Kate Clair has been a member of the Communication Design faculty since 1990. Before beginning her teaching career, Prof. Clair spent a year working as an industrial Drafting artist, followed by three years working as an art director and designer in the field of graphic design, and continues as an active role as a designer today for smaller regional clients to stay current in the field. Her work with corporate clients, photographers, illustrators, printers, silk-screeners and sign-makers has given her expertise that she actively shares with students. Her teaching responsibilities are primarily in the Graphic Design concentration, and she teaches courses in visual thinking, typography, graphic design, corporate design and production at Kutztown University. She holds a BFA from Elmira College in Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture and a minor in Printmaking followed by a Masters in Art History from SUNY Binghamton, and finally an MFA from Tyler School of Art of Temple University, where she has taken an additional graduate course in design and writing. She serves as the advisor to Essence Fine Arts and Literary Magazine and the departmental representative to the University Senate. Additionally, she presents annually at the University Preview Days and at National Portfolio Review Days. Student work produced in Prof. Clair’s courses have been featured in the book 1001 Labels, Tags & Packages, featured on CMYK magazine, The Dieline.com, won national and international design awards such as UCDA Award of Excellence, placed as finalist in the Skopje International Student Poster Competition and has been included in the publications HOW and PRINT.

Prof. Clair’s research interests include a deep interest in typography that resulted in the publication of A Typographic Workbook with Van Nostrand Reinhold in 2000, and most recently studying web programming. Her personal artistic endeavors include designing social awareness posters, collages and sculpture incorporating letterforms.

Personally she is raising a daughter, Sacha with whom she shares many laughs. Kate coaches basketball for her daughter’s team and volunteers to teach some classes at The Noble School in Kutztown where Sacha is enrolled. Together, Kate and Sacha enjoy painting, reading, camping, hiking, gardening, watching films and having fun.

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