HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 30, 2016 – High Point University welcomes three new faculty members to the School of Art and Design. This fall, 49 new faculty are joining the university.
Dr. Victoria Brown, Assistant Professor of Visual Merchandising Design
Brown will teach classes in branding, licensing and ownership, merchandise planning and control, as well as a visual merchandising studio course. She has taught previously in fashion-related fields and has worked as a visual merchandiser for a bridal retailer and a department store. With her expertise in consumer behavior, she is interested in studying the “why” and “how” of what people buy.
She also hopes to connect students with the practical application of the subjects she teaches and inspire their creativity through hands-on projects. Brown earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clothing and textiles from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in consumer, apparel and retail studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she received awards for outstanding graduate teaching assistant and academic excellence.
Katherine Hedrich, Visiting Assistant Professor of Interior Design
Hedrich, an expert in residential and sustainable design, will teach courses on the history of interiors, programming and specification emphasis, and lighting, staging and exhibit design. This is a newly created faculty position. She is relocating to High Point from Prudenville, Michigan, bringing 15 years of experience in the kitchen and bath design industry to HPU as well as five years of experience teaching interior design.
In addition to teaching, Hedrich will continue her research on sustainable design education. She has a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in sustainable design education from Prescott College. She is a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional and LEED Interior Design & Commercial certified.
Melissa Lovingood, Instructor of Art
Lovingood will teach art history and foundation art classes in the school. She has several years of experience teaching at colleges and universities across the U.S. As an artist, she specializes in non-ferrous metals used to create jewelry and other metal objects.
Her work has been displayed in seven juried exhibitions this year and is included in the permanent collection of Red Bull Industries. She has been published in “500 Judaica” by Lark Books of Asheville and has been a contributing editor for “The Art of Soldering” by Zuatro Publishing, England. Lovingood, a native of Greensboro, has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from East Carolina University and a master’s degree in fine arts from San Diego State University.