Faculty:
Dr. Byrad Yyelland
Dr. Byrad Yyelland is a sociologist who teaches courses in undergraduate Sociology and serves as Director of the Liberal Arts & Sciences program and the Honors Program at VCUQatar. He also serves as an editor for two international journals, The Educational Forum and The International Journal of Humanities.
His primary research interests are emotion in the workplace, organizational culture, identity and education but his curiosity is deep and he is always looking at new areas of investigation. His research focus is qualitative, with a strong interest in perception and the construction of reality.
Jesse Ulmer
Jesse Ulmer teaches English Literature and Composition as part of the Liberal Arts & Sciences program at VCUQatar. He earned his M.A. in English Literature from Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Literature and Criticism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, Jesse was appointed and served as the Virginia Community College System Chancellor's Teaching Fellow for the 2005-2006 academic year. In 2008-2009, Jesse was appointed and served as the AssistantDirector of Liberal Arts & Sciences at VCUQatar. He has received several faculty leadership awards. Most recently, Jesse received a VCUQatar Distinguished Achievement Faculty Award for Service. He has presented and published his scholarly work in a variety of regional, national and international forums. His research interests include 19th and 20th Century American Literature, Critical Theory, Composition Studies, and Literacy/Orality Studies.
Levi Hammett
Levi Hammett is a graphic designer who's work transits through multiple media including typeface design, book design and other forms of print; to photography, time-based and interactive media. His work spans a range from client projects which include a permanent interactive installation for the World War II Visitors Center in Normandy, France; to experiments with interactive performance based typography; as well as digital interactive poetic and narrative projects which have been published in online collections and featured in international venues. His research involves the creation of design work that explores the relationship between humans and their physical environment in terms of space and sense of place as well as the influence of this relationship on the creation of culture. His creative methodology utilizes reductive processes involving digital photography, graphic form and the appropriation and transformation of existing visual languages to create graphic works that communicate using ambiguity and open interpretation. Levi Hammett received his MFA in Graphic Design from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2006 and a BFA in Graphic Design from Oregon State University in 2003. Currently, he is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Doha, Qatar where he teaches classes in interactive and time-based media.
Muneera U. Spence
Muneera U. Spence graduated with her MFA from Yale University in Graphic Design, and has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the field at university level for 23 years. She is presently the Chair of the Department of Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar and has been for four years. She has participated in and led conference development and presentations, including Tasmeem Doha and Icograda Design Week, for four years. Her interest lies in understanding mechanisms of teaching and learning especially pertaining to design education in the international context. Her interest in international development/design projects have manifested in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and now in Qatar.
Her funded research interests are in developing collaborative interdisciplinary teaching and learning and in innovations in critique methodologies, while her focus is in developing curricular design processes. She has presented on these topics at numerous international conferences. Her recent research interests include human logic mapping as a precursor to mutual cultural understanding. Her professional work in Graphic Design constitutes a wide range of projects from branding, book design, museum catalogs, posters, brochures and signage systems. Muneera’s personal work explores mediums such as painting, drawing, photography, adornments, and concrete poetry focusing on issues pertaining to the family in a multicultural context. Her recent works involve the passage of time and the concept of impermanence and change.
Patty Paine
Patty Paine is the author of Oracle Bones (Red Hen Press, 2011) and Elegy & Collapse (Finishing Line Press, 2005) and co-editor of Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Gulf Poetry (Garnet/Ithaca, 2011). Her poems, reviews essays, and interviews have appeared in Gulf Stream, Blackbird, The Atlanta Review, The Southern Poetry Journal, and numerous other journals. She is the founding editor of diode poetry journal. Her scholarly work has appeared in The International Journal of the Humanities, The Journal of the World Universities Forum, and other journals. She is an assistant professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar where she teaches writing and literature and is assistant director of Liberal Arts & Sciences.
