Master of Graphic Design | May 2010

North Carolina State University (NCSU): College of Design | GPA: 3.75

Bachelor of Fine Arts | with Honors in Basic Studies, 2000

Major: Graphic Design, Minor: Writing

Eastern Michigan University (EMU)

Teaching Assistant | Senior Capstone Studio | NCSU, Spring 2010

Supervised by Martha Scotford

Helped guide students in framing individual capstone projects, creating portfolios, and drafting

résumés; participated in one-on-one feedback and critique with students; led one of three

client-based group projects for the semester; helped with other class facilitation as needed.

Teaching Assistant | History of Graphic Design, taught online | NCSU, Fall 2009

Supervised by Martha Scotford

Edited and helped facilitate the online components of the course (hosted on NCSU’s Vista

software using HTML and CSS); graded one-third of the student papers for the three written

assignments over the course of the semester; screened movies and proctored tests; and led an

in-person, small-group discussion session.

Instructor | Design Camp | NCSU, Summer 2009

Co-created and taught a day-long studio project for high-school students, which I had the

opportunity to repeat five times (the camp was one week long, and the students moved

through five disciplines within design, spending one day on each).

Freelance Designer | NCSU, college of design | Summer 2009

Designed 92-page publication for the Architecture Department, Housing and Sustainable

Communities: The Stone’s Warehouse Redevelopment Project for Southeast Raleigh

Freelance Designer | As Zahabi Design | March 2008–present

Designed and managed print, web and identity projects for various clients.

Clients: Heather’s Photo Shop, Inventory Solutions, University of North Carolina’s

Nephropathology Laboratory

Designer | R.J. Conlin, Ann Arbor, Michigan | May 2004–August 2008

Oversaw and managed the two largest projects in the company (a 64-page merchandise catalog

and a 448-page automotive parts catalog), each spanning several months, and held the position

of lead designer and project manager on two complex websites, which included working with

an outside programming firm to implement the construction of the sites. Duties included project

management and coordination (creating production schedules and task lists, overseeing

other staff members, constant contact with the client and coordination of thousands of project

details, file and project architecture, and proper routing for proofing and approvals); creating

designs for various types of projects; keeping detailed and organized job files; following jobs

from concept to completion; organizing and continually backing up the company’s electronic

file system; recommending, approving and implementing new technology (computers, printers

and software); and working effectively within tight deadlines.

Graphics Manager | Message Makers, Lansing, Michigan | June 2000–July 2003

Created designs for many types of projects; managed two other designers; kept detailed and

organized job files; followed jobs from concept to completion; worked with various vendors

and requested detailed print quotes; met with clients and communicated with them throughout

the job; and worked effectively within tight deadlines.

Recipient of Graduate Faculty Book Award | NCSU | May 2010

Criteria: Demonstration of academic and design excellence, contribution to the learning

environment, and potential to engage the profession by a graduate student.

Featured in HOW Magazine’s online article | Paper Market | April 2008

Organizer and contributor | Design, Community and the Rhetoric of Authenticity |

NCSU’s Graduate Symposium, January 2010

Our class of eighteen hosted NCSU’s biennial graduate student symposium in January. In

addition to helping conceive the framework for the event and helping to organize and facilitate

the weekend, I worked on a small team project which consisted of conducting interviews via

Skype with several designers, academics and writers. We engaged our interviewees with questions

regarding both their work and our symposium topic. These interviews were edited and

screened during the symposium.

Attendee | AIGA Education Conference, Future History 3 | Chicago, March 2009

Attendee | option_shift_control Graduate Student Symposium | NCSU, December 2007

Certificate of Accomplishment in Teaching | Participant and Recipient | NCSU, Fall 2009–Spring 2010

Guest Critic | First Year Experience, semester-end review | NCSU, Fall 2009

Pedagogy Seminar | with Professors Meredith Davis and Martha Scotford |

NCSU, Spring 2009

AIGA Member | 2008–present

Portfolio Reviewer | Bowling Green State University (BGSU) | June 2008

Guest Critic | SWEAT Workshop, organized by Amy Fidler and Jenn Stucker |

Monclova, Ohio, July 2007

I am highly proficient with the Adobe Creative Suite, Dreamweaver, Flash and Fireworks, and

the Microsoft Office Suite. I have moderate experience with After Effects, Premiere, Sound

Booth, HTML and CSS code, and some awareness of ActionScript 3. I also have significant experience with laser-cutting, letterpress, papermaking, book binding and other types of artistic

hand construction.