Faculty
Mad Kro
chair / Associate Professor / UXD & UID / book arts / Printmaking
Mad Kro teaches User Experience Design, User Interface Design, Paper Engineering, and Screenprinting. Mad received her MFA from Washington University in St. Louis and moved to Adrian from New York City where she worked as a Production Designer and Art Director for Fab and Uproot Wines. Mad’s design and art is heavily influenced by ideas of play and relationships between craft, miniature, and humor. Stylistically, she is a Bauhaus junkie.
Tim Van Beke
Associate Professor / graphic design / industrial design / foundations
Timothy Van Beke teaches Foundational Design, Graphic Design, and Industrial Design. After receiving his MFA from Louisiana State University, Tim taught at a number of universities prior to Siena Heights, including LSU, Southeastern Louisiana State University, Texas A&M International University, and Georgia State University. Timothy’s work combines ceramic sculpture and painting to address issues of social biology and intimacy as they are impacted by evolving technologies.
Chris Kro
Assistant Professor / graphic design / illustration / Industrial design
Chris Kro teaches Graphic Design, Illustration and Industrial Design. Chris received his BFA in Visual Communications and Illustration from Kendall College of Art & Design with honors. Chris’ professional experience in design and illustration includes work in the automotive, advertising, military and entertainment fields with companies that include Ford Motor Co., LEAR, Capitol Records, and more. Chris’ approach to teaching is rooted in a practical application of lessons toward industry experience.
Jamie Goode
Adjunct Professor / Jewelry & Metalsmithing
Jamie Goode teaches metalsmithing techniques including jewelry fabrication and lost wax casting, as well as metal forming techniques such as raising and chasing. Jamie graduated from Cranbrook Academy of Art with a Masters of Fine Art. She has been teaching at Siena Heights for many years, but has also taught at Eastern Michigan University and University of Toledo. Jamie’s work has always had a strong connection with the human form, but currently focuses on design and technique.
Dennis Swartzlander
Adjunct Professor / Ceramics
Dennis Swartzlander teaches Introduction to Wheel Throwing and Intermediate and Advanced Wheel Throwing. Dennis has been a ceramics collector since the 1980’s and his work is in private and public collections across the United States. Dennis helps facilitate student’s technical and aesthetic mastery through potter’s wheel production. Dennis also helps students experience the therapeutic value of creating with their hands. He hopes to guide students to view, and ultimately appreciate, fine art and fine craft.
Cody Sieler
Adjunct professor / ceramics
Cody Sieler is teaches introductory and advanced level ceramic handbuilding classes. He received his BFA in Ceramics from Siena Heights University in 2008 and has taught at Siena for the past 10 years. His focus in the classroom is on teaching students the wide variety of ways in which clay can be manipulated including advanced mold making and construction techniques used in sculptural and functional forms.
Jordon Schranz
adjunct professor / painting / drawing
Jordon Schranz earned a BFA in painting from M.I.C.A and an MFA in combined media from CUNY Hunter College. He works in visual, sound, and installation. He is the Head of the Department of Illustration at Sessions College for Professional Design and teaches foundation drawing and foundation painting at Siena Heights University.