Peter Martin
Peter Martin has been teaching graphic design at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar since September 1999. Here he is pursuing his research in the dimensions, processes, and methods of contextual design with focus areas of contextual knowing and knowledge, goals and objective development, information lifecycles, social identities, product performance conception, and multi-level impact analysis. With this research he is innovating various pedagogies for undergraduate design education oriented to supporting the overall paradigm shifts taking place in the design professions. This pedagogic innovation is supported by his training in facilitation processes and interdisciplinary collaborations.Peter Martin’s background includes a B.S. in Environmental Design and Analysis from Cornell University and an M.F.A. in Communication Arts and Design from Virginia Commonwealth University, as well as five years of professional design experience. Also, his travels and photography in over 50 countries has exposed him to the tremendous diversity of form, meaning, and context that is critical to his considerations and investigations into the nature and potential of design and designing.
Pornprapha Phatanateacha
As a designer and educator Pornprapha Phatanateacha has worked to expand the role of design toward a more interdisciplinary practice by focusing on design thinking and strategy development. Originally from Thailand, Assistant Professor Pornprapha Phatanateacha has been teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar since 2002. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Utah and Master of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia. She began her career working with the multidisciplinary international architecture firm RTKL and has worked on numerous national and international design projects. Her professional design work spans a variety of disciplines including environmental design, exhibition design, branding, publication design and design strategy development. As an educator she conceived and implemented a Design Studio course with three main goals: creating a transition to professional practice for students, educating clients within the Persian gulf region to the potential of design thinking and the value of design and expanding the types of projects beyond commercial service to include local social and cultural issues and student initiated entrepreneurial projects. She recently pioneered a concept of a design conference that can demonstrate the expanded role of design by reframing the role of designer as a link between design disciplines, ideas, future developments and culture. Currently a co-chair of the Tasmeem Doha International Design Conference 2011
Students:
Aisha Al-Naama
I’m a Qatari student in Virginia Commonwealth University Qatar of class 2011. Currently majoring in Graphic design. I chose to participate in the Synapse problem seeking class for two reasons. I decided to first join this class for the fact that researching and problem seeking is one of my main interests as a graphic design student, especially when it deals with relating to the Qatari context. The other reason why I chose to be in the Synapse class is because I’m interested to work with students from other disciplines, and work with different styles of research and communication. I believe that Interacting with people from different disciplines would enhance my learning and provide me with a more complete approach to design.
Asma Al Thani
I am born in Qatar, and lived all my life here. I am very interested in arts and design. Growing up in a place where the only thing that is consistent is change, holding on to my culture and tradition was difficult. Looking at Doha now, and its major development in education and knowledge, I was curious about why western knowledge and theories were preferred over ours. People’s values towards essential knowledge changed significantly, from traditional to global.
Through my studies I gained a better understanding of my identity as a designer. Creating a base in which traditional and global knowledge are balanced would initiate solutions that would benefit Qatar’s development. I feel that it is my responsibility as a Qatari national to initiate the importance of heritage and culture through the preservation of
traditional knowledge.
Erin Gibson
My name is Erin Gibson. I was born on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. I grew up, with my twin sister, in a very active home, partaking passionately in both sports and the performing arts from an early age. Throughout my schooling, I competed provincially in ballet for many years, enjoyed my role as Student Council President (with my twin sister acting Vice President), and spent much time outdoors; particularly at my family’s beach cabin in Egmont BC. After graduating high-school, my now husband, John, and I moved to Hong Kong together where I began my life as a ballet teacher. We travelled extensively throughout Southeast Asia before venturing to Qatar to visit a friend on holiday, through which my husband was offered a teaching job at the College of the North Atlantic. Upon getting married in Vancouver over the winter of 2007, we relocated to Doha where she applied to VCUQ’s Interior Design Program where I’m is currently studying at sophomore level. Two years into life in Qatar, I continue to enjoy the diversity of its people, its fascinating local culture, and the unique opportunities afforded to students of Qatar Foundation, such as this one. I am thrilled about the prospect of initiating positive change in the lives of residents of the country.
