Recognitions & Retirements

This past May we were pleased to recognize in our virtual membership meeting, Dr. Scott Sander, Associate Clinical Professor, Science Education, Department of Teacher Education as our 2019- 2020 Faculty Leader. We greatly appreciate his efforts to connect students with the Art Museum. Sanders actively uses resources at the museum to develop inquiry-based learning experiences for his students. This enables his students to engage with and work through uncertainty and ambiguity and create meaningful explanations about the nature of our physical world. These intellectual exercises have become even more relevant in our current circumstances.

This year, the Art Museum presented two students with the 2019-2020 Student Leader Award, in recognition of, and appreciation for, their leadership and ongoing contributions. The awards this year went to Breanna Cole (‘20) and Dianna Kate Karsanow (‘20).

Breanna began working at the museum in the second semester of her freshman year. She created the hands-on activities for our lectures, among a myriad of other

Art Explorer program, helped docents with the technical aspects of their ILR presentations, and served as a gallery monitor for the Myaamia work both at the Miami University Art Museum and at other

Ribbonwork exhibition. In addition she designed a special print produced for the Art Museum docents, which they loved.

As a curatorial intern, Dianna Kate worked on the development of a future exhibition on environmental awareness, The World in Which We Live. She was instrumental in publicity for the recent student response and senior capstone exhibitions. Dianna ran our Dali & Donuts program, a student outreach effort to enhance awareness. She also produced some of the virtual exhibits in response After 31 years at Miami, Debbie Caudill, Senior Program Assistant/Security Officer, retired in March. Debbie welcomed guests with an open, friendly and cheerful manner. She was responsible for scheduling, managing our student staff, providing technical assistance for the Art Museum’s public tasks. She treated the museum as if it were her own home. Thank you Debbie, you are greatly missed!

Working as Miami University’s lead printmaking instructor for 33 years, Art Department faculty member Ellen Price retired at the close of Spring 2020 semester. During her tenure and as a working artist, Price organized and contributed to regional printmaking portfolios as well as exhibited her to the COVID-19 closure.

venues. In addition, Price serves on the museum’s Collections Development Committee and has been a powerful force behind introducing students to the many outstanding prints in the permanent collection. Recently, thanks to the Art Department and contributors, one of Price’s monoprints was purchased for the collection. It will be seen, studied and enjoyed by faculty and students in the future. Thank you for the memories and the legacy, Ellen - you are be greatly missed!