COURTESY OF RYAN LEONARDY
JAKOB HALL / EQUINOX STAFF
The KSC Art and Design Department welcomed two new graphic design professors this year, fulfilling departmental vacancies.
Assistant Professor of Art and Design Vadim Gershman and Adjunct Professor of Art and Design Ryan Leonardy have stepped into their new roles and are already teaching courses during the fall semester.
Gershman is currently teaching motion design and web design courses, and Leonardy is teaching a course on Adobe Photoshop.
Professor of Art and Design Randall Hoyt said the new faculty are filling vacancies, including a longstanding absence.
“In 2021, the college offered a number of buyout plans to help faculty to retire. Since then, I’ve been the only full-time Graphic Design faculty,”said Hoyt.
“I’ve been the only one running this program full-time, and we’re very lucky to have Gershman fill this role,” added Hoyt.
Gershman taught for 10 years at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and is a former undergraduate student of Hoyt’s. Hoyt taught at the University of Connecticut when Gershman was a student. Hoyt and Gershman were coincidentally reunited when Gershman applied for a faculty position at KSC.
“I really respected my undergraduate education and professors, and it really put me on my path,” Gershman said. “I went from being Hoyt’s student to being Hoyt’s colleague, and I think that speaks to the power of education. I truly believe that what you do in college can set the stage for what you do in life. The professors, like Hoyt, who taught me and encouraged me to grow to where I am now. Whatever we’re doing here, I believe it works.”
“I’m excited to keep going and make a positive contribution to the education of my students,” added Gershman.
Gershman said his own experiences in college influenced his career trajectory.
“I had no idea what graphic design was. I was undeclared at first, but the more courses I took, the more I became inspired to pursue this. I never looked back,” said Gershman.
Leonardy has built a career as a freelance graphic designer, and wants to help students set themselves up for success.
“Each class is going to be different, but that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what the subject is, but you never hear about what happens outside the subject’s academic setting,” said Leonardy.
“It’s one thing to do your work and pass your classes, but there’s never that discussion about how you turn these skills into a sustainable career. I want to help students refine their ability to turn these skills into something you can support yourself with,” added Leonardy.
Leonardy also stressed the importance of defining your path in college.
“When someone asks you what you do, don’t just say, “I work at wherever.” That’s temporary, that’s what you’re doing now,” said Leonardy.
“Say what you’re working towards, and define yourself by your goals. When someone asks what you do, they’re asking what skills you have. When you tell them you’re in school for this or that, you’re telling them about skills they may want to hire you for down the road,” Leonardy added.
Sophomore graphic design student Andrea Miranda is currently taking both Gershman’s and Leonardy’s classes. Miranda said that Gershman’s web design class is challenging and exciting.
“He’s got us working on a catalog-themed website, and he has us doing a mock-up of it before we fully start designing, which I really like. I’m excited to learn coding and build my own website, and I think he can help us with that,” said Miranda.
Regarding Leonardy’s class, Miranda appreciates the attention to detail provided when explaining assignments.
“At first, it seemed a little repetitive, but the more I’ve been in his class, the more I’ve noticed my progress. He takes the time to listen to students and explain in detail how something works,” said Miranda.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
