CNCAD: Faculty

DAVID UNDERWOOD - Associate Professor of Art, has been teaching at Carson-Newman since 1990, and is our Art Department Chairman. He is the coordinator of our major in Photography, and teaches most of the upper-level courses in Photography. Mr. Underwood is a fine art photographer whose work has been included in more than 100 exhibitions around the country and is part of the permanent collections of a dozen musems. You can view some of Mr. Underwood's stock photography by logging on to www.omniphoto.com, and typing in "David Underwood" in the search block. Mr. Underwood earned his BA in Photography from Carson-Newman and his MFA from Flordia State University. Check out his WEBSITE.

WILLIAM C. HOUSTON - Artist-in-Residence, has taught at Carson-Newman since 1974, and coordinates our Art major emphasis areas of Drawing and Painting. Mr. Houston has won numerous national and regional awards for his landscape watercolors and drawings, and has artworks in many prestigious corporate collections. An avid painter and furniture builder, Mr. Houston is a man of many talents and interests, and is known locally as an authority on Jazz. He earned his BA in Art from Carson-Newman and his MAT from the University of South Carolina. Check out his WEBSITE.

JULIE RABUN - Associate Professor of Art, joined Carson-Newman in 2002, and is our coordinator of the Graphic Design emphasis area within the Art major. Ms. Rabun has worked professionally as an architect, and is now an active fine art artist and designer. She has worked collaboratively as an illustrator for five published books, including Revival of the Fittest: Classic Typfaces in the Digital Age (edited by Philip Meggs and Roy McKelvey). Ms. Rabun earned her BFA in Art and her BA in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, and her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Check out her GALLERY.

LISA ELLIS - Assistant Professor of Photography, has been teaching classes in Photography, Art Appreciation, and Art Fundamentals at Carson-Newman since 1998. Ms. Ellis is a fine art photographer who primarily uses the 4x5 view camera. She earned her MFA from East Tennessee State University. Check out her GALLERY.

MICHAEL ALVIS - Adjunct art instructor and Macintosh computer lab technician, Alvis was an instructor of art & photography at CNC from 1981-1985. After living & teaching in Japan for over 6 years, Mr. Alvis resumed working in the Art Department in 2001. With experience as a painter, photographer, graphic designer, and trouble-shooter on Apple computers, Alvis teaches various classes in the Art Department. He earned his MFA from Florida State University. Check out his GALLERY.

CARSON-NEWMAN COLLEGE ART DEPARTMENT
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FACULTY & STAFF
DAVID UNDERWOOD - Associate Professor of Art, has been teaching at Carson-Newman since 1990, and is our Art Department Chairman. He is the coordinator of our major in Photography, and teaches most of the upper-level courses in Photography. Mr. Underwood is a fine art photographer whose work has been included in more than 100 exhibitions around the country and is part of the permanent collections of a dozen musems. You can view some of Mr. Underwood's stock photography by logging on to www.omniphoto.com, and typing in "David Underwood" in the search block. Mr. Underwood earned his BA in Photography from Carson-Newman and his MFA from Flordia State University. Check out his WEBSITE.
WILLIAM C. HOUSTON - Artist-in-Residence, has taught at Carson-Newman since 1974, and coordinates our Art major emphasis areas of Drawing and Painting. Mr. Houston has won numerous national and regional awards for his landscape watercolors and drawings, and has artworks in many prestigious corporate collections. An avid painter and furniture builder, Mr. Houston is a man of many talents and interests, and is known locally as an authority on Jazz. He earned his BA in Art from Carson-Newman and his MAT from the University of South Carolina. Check out his WEBSITE.
JULIE RABUN - Associate Professor of Art, joined Carson-Newman in 2002, and is our coordinator of the Graphic Design emphasis area within the Art major. Ms. Rabun has worked professionally as an architect, and is now an active fine art artist and designer. She has worked collaboratively as an illustrator for five published books, including Revival of the Fittest: Classic Typfaces in the Digital Age (edited by Philip Meggs and Roy McKelvey). Ms. Rabun earned her BFA in Art and her BA in Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design, and her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. Check out her GALLERY.
LISA ELLIS - Assistant Professor of Photography, has been teaching classes in Photography, Art Appreciation, and Art Fundamentals at Carson-Newman since 1998. Ms. Ellis is a fine art photographer who primarily uses the 4x5 view camera. She earned her MFA from East Tennessee State University. Check out her GALLERY.
DR. CHAD AIRHART - Assistant Professor of Art History—is the latest addition to Carson-Newman’s Art Department. He teaches upper and lower level courses in Art History, as well as Art Appreciation. Chad received his Ph.D. in Aesthetic Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas. His research centers on the connection of historical context, theoretical strategies, and aesthetic intent for American and European artists before and between the World Wars. Currently, he is writing a text about the perception of touch as an essential component of modern art. Chad is also an active artist, emphasizing the expressive qualities of color, surface texture, and lively gesture. His paintings and drawings, comprised of landscape abstractions, focus primarily on unique beauty in the non-picturesque subject of ants. He has participated in numerous exhibitions and is represented by The Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden in Dallas, Texas. Chad lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Cinamon, and his worldly betta, Sammy.
MICHAEL ALVIS - Adjunct art instructor and Macintosh computer lab technician, Alvis was an instructor of art & photography at CNC from 1981-1985. After living & teaching in Japan for over 6 years, Mr. Alvis resumed working in the Art Department in 2001. With experience as a painter, photographer, graphic designer, and trouble-shooter on Apple computers, Alvis teaches various classes in the Art Department. He earned his MFA from Florida State University. Check out his GALLERY.
RAQUEL KENNEDY-ROY - Adjunct art instructor, teaches the Art Methods class at CNC. She is also a full-time art teacher at Maryville High School in Maryville, TN, where she teaches Art I, Painting, and Senior Transition. Raquel is an alumnus of CNC, and finished her MS (in Art Education) at Florida State University in 2005. She published My Art…My World, a handbook on service learning in the art classroom in 2006 for the Department of Education in Florida. Raquel continues to paint watercolors and most recently exhibited at the capitol building in Tallahassee. Raquel lives in Maryville with her husband, Will, and their 2 miniature schnauzers.
MARK WANKEL - Adjunct Art Instructor. Mr. Mark Wankel started teaching Art Appreciation for us in the spring of 2008, and will begin teaching Art Fundamentals for us in the fall of 2008. Mr. Wankel is a painter who resides in Knoxville. He earned his BA from Emory & Henry College (in Virginia), and his MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
MELISSA PATTERSON - Art Department Administrative Assistant. Melissa joined the Art Department staff in 2008, and helps faculty and students throughout the department. An East Tennessee native, Melissa holds a BFA in art (painting emphasis) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She lives near the college with her family, and is active as an artist and maker of artistic, gourmet cakes. Melissa is a good person for initial contact with our Art Department, and can be reached at 865-471-4985, or mpatterson@cn.edu. Her office is in WAB 107.