BRIAN KERNAGHAN

risd connection: Associate Professor and Head, Department of Interior Architecture

special skill: Developing computer-based projects for interior architecture.

breaking in: A citizen of Great Britain, Kernaghan worked for interior design firms in London and Edinburgh, and in 1980 opened a private consultancy in Scotland. He was also a principal lecturer and director of the Interior Design Course at Kingston University in the UK and in 1991 was appointed chief external examiner to the School of Three-Dimensional Design at Leeds Metropolitan University.

the road to risd: Selected in an international search, Kernaghan came to RISD in 1996 from England. His arrival marked his first time in the US.

making it: “I enjoy teaching in an art school context,” says Kernaghan, whose objective is to help RISD grads build portfolios that reflect a balance between fine art and computer-based skills. He has served as an external examiner at colleges in the UK and most recently at Temasek Polytechnic in Singapore, where he interviews graduating students with their portfolios and moderates award levels.

when not teaching, he's likely to be: … spending time with his wife, a tapestry designer… traveling in the UK…

discoveries: “Students leaving RISD with portfolios reflecting computer-based skills are being looked upon very favorably. The profession is changing rapidly, and these are the tools every student needs, in addition to the traditional fine art skills.”

education
Open University, BA, Milton Keynes, England, 1993
Leeds College of Art, Diploma in Art and Design (BA Hons), Leeds, England, 1967