Fatima Zainal
I am a junior student in graphic design. I am interested in the Synapse course because I like to be involved in problem seeking projects, especially those concerning real community issues. Also having the opportunity to work collaboratively with students from other majors and different years. Learning new techniques and methods to approach an issue or topic was the most beneficial aspect of this class. One of the methodologies used to analyze a topic was to perceive it in the past, present and future. Moreover, having the chance to work with people from the community was very rewarding. We gained some outside knowledge and a scope of the issues to be addressed in society. It is a privilege for me to participate and share my ideas for
a well-known, international conference such as Synapse.
Nour abu Ghazalah
I am Nour Abu Ghazalah, a 20-year-old female. I am a Palestinian, I carry a Jordanian passport, and I grew up in Saudi Arabia. I had my higher education in Saudi Arabia, in an American system high school that focuses on math and sciences. I am now a sophomore student at VCUQ, studying interior design. I have been in Qatar for almost 2 years so far. During my stay in Qatar, besides my education, I have involved myself in several extra curricular activities, of which include basketball. I am the captain of the VCUQ women’s basketball team. I also do various different volunteering for different organiztions, including QF Radio, as I volunteer to host a segment from the student led Campus Buzz show. I have also had several leadership trainings, including the Leadershape program, and being selected to visit VCU main campus on a leadership trip.
Sara Qubrosi
My name is Sara Qubrosi, I come from Jordan, I am 21 years old, and have been living in Doha for 20 years, so I have seen the process of how Doha has developed throughout the years. I am currently a senior in VCUQ studying graphic design, were I was lucky to have a good opportunity to go and study abroad in VCU Richmond for a semester and a two-week exchange program in Salamanca, Spain. Before coming to VCU I studied Business Administration and e-commerce in the Jordanian Canadian College were I got my first diploma. I worked with the Asian games 2006 in the tennis area the position of players services, I also have been working with Qatar Tennis Federation for the Qatar Exxon Mobil open for four consecutive years as players Services. Which I had great opportunity to meet the top seeded players in tennis.
Sultana Jesmine
I am, Sultana Jesmine. I am presently a Double Major Sophomore student at VCUQatar, and I will be a Junior in the Fall, 2010. My area of study is Interior Design and Fashion Design. I have lived in Qatar for 19 years. I completed high school from M.E.S. Indian School in Doha, I attained first place in the Design Competition for Creativity 2008 organ- ized by Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, after which I won one of the two full four-year Sheikha Mouza Bint Nasser Al- Misnad Scholarship for Creativity in the final round.My leadership skills are strengthened with a number of leadership or- ganizations and workshops I have been a part of. Some worth mention-
ing are my active participation in the Policy Task Force of the Interior Design Department. I have graduated from the VCUQ Ambassador’s Program, and Leadershape 2010. My community services include contributions to the Campus Buzz Radio Show as the Producer and a Campus Reporter. I has recently been nominated with the ‘Outstanding Leadership Award’ by VCUQatar.
Zane Bevan
My name is Zane Bevan. I am an American exchange student from the Virginia Commonwealth University main campus in Richmond, Virginia. I moved to Richmond in 2006 from Vienna, Virginia right outside of Washington D.C. As a senior in the Graphic Design department I decided to make a change and spend my last semester abroad. I have very little experience with travel, that being said my time here in Doha, Qatar has been quite the adventure.I have had a lot of very different occupations all of which have furthered my understanding. I have been a carpenter, a plumber, a graphic de- signer, a leader and a follower. I believe that everything we do expands our knowledge of the world around us. The only way to understand our life is to go out an experience it.
Zlatan Pejdah
My name is Zlatan Pejdah. I was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, on 08.November 1987. During the civil war my family and I moved to Austria where I started my elementary education. I attended high school in Sarajevo where I was enrolled as a double major in advertisement design and printmaking. During that time I participated in a range of competitions lifting me up from other students in that field. That way, I was able to participate and get recognition in numerous design and training programs. After I graduated from high school, with honors, I worked for a graphic design company in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2008 I enrolled in Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. At the moment I am pursuing the major in Interior Design and participating in numerous extracurricular activities.
