design for Non-Majors, Interior Design I, Design Foundations II and IV, Computer Drafting I and Commerical Design I. His professional experience includes working in a design firm in New York. In addition, he has served as head technical designer, CAD supervisor and Executive Design Team Member for clothing manufacturing in Stillwater, OK.

Amy Johnson, Graphic Design Assistant Professor

ajohnson54@uco.edu

Amy Johnson graduated from Iowa State University with a BFA in Graphic Design in 1994 and relocated to OKC where she worked as a designer with Walker Creative, Inc. In 1997, Amy felt it was time to go to graduate school to focus on the conceptualization and material usage, fabrication and the intersection of design and technology as they relate to the creation of art. In 1999, she graduated from the The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with an MFA in Studio Arts.

Amy returned to Walker Creative, Inc. in 2001 as their Creative Director. Her work has been published in "Communication Arts and Print." She has won two "best of shows" as well as gold and silver medal and numerous citations of merit in "Graphixcompetitions." In addition to her more traditional graphic design work, she remains a working artist exhibiting most recently at Woman Made Gallery in Chicago.

Amy resides in OKC with her husband, Kris, two dogs and a very large horse.

Rukmini Ravikumar, Graphic Design Assistant Chair

rravikumar@uco.edu

Rukmini (Ruki) Ravikumar was born and raised in Chennai (Madras), India. She has a B.A. in History of Fine Art and Drawing and Painting from the University of Madras, India and a MFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. Her educational and professional experiences in India and the United States has sparked an interest in explorning topics that relate to cross-cultural design. She has presented her research at national conferences and published her findings in international journals. At UCO, she is not only the Assistant Chair for the Department of Design, but also an Associate Professor of Graphic Design.

Ruki teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in design technology, design studio, typography, publication design, portfolio development, design in global cultures and design research. Her present interests include researching topics relevant to design education. She is an active member of AIGA and serves on the local board as well as the national design educators community steering committee.

Valerie Settles, Director of Interior Design

vsettles@uco.edu

Valerie Settles holds Masters degrees in both Industrial Engineering and Interior Design and is currently pursuing a PhD in Human Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on Historic Preservation Education. Her professional and teaching experience is in Commerical Interior Design, Materials and Finishes and Interior Design Practice. She is an active member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Interior Design Educator's Council (IDEC) and serves as the faculty advisor for the UCO chapter of ASID.