Design Alumni

Alan Dye '97
Communications design

Alan is the creative director of the graphic design group at Apple Inc.’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. He previously worked as a senior designer at Landor Associates, an international branding firm; as a designer at Ogilvy & Mather’s Brand Integration Group (BIG); and as design director at kate spade, where he was responsible for the overall aesthetic of the brand. He has also done design work for the New York Times, Simon & Schuster, the National Basketball Association and New York Magazine. His design work has been recognized by many design publications and websites, and he is a regular speaker for design and advertising events. He was also the vice president of the New York chapter of the AIGA, the professional association for design, and was chair of the Art Directors Club’s Young Guns.

Paul Leibowitz
Communications design

 "My Syracuse design education provided me with a Renaissance outlook on design, the accent on conceptual thinking empowered me with the ability to design anything and everything. I owe much of what I have achieved professionally to the Communications Design program. This is exactly why I endowed the Paul Leibowitz Award for Communication and Digital Design and have come back to teach."

Catherine Bailey '89
Industrial and interaction design

Catherine has spent the past eight years skillfully building the business of Heath Ceramics, one of California’s last remaining, mid-century-era manufacturers of handcrafted dinnerware and tile. Her work—and that of husband and partner Robin Petravic—in building the Heath Ceramics brand has earned notable national recognition. The firm was recognized by Inc. magazine with a No. 91 ranking in its 2010 list of America’s 5,000 fastest-growing small companies (manufacturing). Heath has also secured some of the design industry’s highest accolades, including being named one of the three finalists for the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award in corporate achievements (2009), Bon Appetit magazine’s Designer of the Year award (2008), and the Henry Award from the California Museum of Design (2007).

Magdalena “Maggie” García G'94
Museum studies

Maggie, who recently received the Chancellor’s Citation for Distinguished Achievement in Arts Administration from SU, is the founder and executive director of El Museo Latino in Omaha, Nebraska, the Midwest’s first Latino art and history museum and cultural center and one of only 11 museums in the United States dedicated to Latino art, history, and culture. Since it opened its doors in 1993, more than 200 exhibits have been mounted at El Museo Latino, and its year-round educational programs in the visual and performing arts are a vital part of the city's cultural scene. Sparked in part by García's personal expertise as a dancer, instructor, and choreographer in the Mexican folkloric tradition, El Museo Latino's folk dance program was recognized as one of the top 50 youth arts and humanities programs in the United States by the President's Committee on the Arts.

Susan Hilferty '75
Fashion design

When Wonderland opened on April 17, 2011 at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway, it featured a mix of Victorian couture and outfits Lady Gaga might slip on—all designed by Susan. She designs sets and costumes for theater and costumes for opera, dance, film, and television. Her recent credits include Broadway productions of Wicked (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards), Lestat (Tony nomination), Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), Radio Golf, Assassins, Into the Woods (Tony nomination and Hewes Award), Jitney, Dirty Blonde, Laurie Anderson’s Moby Dick, and the national tour of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. She has received many awards for her work, including the 2001 Obie for Sustained Excellence in Costume Design.

Shawn Keller ’92
Interior design

Shawn runs C.W. Keller & Associates, a custom woodworking business that was founded more than 35 years ago by his father, Charles Keller ’70, an industrial design graduate. Located in Plaistow, New Hampshire, is an architectural millwork, furniture, and design firm that manufactures exceptional, custom interiors for a diverse range of clients in the commercial, multi-unit residential, private residential, institutional, and retail sectors. The company recently launched ply, a new line of modern office/home furniture that is made using a combination of 3-D modeling technology and CNC machining along with hand crafting to create sculptural-looking pieces from sustainable plywood. The line includes desks, credenzas, shelves, coffee tables, and walls for demountable partition systems.

Christina Whalen
Communications design 

"CMD gave me the foundation I needed to set me up for success in one of the most competitive industries in the world."

Born and raised in NYC, Christina found her love for art at a young age. She followed her passion to Syracuse University's Visual and Performing Arts Program where she began as a painting major. However, she felt as though she wasn't being challenged quite enough, and soon discovered Communications Design. CMD pushed Christina's visual problem solving skills and gave her the work ethic she needed to complete 3 rigorous years of late nights, doing and RE-DOING, working and creating friendships she will have for the rest of her life. During the summers, Christina interned at Publicis & McCann Erickson. She landed her first job in the spring of her senior year and started working at McCann Erickson a week after graduation. In the course of just three years, Christina has worked at some of the top agencies in NYC,including Saatchi & Saatchi and now Grey Groupe where she currently works as an Art Director. She has worked on national & international campaigns with clients including Kohl's, JCPenney, Yoplait, Avis, Clairol, Downy, Pantene, Advil, & T.J.Maxx.