Alumni Updates
Ralph Gilles (ID-TR '92) will take over as head of Chrysler design on Sept. 1. Described as one of the automotive industry's "rising stars" by AutoWeek, Gilles has been with Chrysler design since 1992. To read about his impressive new position, visit this page: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080818/FREE/308189996/1506
A recent Oakland Press article profiled Tom Kearns (ID-TR '87), who is head of the new Kia Motors design studio in Irvine, CA. To read the article, click here http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/062208/bus_20080622268.shtml
Josephine Corrado (IN '07), a designer with Ford & Earl Design Studio, recently completed a mobile museum project examining the life of Abraham Lincoln titled Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America. The exhibit was in celebration of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth. For the full story about the exhibit, visit this link: http://www.alplm.org/self-made/bicentennial_tour.html
Lorene Boettcher (FA '98) was interviewed by The Oakland Press as an industry expert on automotive interiors and the growing popularity of leather. To read the article, go to: http://theoaklandpress.com/stories/071308/bus_20080713294.shtml
Popular blog The New (Café) Racer Society featured a post devoted to J. Christian Dotson's (ID '97) "Swingshot" motorcycle design. Find his article on http://thenewcaferacersociety.blogspot.com
Recent graduate Dustin Smith (PD '08) has taken a position with Research in Motion/Blackberry in Ontario, Canada.
Mai Hlee Xiong (GD '07) is leading the editorial design efforts for a magazine called 18XEEM, about the Hmong culture. The magazine won recently won an award of merit in the AIGA Detroit Design Competition. Check out the magazine here http://18xeem.com.
Apollo Paredes (ID '02) was recently hired as Design Director at LPK (Libby Perszyk
Kathman), the world's largest employee-owned brand identity agency. LPK has managed brand identity franchises for many successful brands, including IBM, Pantene,
Pampers and Hershey.
A recent edition of Twist, a Detroit Free Press supplement publication, included Amy Stegner (FA '06) in a profile piece about women who make unique gifts for holidays. Amy's specialty is creating drawings and paintings of beverages such as beer, wine and soda. Check out her work at www.uncorporated.blogspot.com.
Michael Frelick (DA '04) is working as the Graphic Designer for a new clothing shop in Royal Oak, MI called Hot Tees Custom T-shirts.
Congratulations to Jacklyn Brickman (FA '05) and her partner Andrew Bahrou on the birth of her son Felix Akran Bahrou. Felix weighed just under 7 lbs. Jacklyn and Andrew have been enjoying parenthood.
Cheers to the happy couple! Maureen Segall (GC '02) and Gary Garza (DA '03) will be married in June 2009 in St. Louis. They are both living and working in southern California. Congratulations!
