Meet Our Professors: Ben Kirkby, Graphic Design
Posted: November 15, 2017 | Author: Cami Mathews | Read Time: 2 minutes
Ben Kirkby loves being actively engaged in the learning process, both for his personal growth and for the rewarding feeling of helping others expand their knowledge. Because of this passion, Kirkby excels in teaching graphic design at Southern Utah University.
Kirkby graduated with a bachelor of science in photojournalism and visual communication from Northern Arizona University. He then went on to earn a master of fine arts in visual communication from the University of Arizona.
Many opportunities came from both of Kirkby’s degrees. As a photojournalist, he covered many border issues, flew in planes, crawled through drug tunnels, all while experiencing some of the best and worst of humanity.
“Being a photojournalist was one of the most amazing jobs I have ever had, but also a very taxing job,” said Kirkby. “Working along the border was a time to cover stories with amazing personal experiences, but that were also really depressing situations that did not have a solution.”
His later career of being a web developer was more subdued, as most of it happened at a computer. While Kirkby was working as a photojournalist, his editor asked him to create a website to showcase the staff photos. This was at the time of the dot-com bubble where the internet was starting to explode in popularity. Kirkby saw the internet as a way to continue a career of telling stories as well as be a part of something that was new and incredibly exciting at the time.
“I liked working as both a photojournalist and a web developer,” said Kirkby. “But when I was a web developer, I missed the people. That’s why I went into teaching, so I could get a little bit of both.”
A graduate school classmate of Kirkby’s was working at SUU at the time of the job opening. Kirkby had been mountain biking in Cedar City a few times, so he was familiar with the area. It was a vacation spot for him, so it was an easy decision to move to the area once he was offered the position.
Now, Kirkby is an assistant professor of graphic design. He teaches the following web design classes:
- ART 3250 Web Design I
- ART 4250 Web Design II
- ART 4300 Advanced Web Design
His experience at SUU has been memorable, something that he has loved since arriving in the fall of 2016.
“I love the outdoors and have spent most of my free time exploring the parks, trails, and camping spots around the area,” said Kirkby. “My time at SUU has been full of positive experiences that reassure I am where I want to be.”
Learn more about the Art and Design department at SUU.
This article was published more than 3 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Art and Design Faculty College of Performing and Visual Arts
