February 11th, 2015, by Brianna Juda

Christine Heusner undertook a big task this past semester when she took the position of Graduate Director; however, anyone who knows her knows that she is up for the challenge. I recently sat down with Professor Heusner to learn more about her new position and her goals for the graduate program.

Her position as Graduate Director allows Prof. Heusner to work closer with graduate students than she has in the past. She works carefully to find faculty to help each graduate student with their research work, as well as advises students in the two-year graduate program to help them navigate their career. Prof. Heusner loves the fact that she is able to be involved with the graduate students while still teaching courses at the undergraduate level. She is quick to say how much she “loves how diverse the graduate program is, both in education and culture.”

Her current graduate students are working diligently, and she was eager to display student work as well as explain how the program was progressing. The graduate students are conducting research in multiple disciplines; from digital printing and packaging, to materials and processes related to 3-D printing. First year graduate students have expressed interest in publication design, photo imaging, and print hardware distribution. Prof. Heusner’s role is to guide each graduate student to find their area of unique research and then pair them with faculty members who are best suited to help guide the student’s research. This allows students and faculty to “break new ground in research in the graphic communications field.”

Prof. Heusner’s goals extend beyond continuing the graduate program in the School of Media Sciences, she stresses that she envisions more students enrolled in the graduate program. The MS Print Media program now has both fall and spring acceptance into what she calls “a rigorous 2-year research program for grads.” The School of Media Sciences is also looking to expand its graduate degree offerings in the near future.

Although Prof. Heusner is working closely with the graduate students, she continues to work heavily with the undergraduate students. She is currently teaching Magazine Publishing and Advanced Retouching to 3rd and 4th year students, and is scheduled to teach Imaging to 1st year undergraduate students in the spring. She loves that this new position allows her to work with both undergraduate and graduate students. She loves that undergraduate students pick up skills quickly, and admits that grad students require a different kind of learning; however, she embraces the in-depth process with the graduates that allow her to learn from their research. When asked about the position, Prof. Heusner said she’s “excited to work with students and faculty in a new role.”