Contact: Christine E. File
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For immediate release:
March 7, 2002

Carnegie Mellon's Dan Boyarski Named New Head of Design School

PITTSBURGH—Dan Boyarski, a faculty member in Carnegie Mellon University's School of Design since 1982, has been appointed head of the school, effective July 1, 2002. Boyarski succeeds Richard Buchanan, who has announced he will step down as head after serving two five-year terms. Buchanan will return to the Design School faculty.

"We are so fortunate to have Dan assume this new role in the School of Design," said Martin Prekop, the Stanley and Marcia Gumberg Dean of the College of Fine Arts. "He is a leader in the design world, and he is an extraordinary educator."

Boyarski teaches courses in typography, information design and human-computer interaction design. He received his bachelor's degree from St. John's University and his master's degree from Indiana University. He did post-graduate work at the School of Design in Basel, Switzerland.

As a designer, Boyarski's work focuses on how words, images, motion and sound work together to produce effective communication pieces. His course "Time, Motion and Communication" emphasizes the synthesis of typography with time and motion. He is considered a pioneer in the field of interactive design, with research interests that include visualizing complex information spaces, legibility of digital letterforms and interactive navigation.

In 1999, the Design Management Institute awarded him the Muriel Cooper Prize for outstanding achievement in advancing design, technology and communications in the digital environment. In 1984, Boyarski won Carnegie Mellon's College of Fine Arts' Outstanding Teaching Award.

Prekop praised Buchanan for helping the School of Design to become a "dynamic model" for design schools around the world. "We are grateful for Richard's efforts to position the school as a vibrant, highly respected program, acknowledged as a leader in design education," Prekop said.